scholarly journals E-lections: Voting Behavior and the Internet

2014 ◽  
Vol 104 (7) ◽  
pp. 2238-2265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Falck ◽  
Robert Gold ◽  
Stephan Heblich

This paper analyzes the effects on voting behavior of information disseminated over the Internet. We address endogeneity in Internet availability by exploiting regional and technological peculiarities of the preexisting voice telephony network that hindered the roll-out of fixed-line infrastructure for high-speed Internet. We find negative effects of Internet availability on voter turnout, which we relate to a crowding-out of TV consumption and increased entertainment consumption. We find no evidence that the Internet systematically benefits specific parties, suggesting ideological self-segregation in online information consumption. Robustness tests, including placebo estimations from the pre-Internet period, support a causal interpretation of our results. (JEL D12, D72, L82, L86)

Author(s):  
Marc Trussler

How does the changing information environment affect the degree to which voters make independent decisions for different offices on their ballots? Leveraging the gradual roll-out of broadband internet across the United States and across congressional districts, this study uses within-district variation over four election cycles to examine the effects of internet access on voting behavior in US legislative elections. The results show that the expansion of broadband resulted in less split-ticket voting and a lower incumbency advantage because voters exposed to increased high-speed internet voted in a more partisan fashion. Consistent with work demonstrating the effect of the internet on local news consumption, the results suggest that the change in the information environment resulting from enhanced internet access led voters to prioritize national considerations over local considerations. This has important consequences for not only how voters act, but the resulting incentives that elected officials confront.


Author(s):  
Shilpa Suresh Bisen ◽  
Yogesh M Deshpande

The rationale of the article is to describe the use of the Internet for psychological treatment in a clinical setting. Internet-based psychotherapy as a therapeutic tool, that offers an anonymous way for people to search for information and participate in treatment. Research studies on web-based psychotherapy for the major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders and other psychological conditions has grown swiftly in the last decades. Findings revealed that some forms of Internet-based treatments often lead to results similar to those of traditional face to face psychotherapy. The advantages of Internet-based interventions are high-cost effectiveness, greater access to evidence-based treatment, and greater access to patients in remote locations. The deterioration of symptoms, the emergence of new psychological symptoms, a high rate of abandonment and the frustration caused by technical problems are some of the negative effects of Internet interventions. In conclusion, there is now ample evidence that Internet based-interventions work for common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety disorder, alcohol consumption, smoking cessation, eating disorders, headaches and insomnia. Research on interventions on the Internet is advancing at high speed, while the proliferation and prolonged implementation of interventions on the Internet in regular assistance is still in its infancy.


Crisis ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 348-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajime Sueki

Background: Previous studies have shown that suicide-related Internet use can have both negative and positive psychological effects. Aims: This study examined the effect of suicide-related Internet use on users’ suicidal ideation, depression/anxiety tendency, and loneliness. Method: A two-wave panel study of 850 Internet users was conducted via the Internet. Results: Suicide-related Internet use (e.g., browsing websites about suicide methods) had negative effects on suicidal ideation and depression/anxiety tendency. No forms of suicide-related Internet use, even those that would generally be considered positive, were found to decrease users’ suicidal ideation. In addition, our results suggest that the greater the suicidal ideation and feelings of depression and loneliness of Internet users, the more they used the Internet. Conclusion: Since suicide-related Internet use can adversely influence the mental health of young adults, it is necessary to take measures to reduce their exposure to such information.


Crisis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Arendt ◽  
Sebastian Scherr

Abstract. Background: Research has already acknowledged the importance of the Internet in suicide prevention as search engines such as Google are increasingly used in seeking both helpful and harmful suicide-related information. Aims: We aimed to assess the impact of a highly publicized suicide by a Hollywood actor on suicide-related online information seeking. Method: We tested the impact of the highly publicized suicide of Robin Williams on volumes of suicide-related search queries. Results: Both harmful and helpful search terms increased immediately after the actor's suicide, with a substantial jump of harmful queries. Limitations: The study has limitations (e.g., possible validity threats of the query share measure, use of ambiguous search terms). Conclusion: Online suicide prevention efforts should try to increase online users' awareness of and motivation to seek help, for which Google's own helpline box could play an even more crucial role in the future.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Yuli Anwar ◽  
Dahlar .

Abstract. One of the advances in information technology that now has changed the outlook and human life, business process and business strategy of an institution is the internet. The internet is a very large networks that connected to computers and serves throughout the world in one centralized network. With the internet we can access data and information anytime and anywhere.    As one provider of high-speed data communications services and the pioneer of the internet network service provider in Indonesia that provides integrated services, as well as one of the pioneer development of internet services that provide extensive services in the building and apply it throughout Indonesia. Indosat ready to seize opportunities for sustainable growth of business spectrum are still sprawling Indonesia.    Therefore, Indosat continues to focus on the development of increased efforts to provide the best service for customers of Indosat. Indosat will continue to develop and expand network coverage and a larger investment that the company will achieve excellence in the field of integrated telecommunications services.    Ranking by region of the IP Providers can be seen by grouping IP Providers, and management over IP Providers prefer to choose providers based on where it orginates as an example for the region of the U.S if it will be preferred providers that come from U.S. providers.With the commencement of the internet network optimization start early in 2008 with the selection of the appropriate IP Upstream Provider criteria, it is up to date according to data obtained from Indosat, seen any significant changes to the cost of purchasing capacity of the IP Upstream.    Based on the data obtained that until Q3 or September 2008, the number of IP Upstream Providers that previously there were 20 to 10 IP Upstream Provider, IP Transit Price total decrease of 11% to the price of IP Transit Price / Mbps there is a decrease of 78%, while from the capacity bandwith an increase of 301% capacity from 2008.


