Affective Ties That Bind: Investigating the Affordances of Social Networking Sites for Commemoration of Traumatic Events

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunya Song ◽  
Ran Xu
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Preferential Attachment ◽  
Chinese History ◽  
Geographic Proximity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Mass Trauma ◽  
Nanjing Massacre ◽  
Negative Feelings

Social networking sites (SNSs) facilitate self-expression and promote social connections. There has been growing scholarly attention to the affect-charged collectivities created online in the aftermath of disasters and mass traumas. This study was designed to examine how individuals affiliate in SNS-based commemoration of a mass trauma, taking advantage of a large Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter) data set which captures users’ responses over 4 years to the anniversary of the Nanjing massacre, a major traumatic event in Chinese history. Machine learning–based content analysis was combined with dyadic-level network analysis to examine the content Weibo users create and the conversational structures they formed. The results reveal that homophily, geographic proximity, and preferential attachment work in tandem with displays of emotion to influence the formation of online conversational ties. Expressions of negative emotions were found to facilitate or inhibit the homophily effect. Being exposed to the display of anger amplifies the homophily effect among the users, while sadness weakens it. The findings point to the importance of examining specific emotions rather than global (positive–negative) feelings in understanding the dynamics of SNS-based interaction.

Studying Physical Activity Using Social Media

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeroen Stragier ◽  
Peter Mechant ◽  
Lieven De Marez
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Important Direction ◽  
Rich Information ◽  
Personal Reflections

Smartphones and mobile fitness applications or apps have brought a new experience to physical activities such as running, walking, and cycling. Increased sharing of these activities by users of social networking sites affords the collection of large physical activity datasets. This study assesses to what extent raw data from mobile fitness applications (MFAs) posted on Twitter can be used for studying physical activity and what added value they can provide. A total of 22,258 tweets collected over a nine-month period using RunKeeper mobile fitness app were analyzed. A quantitative analysis of the entire data set and a content analysis of a subset of 2,868 tweets were performed. The data from MFAs exchanged via Twitter provided rich information on various aspects of physical activity including timing and distance of runs, bicycle rides, and walks. Personal reflections shared by RunKeeper users contained additional details on how the activity was experienced. Although further research is needed to determine the representativeness and generalizability of such data, the results of this study may indicate an important direction for extending current methodological practices in physical activity research.

scholarly journals Effects of Narcissism, Leisure Boredom, and Gratifications Sought on User-Generated Content Among Net-Generation Users

2013 ◽  
pp. 49-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damon Chi Him Poon ◽  
Louis Leung
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Net Generation ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
Consumer Reviews ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Leisure Boredom

This research identifies the gratifications sought by the Net-generation when producing user-generated content (UGC) on the internet. Members of the Net-generation want to vent negative feelings, show affection to their friends and relatives, be involved in others’ lives, and fulfill their need to be recognized. These gratifications, to a large degree, were found to be significantly associated with the users’ various levels of participation in UGC (e.g., Facebook, blogs, online forums, etc.). What’s more, narcissism was predictive of content generation in social networking sites, blogs, and personal webpages, while leisure boredom was significantly linked to expressing views in forums, updating personal websites, and participating in consumer reviews. In particular, the results showed that Net-geners who encountered leisure boredom had a higher tendency to seek interaction with friends online. Implications of findings are discussed.

Q&A participation and behavioral patterns on academic social networking sites: a comparative study of academic, corporate and government institutions on ResearchGate

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiwei Yan ◽  
Wanying Deng ◽  
Xiaorui Sun ◽  
Zihao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Question Answering ◽  
Behavioral Patterns ◽  
Power Law Distribution ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Institutions

