scholarly journals The Impact of Social Media on Italian Shamanism and Folk Magic

Author(s):  
Angela Puca

In the last decade, the use of social media has become widespread among all age groups in Italy. Facebook, in particular, has fostered the spreading of information and aided the gathering of like-minded individuals. This process has slowly but steadily affected communities involved with indigenous and trans-cultural shamanism. From the evolution towards a more inclusive and syncretic approach within autochthonous traditions to the wider reception and reinterpretation of imported shamanism, the narratives created online have translated into a tangible change of how practitioners position themselves within the affiliated tradition. By analysing data collected on a Facebook group I created ad hoc for my doctoral research and the content posted on public profiles and groups, I will argue that the use of Social Media reshapes the way practitioners construct their traditions and practices. In the case of vernacular healers, this prompted the development of a shared terminology while fostering a discussion on autenticity among trans-cultural shamans.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Emanuela Sala ◽  
Gabriele Cerati ◽  
Alessandra Gaia

Abstract Despite older people's increasing use of social media (SM), there is relatively little research investigating the impact of SM use on wellbeing in the ageing population. This study investigates the relationship between SM use and life satisfaction, a key dimension of wellbeing, in three age groups. We focus on the Italian case, which is particularly relevant because Italy is one of the countries both with the highest incidence of older people and the lowest uptake of SM in Europe. Applying linear regression modelling techniques, we analyse data from the 2018 Multipurpose Survey – Aspects of Everyday Living, a large probability-based household survey. For two age groups, we find a positive relationship between SM use and life satisfaction which weakens after controlling for older people's demographic and socio-economic characteristics, health conditions and social network characteristics. Given the grey digital divide that still exists in some European countries, we conclude with a call for urgent interventions to remove the hurdles that prevent frail older people from enjoying the benefits of an active ageing, fully exploiting the potential of SM use.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishfaq Ahmad Palla ◽  
Arslan Sheikh

Purpose The use of social media is prevalent and having the largest number of members than any other online platform available on the internet. Members of all age groups use social media websites according to their needs. This study aims to investigate the impact of social media usage on the academic performance of college students in Kashmir. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was formulated and a survey was carried out to collect data from the undergraduate students of different government colleges in Kashmir. The questionnaires were distributed randomly among both, male and female of the first, second and third year students of different undergraduate programs. Findings The findings show a majority of the students use social media networking sites to fulfill their educational needs. YouTube is the most largely used social media network among undergraduate students. A majority of the students feel that social media networks are easy to use and they have been using these sites for the past three years. The use of social media greatly helps the students to share knowledge and information with others, to improve their academic grades and to improve their reading and writing skills. A majority of the students spend an hour in using social media networks. Students use their laptops, mobile phones and personal computers to access social media websites. Social implications This study will help to highlight the important role of social media networks in the pedagogical activities of students. Originality/value This study affirms that students do use social media networking sites for academic purposes, which is a good factor to improve their academic skills and grades. Teachers must encourage their students to make the best use of social media networking sites for recreational and academic purposes.


Author(s):  
Michael Pütter

Companies throughout the world are constantly seeking new ways to reach consumers. Just a few decades ago, television and print advertising were the fundamental components of marketing strategies. In the current era, these traditional marketing streams are just a small segment of the varied approaches used to market and brand products. The increasing focus on social media shaped state of the art advertising and shifted the way companies interact with their target groups. As a result, the effective use of social media has become an essential part of creating and maintaining a competitive advantage. Subsequently, companies now place considerable value on the way in which social media can be used to shape consumer brand perception and influence their buying intention. Companies integrating a strategic approach to the use of social media will have advantages over those that do not. In assessing the impacts of social media on branding and marketing approaches, an exploration of the existing literature on social media use and brand perception can help identify emerging and successful strategies for improving consumer engagement through social media.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Darling Selvi ◽  
D Kalarani