Author(s):  
J. Eric Oliver ◽  
Shang E. Ha ◽  
Zachary Callen

Local government is the hidden leviathan of American politics: it accounts for nearly a tenth of gross domestic product, it collects nearly as much in taxes as the federal government, and its decisions have an enormous impact on Americans' daily lives. Yet political scientists have few explanations for how people vote in local elections, particularly in the smaller cities, towns, and suburbs where most Americans live. Drawing on a wide variety of data sources and case studies, this book offers the first comprehensive analysis of electoral politics in America's municipalities. Arguing that current explanations of voting behavior are ill suited for most local contests, the book puts forward a new theory that highlights the crucial differences between local, state, and national democracies. Being small in size, limited in power, and largely unbiased in distributing their resources, local governments are “managerial democracies” with a distinct style of electoral politics. Instead of hinging on the partisanship, ideology, and group appeals that define national and state elections, local elections are based on the custodial performance of civic-oriented leaders and on their personal connections to voters with similarly deep community ties. Explaining not only the dynamics of local elections, Oliver's findings also upend many long-held assumptions about community power and local governance, including the importance of voter turnout and the possibilities for grassroots political change.


GIS Business ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 656-666
Author(s):  
Dr. Entisar Al-Obaidi

Media refers to the channels of communication through which we distribute news, education, movies, music, advertising messages and other information. It includes physical and online newspapers and magazines, television, radio, telephone, the Internet, fax and billboards, are a dominant force in lives of children. Although television is remaining the predominant medium for children and adolescents, the new technologies are become more popular. We have to concern about the potential harmful effects of media "messages and images"; however, the positive and negative effects of media should be recognized. Parents have to establish the plan for all media in family home. Media that are influences on children should be recognized by "schools, policymakers, product advertisers, and entertainment producers".


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Brigo ◽  
Simona Lattanzi ◽  
Giorgia Giussani ◽  
Laura Tassi ◽  
Nicola Pietrafusa ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The Internet has become one of the most important sources of health information, accessed daily by an ever-growing number of both patients and physicians, seeking medical advice and clinical guidance. A deeper insight into the current use of the Web as source of information on epilepsy would help in clarifying the individual attitude towards this medium by Internet users. OBJECTIVE We investigated views towards the Internet in a sample of Italian healthcare specialists involved in epilepsy field, to explore factors which explained the influence of information found on the internet. METHODS This study was a self-administered survey conducted in a group of members of the Italian Chapter of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) in January 2018. RESULTS 184 questionnaires were analyzed. 97.8% of responders reported to seek online information on epilepsy. The Internet was most frequently searched to obtain new information (69.9%) or to confirm a diagnostic or therapeutic decision (37.3%). The influence of consulting the Internet on clinical practice was associated with registration to social network(s) (OR: 2.94; 95%CI: 1.28-6.76; p=0.011), higher frequency of Internet use (OR: 3.66; 95%CI: 1.56-9.21; p=0.006) and higher confidence in reliability of online information (OR: 2.61; 95%CI: 1.09-6.26; p=0.031). No association was found with age, sex, years in epilepsy practice or easiness to find online information. CONCLUSIONS Internet is frequently used among healthcare professionals involved in the epilepsy to obtain information about this disease. The attitude of being influenced by the Internet for diagnostic and/or therapeutic decisions in epilepsy is independent on age and years of experience in epilepsy, and probably reflects an individual approach towards the Web.


Author(s):  
MAX SCHAUB

How does poverty influence political participation? This question has interested political scientists since the early days of the discipline, but providing a definitive answer has proved difficult. This article focuses on one central aspect of poverty—the experience of acute financial hardship, lasting a few days at a time. Drawing on classic models of political engagement and novel theoretical insights, I argue that by inducing stress, social isolation, and feelings of alienation, acute financial hardship has immediate negative effects on political participation. Inference relies on a natural experiment afforded by the sequence of bank working days that causes short-term financial difficulties for the poor. Using data from three million individuals, personal interviews, and 1,100 elections in Germany, I demonstrate that acute financial hardship reduces both turnout intentions and actual turnout. The results imply that the financial status of the poor on election day can have important consequences for their political representation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuya Manabe ◽  
Mitsuhiro Takasaki ◽  
Takao Ide ◽  
Kenji Kitahara ◽  
Seiji Sato ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Effective education about endoscopic surgery (ES) is greatly needed for unskilled surgeons, especially at low-volume institutions, to maintain the safety of patients. We have tried to establish the remote educational system using videoconference system through the internet for education about ES to surgeons belonging to affiliate institutions. The aim of this manuscript was to report the potential to establish a comfortable remote educational system and to debate its advantages. Methods We established a local remote educational conference system by combining the use of a general web conferencing system and a synchronized remote video playback system with annotation function through a high-speed internet. Results During 2014–2019, we conducted 14 videoconferences to review and improve surgeons’ skills in performing ES at affiliated institutions. At these conferences, while an uncut video of ES that had been performed at one of the affiliated institutions was shown, the surgical procedure was discussed frankly, and expert surgeons advised improvements. The annotation system is useful for easy, prompt recognition among the audience regarding anatomical structures and procedures that are difficult to explain verbally. Conclusions This system is of low initial cost and offers easy participation and high-quality videos. It would therefore be a useful tool for regional ES education.


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