Subversive affordances as a form of digital transnational activism: The case of Telegram’s native proxy

2021 ◽  
pp. 146144482110548
Author(s):  
Marcelo Santos ◽  
Magdalena Saldaña ◽  
Ksenia Tsyganova
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Significant Fraction ◽  
Transnational Activism ◽  
The Past ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Instant Messenger ◽  
Low Levels

Internet, social media, and app shutdowns have become frequent, not only in authoritarian states but also in emerging and fragile democracies. As Russian authorities enforced a legal blockage to Instant Messenger Telegram during the past 2 years, many users kept using the app seamlessly thanks to what we call a subversive affordance: a built-in proxy functionality that allows users to seamlessly circumvent the blockage. We claim it is subversive because it allows users to overcome the blockage as the consequence of the app’s development, with a significant fraction of users who did not have to take action to bypass the blockage. By conducting an online survey and performing a meta-cluster analysis, we found a group we labeled the undeprived: people that, despite presenting traits frequently associated with digital divides—such as gender, age, and low levels of digital skills—were able to keep using the app.

scholarly journals Social Media Contexts Moderate Perceptions of Animals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Riddle ◽  
Jill R D MacKay
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Rapid Rise ◽  
The Past ◽  
Social Media Site ◽  
The Social ◽  
Human Perceptions ◽  
New Space

The rapid rise of social media in the past decade represents a new space where animals are represented in human society, and this may influence human perceptions. In this study, 211 participants (49% female) between the ages of 18 to 44 were recruited to an online survey where they viewed mock-up pages from a social media site. All participants saw the same image of an animal, but were randomly assigned to a positive or negative narrative condition. When participants were presented with the critical narrative they perceived the animal to be more stressed (χ2=13.99, p<0.001). Participants expressed reservations in face of a narrative they disagreed with in free text comments. Overall, this study found evidence to suggest that people moderate their discussions on human-animal interactions based on the social network they are in, but these relationships are complex and require further research.

scholarly journals Self-reported psychological distress during the COVID-19 outbreak in Nepal: findings from an online survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamal Gautam ◽  
Ramesh P. Adhikari ◽  
Aman Sen Gupta ◽  
Rajan Kumar Shrestha ◽  
Pitambar Koirala ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
The Past ◽  
Psychological Impacts ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background A lower respiratory tract infection caused by novel coronavirus termed as Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) was first identified in China and subsequently took the form of pandemic. Studies on disease outbreak in the past and recent COVID-19 outbreak have demonstrated increased psychological distress and adverse impacts on mental health and psychological wellbeing of people. However, the impact of COVID-19 on psychological wellbeing of people in Nepal hasn't been studied adequately. So, this paper aims to report the findings from a social media survey on psychological impacts of COVID-19 in Nepal. Methods Data were collected through social media from 2082 Nepalese respondents between 23rd April, 2020 and 3rd May, 2020. A total of 2014 respondents who were currently residing in Nepal were included in the analysis. Results The study suggested that half of the respondents suffered from at least one symptom of psychological distress whereas 32% suffered from two or more symptoms of psychological distress such as restlessness, fearfulness, anxiety and worry and sadness in the past 2 weeks preceding the survey date. The findings further suggested that respondents having lower family income, residing in rented room, and participants from province 2 were more likely to suffer from both single and multiple symptoms of psychological distress. Conclusion The study has shown high prevalence of psychological distress amongst the Nepalese respondents following COVID-19 outbreak. Appropriate mental health and psychosocial support response needs to be instituted to adequately respond to psychological impacts of the epidemic.

Why Tourists Choose Airbnb: A Motivation-Based Segmentation Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Guttentag ◽  
Stephen Smith ◽  
Luke Potwarka ◽  
Mark Havitz
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Exploratory Factor Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
The Past

Airbnb has grown very rapidly over the past several years, with millions of tourists having used the service. The purpose of this study was to investigate tourists’ motivations for using Airbnb and to segment them accordingly. The study involved an online survey completed in 2015 by more than 800 tourists who had stayed in Airbnb accommodation during the previous 12 months. Aggregate results indicated that respondents were most strongly attracted to Airbnb by its practical attributes, and somewhat less so by its experiential attributes. An exploratory factor analysis identified five motivating factors—Interaction, Home Benefits, Novelty, Sharing Economy Ethos, and Local Authenticity. A subsequent cluster analysis divided the respondents into five segments—Money Savers, Home Seekers, Collaborative Consumers, Pragmatic Novelty Seekers, and Interactive Novelty Seekers. Profiling of the segments revealed numerous distinctive characteristics. Various practical and conceptual implications of the findings are discussed.