PurposeThis paper aims to explore question and answer (Q&A) participation and behavioral patterns on academic social networking sites (ASNSs) from the perspective of multiple subjects such as academic, corporate and government institutions.Design/methodology/approachFocused on the Q&A service of ASNSs, this study chooses ResearchGate (RG) as the target ASNS and collects a large-scale data set from it, involving a sample of users and a Q&A sample about academic, corporate and government institutions. First, it studies the law of Q&A participation and the distribution of the type of user according to the sample of users. Second, it compares question-asking behavior and question-answering behavior stimulated by questions among the three types of institutions based on the Q&A sample. Finally, it discusses the Q&A participation and behavioral patterns of the three types of institutions in academic Q&A exchanges with full consideration of institutional attributes, and provides some suggestions for institutions and ASNSs.FindingsThe results show that these three types of institutions generally have a low level of participation in the Q&A service of RG, and the numbers of questions and answers proposed by institutional users conform to the power-law distribution. There are differences in Q&A participation and Q&A behavioral patterns among academic, corporate and government institutions. Government and academic institutions have more users participating in the Q&A service and their users are more willing to ask questions, while corporate institutions have fewer users who participate in the Q&A service and their users are inclined to provide answers. Questions from corporate institutions attract much more attention than those from the other two types of institutions.Originality/valueThis study reveals and compares the Q&A participation and the behavioral patterns of the three types of institutions in academic Q&A, thus deepening the understanding of the attributes of institutions in the academic information exchange context. In practice, the results can help guide different institutions to use the Q&A service of ASNSs more effectively and help ASNSs to better optimize their Q&A service.

scholarly journals Data set concerning the use of social networking sites and mental health problems among the young generation in Bangladesh

Data in Brief ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107593
Author(s):  
Md. Rabiul Islam ◽  
Md. Ismail Tushar ◽  
Sanjida Jannath ◽  
Amena Ahmed Moona ◽  
Shahinur Akter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Young Generation ◽  
Data Set

Academic Social Networking Sites (ASNS) as Platforms for Knowledge Sharing Among the Scholarly Community

2021 ◽  
pp. 176-188
Author(s):  
Tlou Maggie Masenya
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Academic World ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Contentious Issue ◽  
The World ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Opening Up

As the world becomes more networked through social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc., the academic world has also developed its own online Academic Social Networks Sites (ASNS), such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Google Scholar, Mendeley, Zotero, and Methodspace, just to name a few. Academics and researchers are using these platforms as alternative ways to share and disseminate their research to a wider audience to increase the visibility of their academic output, to support the sharing of data set and to connect with other scholars. However, ASNS are not only enabling researchers to form networks, but are also opening up avenues for them to interact, share ideas and knowledge, and engage in discussions that relate to research practices. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the use of ASNS by researchers and academics and its importance in knowledge sharing. Data collection was largely based on a critical review of literature relating to the use of ASNS for knowledge sharing by academics and researchers. The findings revealed that most academics and researchers are faced with many challenges that hinder the effective use of these network sites. The practice of uploading articles on ASNS has become a contentious issue with publishers claiming infringement of copyright agreements on the part of researchers. Copyright and intellectual property issues thus need to be addressed. The study also observed that, in some instances, academics and researchers were not fully involved in collaborative with other scholars. Collaboration amongst researchers is therefore recommended as it stimulates creativity and helps in addressing this complexity of research. This study, therefore, recommends that researchers can address some of ASNS challenges if they leverage on these factors because resolution of complex research problems issues can only be achieved through cross disciplinary collaboration and this can also pave the way for knowledge sharing in practice.

scholarly journals Effects of Narcissism, Leisure Boredom, and Gratifications Sought on User-Generated Content Among Net-Generation Users

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damon Chi Him Poon ◽  
Louis Leung
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Net Generation ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
Consumer Reviews ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Leisure Boredom

This research identifies the gratifications sought by the Net-generation when producing user-generated content (UGC) on the internet. Members of the Net-generation want to vent negative feelings, show affection to their friends and relatives, be involved in others’ lives, and fulfill their need to be recognized. These gratifications, to a large degree, were found to be significantly associated with the users’ various levels of participation in UGC (e.g., Facebook, blogs, online forums, etc.). What’s more, narcissism was predictive of content generation in social networking sites, blogs, and personal webpages, while leisure boredom was significantly linked to expressing views in forums, updating personal websites, and participating in consumer reviews. In particular, the results showed that Net-geners who encountered leisure boredom had a higher tendency to seek interaction with friends online. Implications of findings are discussed.