scholarly journals The effects of screen time and social media on depressed feelings and suicidal thoughts among undergraduates

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Evans ◽  
Kassidy Smith ◽  
Hailey Wimmenauer ◽  
Sharon Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Attempted Suicide ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
The Past ◽  
Institutional Review ◽  
Advocacy Campaigns

Beginning around 2011, there have been increases in mental health issues among teens and young adults. A possible reason for this rise has been the growth of social media through electronic communication; therefore, this study examined social media usage and suicide among undergraduates. An online survey was developed and after Institutional Review Board approval, was completed by 506 undergraduates (67.9% female, 32.1% male) at 23 southeastern and midwestern higher education institutions. Among these undergraduates, it was found that 24% thought about suicide in the past year and 4.2% had actually attempted to kill themselves. Those who considered killing themselves in the past year were significantly more likely to feel the need to compare themselves to others when browsing social media (p<.0001), felt their life was worse than others based on what they saw on social media (p<.0001), and had feelings of sadness or suicidal thoughts after browsing social media (p<.0001) compared to those who had not thought of suicide. Undergraduates who had attempted suicide in the past year were more likely to feel their self-image was negatively affected by interaction with social media websites (p<.05) and also had feelings of sadness or suicidal thoughts after browsing social media (p<.05) compared to those who had not attempted suicide. Females were more likely than males to report negative effects of browsing social media (p<.001). These significant associations between suicidal thoughts and social media usage should be studied further to better devise health education and advocacy campaigns among this population.

Correlates of in-person and technology-facilitated sexual harassment from an online survey among young Australians

Sexual Health ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin H. Douglass ◽  
Cassandra J. C. Wright ◽  
Angela C. Davis ◽  
Megan S. C. Lim
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Heterosexual Identity ◽  
The Past ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
Dating Apps ◽  
And Gender

Background Technology-facilitated sexual harassment is an emerging phenomenon. This study investigates correlates of sexual harassment among young Australians. Methods: Participants aged 15-29 were recruited for an online survey. Participants reported how often in the past year they experienced sexual harassment in person, via phone, social media and dating apps. Correlates of in-person and technology-facilitated sexual harassment were identified using logistic regression. Results: Of all participants (n = 1272, 70% female), two-thirds reported sexual harassment in person, 34% through social media and 26% via phone. Of participants who used a dating app in the past year (n = 535), 57% experienced sexual harassment. Sexual harassment in person was correlated with being female (aOR = 9.2, CI = 6.9–12.2), trans and gender diverse (aOR = 2.6, CI = 1.2–5.7) and being aged 20–24 years (aOR = 1.5, CI = 1.1–2.1). Heterosexual identity reduced the odds of sexual harassment in person (aOR = 0.7, CI = 0.5–0.9). Technology-facilitated sexual harassment was correlated with female (aOR = 3.5, CI = 2.6–4.6) and trans and gender diverse identities (aOR = 3.0, CI = 1.4–6.5). Older age [25–29 years (aOR = 0.5, CI = 0.4–0.8)] and heterosexual identity (aOR = 0.7, CI = 0.5–0.9) significantly reduced the odds of technology-facilitated sexual harassment. Conclusion: Young people identifying as female, trans and gender diverse and non-heterosexual are at risk of in-person and technology-facilitated sexual harassment. Service and technology providers, academics, and policy makers must respond with innovative strategies.

scholarly journals The Effects of Parenting Style on Emerging Adulthood Emotional Self-Regulation and Identity Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merari Flores Saldana ◽  
Larry Forthun
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Psychological Control ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Cluster Solution ◽  
Parental Nurturance ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Parenting Profiles

The purpose of this research is to examine how parenting profiles, identity development, and emotional self-regulation may relate to one another in emerging adulthood utilizing a person-centered approach. The data being used for this study was from the Multi-Site University Study of Identity and Culture (MUSIC), which was collected using a cross-sectional online survey. The data consists of 3,775 students of which 61.9% were White and 69.9% were females ages 18-29. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed for all participants using mother and father psychological control and nurturance to identify the parenting profiles. A four-cluster solution was most parsimonious and consistent after evaluating the agglomeration table and plots. Clusters were finalized using k-means cluster analysis; differences were tested through an analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Games-Howell post hoc testing. Parental Nurturance has high nurturance and low levels of psychological control from both parents. Parental Repression has high levels of psychological control and low levels of nurturance from both parents. Parental Equivocation has high levels of both parental nurturance and psychological control. Maternal Mitigation has high levels of maternal nurturance and paternal psychological control, and low levels of maternal psychological control and paternal nurturance. Parental Nurturance had the highest levels of depth and breadth of exploration, identification with commitment and commitment making, and use of reappraisal. The Maternal Mitigation profile was similar in outcomes. The Parental Equivocation and Parental Repression profiles were significantly lower on identity commitment and reappraisal and significantly higher on ruminative exploration and suppression.

A tool for measuring SMEs’ reputation, engagement and goodwill

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalind Heather Whiting ◽  
Paul Hansen ◽  
Anindya Sen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internet Presence ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Scoring Tool ◽  
Google Search

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a rating and scoring tool for measuring small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) reputation, engagement and goodwill (REG), including internet presence and following on social media, by an exploratory study undertaken in New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach A discrete choice experiment (DCE) applying the PAPRIKA method via an online survey was conducted to determine weights representing the relative importance of six indicators related to SMEs’ REG. Usable responses were received from 159 people involved with SMEs. Cluster analysis to identify participants with similar patterns of weights was performed. Findings The six indicators, in decreasing order of importance (mean weights in parentheses), are: “captured” customer opinions about the business (0.28); contact with customer database (0.19); website traffic (0.16); Google Search ranking (0.15); size of customer database, (0.11); and following on social media (0.11). These indicators and weights can be used to rate and score individual SMEs. The cluster analysis indicates that participants’ age has some influence on their weights. Research limitations/implications Only 159 usable responses for the DCE. Practical implications The indicators and their weights provide a practical and inexpensive tool for measuring SMEs’ REG. Originality/value This is the first study to use a DCE to determine weights representing the relative importance of indicators included in a tool for measuring SMEs’ REG. The tool is innovative because it includes readily available indicators of firms’ internet presence and following on social media.

Examining the Roles of Political Social Network and Internal Efficacy on Social Media News Engagement: A Comparative Study of Six Asian Countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Chan ◽  
Hsuan-Ting Chen ◽  
Francis L. F. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Deliberative Democracy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Political Efficacy ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
The Past ◽  
Political Views ◽  
Use Of Social Media

The use of social media has risen exponentially in Asia in the past decade, but there have been few comparative studies examining social media news engagement in the region. We use online survey data to examine the relationships among political social networks, internal political efficacy, and social media news engagement in six countries (Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore). Findings across the samples showed that individuals in political social networks comprising cross-cutting and like-minded political views engage in social media news more, and internal political efficacy accentuated the relationships between cross-cutting/like-minded political social networks and engagement. Implications for the findings are discussed in relation to current debates on the potential for social media news engagement to engender a more deliberative democracy; or lead to greater ideological segregation and echo chambers in social media spaces.

scholarly journals Social Media Contexts Moderate Perceptions of Animals

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 845
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Riddle ◽  
Jill R. D. MacKay
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Human Society ◽  
The Past ◽  
Social Media Site ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Face ◽  
Human Perceptions ◽  
New Space

The rapid rise of social media in the past decade represents a new space where animals are represented in human society, and this may influence human perceptions, for example driving desire for exotic pet keeping. In this study, 211 participants (49% female) between the ages of 18 to 44 were recruited to an online survey where they viewed mock-up pages from a social media site. All participants saw the same image of a primate but were randomly assigned to a pro exotic pet keeping or anti exotic pet keeping narrative condition. When participants were presented with the anti narrative they perceived the animal to be more stressed (χ2 = 13.99, p < 0.001). In free text comments, participants expressed reservations in the face of a narrative they disagreed with in free text comments. Overall, this study found evidence to suggest that people moderate their discussions on human-animal interactions based on the social network they are in, but these relationships are complex and require further research.

Digital Inequality Among States at an European Level

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Social Phenomenon ◽  
European Level ◽  
Digital Inequality ◽  
The Past ◽  
Digital Divides ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
The Web

For the past twenty-five years, digital inequalities have been analyzed by several scholars. Many empirical studies have shaped a theoretical framework that identifies three main digital divides. However, most of the scientific contributions have been focusing on digital inequalities within countries, leaving inequalities among countries behind. This paper aims at analyzing what kind of digital inequalities emerge among European countries, focusing on the trends that characterized Europe in the last decade, to consider whether some of the main elements of the digital divide literature replicate at the continental level. The paper analyzes secondary data, mainly retrieved from Eurostat. It emerges that inequalities in digital skills and use of the Web persist in Europe, and some of the trends that scholars found among individuals are identifiable among countries as well. These findings contribute to the description of digital inequalities, a social phenomenon not so deeply studied at the continental level.

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