Evolution of audience duplication networks among social networking sites: Exploring the influences of preferential attachment, audience size, and niche width

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482199304
Author(s):  
Yu Xu
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Preferential Attachment ◽  
Graph Model ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Niche Width ◽  
Random Graph Model ◽  
Exponential Random Graph ◽  
The Us ◽  
Audience Size

This study examines the evolution of social networking sites (SNSs) from a networked audience duplication perspective. Guided by social network theory, the theory of double jeopardy, and niche theory, this study proposes an integrated framework to explain the evolution of SNS choices of the US audience between 2016 and 2019. Shared traffic data were retrieved from comScore’s Media Metrix Multi-Platform database. The empirical results of the separable temporal exponential random graph model (STERGM) confirm that preferential attachment, audience size, and niche width significantly drive the likelihood of tie formation and dissolution in the evolving audience duplication network. These effects hold true even when other endogenous structural features and exogenous nodal attributes are taken into account. Theoretical implications for the networked media landscape are discussed.

scholarly journals Researchers’ attitudes towards the use of social networking sites

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Greifeneder ◽  
Sheila Pontis ◽  
Ann Blandford ◽  
Hesham Attalla ◽  
David Neal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Implicit Attitudes ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand why many researchers do not have a profile on social networking sites (SNS), and whether this is the result of conscious decisions. Design/methodology/approach Thematic analysis was conducted on a large qualitative data set from researchers across three levels of seniority, four countries and four disciplines to explore their attitudes toward and experiences with SNS. Findings The study found much greater scepticism toward adopting SNS than previously reported. Reasons behind researchers’ scepticism range from SNS being unimportant for their work to not belonging to their culture or habits. Some even felt that a profile presented people negatively and might harm their career. These concerns were mostly expressed by junior and midlevel researchers, showing that the largest opponents to SNS may unexpectedly be younger researchers. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study was that the authors did not conduct the interviews, and therefore reframing or adding questions to specifically unpack comments related to attitudes, feelings or the use of SNS in academia was not possible. Originality/value By studying implicit attitudes and experiences, this study shows that instead of being ignorant of SNS profiles, some researchers actively opt for a non-use of profiles on SNS.

scholarly journals It’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it: An experimental task delineates among styles of behaviour on social networking sites and psychosocial measures.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Shaw ◽  
Charlotte Rebecca Pennington ◽  
Nicola Ngombe ◽  
Klaus Kessler ◽  
Linda Katherine Kaye
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Content Sharing ◽  
Positive Feelings ◽  
Negative Feelings

The popularity of social networking sites (SNS) continues to rise globally, prompting research into the potential consequences of their usage on our well-being. Studies have produced vastly disparate findings, however, reporting positive, negative, and sometimes no associations with psychosocial outcomes. These inconsistencies may, in part, reflect a lack of consideration for how people use SNS; meaningful interactions are suggested to foster positive feelings of social connectedness, but the passive consumption of others’ feeds is proposed to promote negative feelings related to social comparison. To evaluate this claim empirically, the present study developed a novel computerised task to measure objectively styles of usage on a mock SNS platform . By administering this behavioural task online to 526 individuals, we identified three dissociable usage styles: passive use (a tendency to consume content posted by others), reactive use (a proclivity to react to [like] others’ content), and interactive use (a propensity to interact with others through content sharing). Furthermore, these usage styles differed on various subjective measures of psychosocial variables: more interactive use was associated with greater feelings of social connectedness and social capital than passive or reactive usage. Importantly, however, our data also reveal the multi-dimensional nature of usage styles, with online network size and time spent on SNS platforms serving as potentially confounding influences on some psychosocial measures. These findings advance our understanding of behaviour on SNS, and demonstrate the utility of a computerised task that can be administered under experimental conditions as an alternative to self-report and unidimensional digital tracking methods.

scholarly journals Online Shopping and Social Media: Friends or Foes?

2017 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 24-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuchi Zhang ◽  
Michael Trusov ◽  
Andrew T. Stephen ◽  
Zainab Jamal
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Online Shopping ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Marginal Value ◽  
One Year ◽  
The One

As social network use continues to increase, an important question for marketers is whether consumers’ online shopping activities are related to their use of social networks and, if so, what the nature of this relationship is. On the one hand, spending time on social networks could facilitate social discovery, meaning that consumers “discover” or “stumble upon” products through their connections with others. Moreover, cumulative social network use could expose consumers to new shopping-related information, possibly with greater marginal value than the incremental time spent on a shopping website. This process may therefore be associated with increased shopping activity. On the other hand, social network use could be a substitute for other online activities, including shopping. To test the relationship between social network use and online shopping, the authors leverage a unique consumer panel data set that tracks people's browsing of shopping and social network websites and their online purchasing activities over one year. The authors find that greater cumulative usage of social networking sites is positively associated with shopping activity. However, they also find a short-term negative relationship, such that immediately after a period of increased usage of social networking sites, online shopping activity appears to be lower.

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