Social media are interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation or sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks. Social media has offered a new platform for peer pressure with both positive and negative communication. From Face book comments to likes on Instagram, how the youth communicate and what is socially acceptable is now heavily based on social media. It’ growth drifts reflect that more and more students of different age groups and educational levels are catching on and using social networking platforms. In parallel, demands and realistic expectations of youngsters or university students in an age of digital social media are enormously changing at a rapid pace. Researcher made an attempt to study the various aspects and statistcs related to Internet and social media its penetration, users etc. Researcher also study about the impact of Social Media on E-Commerce. Researcher made an attempt to study the various aspects and statistcs related to Internet and social media its penetration, users etc. Researcher also study about the impact of Social Media on E-Commerce. A sample of one hundred and twenty-five persons was taken for study from Tirunelveli District and the opinion of the youngsters was collected regarding the social media with the help of an Interview Schedule. The data collected were analyzed with the help of percentage analysis, one-way ANOVAs, one sample pair test, and independent chi-square. The researcher used IBM-SPSS version20 software for analysis and interpretation of data. ANOVAs test concluded that there are no significant differences in the opinion of the respondents of different age groups in Academia.edu, face book, Google+, snap chat, YouTube, twitter and so on. It is suggested that the youngsters should focus and filter the most essential social media platforms so that the life will be balanced at both ends of career and relaxation. They should make the right choice concerning the use of social media networks for personal, academic and professional networking in different contexts. Proper awareness building will help them to choose the best for the survival and relaxation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4793
Author(s):  
Dariusz Zdonek ◽  
Karol Król

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the way people use social media in a particular manner. The paper aims to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the use of social media, taking into account the sex and personality types of users in Poland. The survey involved 469 active users of social media. The data were analysed with statistical methods. A significant part of the respondents believed that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the way they used social media. They pointed out that the most common social media use drivers were immediate needs, often of pragmatic nature, such as rapid communication and exchange of information, and social needs. Among the survey population, it was the women who were more active on social media, particularly regarding Instagram. They were also more active on Pinterest and Snapchat. Men were more active on YouTube. Extraverts published more often on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or Pinterest by a wide margin. They were also more active in general and more often judged social media content. The respondents indicated social platforms they believed would gain or lose popularity in the nearest future. The overall conclusion is that the pandemic may be a good time to launch new social platforms or promote less popular ones with new functionalities and narrow targets.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hee Yun Lee ◽  
Yan Luo ◽  
Cho Rong Won ◽  
Jiyoung Lee ◽  
Jeongwon Baik

BACKGROUND The use of social media or social networking sites (SNS) is increasing across all age groups, and one of the primary motives of using SNS is to seek health-related information. Although previous research examining the effect of SNS use on depression exist, studies regarding the effect of SNS use for health purpose on depression is limited. OBJECTIVE Our study aims to explore the relationship between SNS use for health purpose and depression across the four age groups (18-34 years old, 35-49 years old, 50-64 years old, and above 65 years old). METHODS A sample of 6,789 adults aged 18 and older was extracted from a 2017 and 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Univariate and bivariate analyses to examine the association between each variable and four age groups were conducted. Multiple linear regression analyses to predict depression level among participants with use of SNS for health purpose were conducted. RESULTS SNS use for health purpose and depression were positively associated for three age groups but not for those 65 years or older (=0.13, P<0.05; =0.08, P<0.05; =0.09, P<0.05). Income and self-reported health status indicated an inverse relationship for all age groups. The relationship with marital status differed based on age group with 18 and 34 years old showing an inverse relationship (=-0.13, P<0.01) while 65 years or older showing a positive relationship (=0.06, P<0.05). Gender was positively associated among those in the 35-49 years old (=0.09, P<0.05) and 65 years or older (=0.07, P<0.05). Being Non-Hispanic White was positively associated with depression among 50-64 years old (=0.07, P<0.001) and 65 years or older (=0.08, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Age-tailored education on determining accurate and reliable information shared via SNS is needed to reduce depressive symptoms.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-45
Author(s):  
Margarita Jaitner

The increased adoption of social media has presented security and law enforcement authorities with significant new challenges. For example, the Swedish Security Service (SÄPO) asserts that a large proportion of radicalization takes place in open fora online. Still, approaches to contain social media-driven challenges to security, particularly in democratic societies, remain little explored. Nonetheless, this type of knowledge may become relevant in European countries in the near future: Amongst other factors, the challenging economic situation has resulted in increased public discontent leading to emergence or manifestation of groups that seek to challenge the existing policies by almost any means. Use of social media multiplies the number of vectors that need law enforcement attention. First, a high level of social media adaption allows groups to reach and attract a wider audience. Unlike previously, many groups today consist of a large but very loosely connected network. This lack of cohesion can present a challenge for authorities, to identify emerging key actors and assess threat levels. Second, a high level of mobile web penetration has allowed groups to ad-hoc organize, amend plans and redirect physical activities. Third, the tool social media is as not exclusive to potential perpetrators of unlawful action, but is as well available to law enforcement authorities. Yet, efficient utilization of social media requires a deep understanding of its nature and a well-crafted, comprehensive approach. Acknowledging the broad functionality of social media, as well as its current status in the society, this article describes a model process for security authorities and law enforcement work with social media in general and security services work in particular. The process is cyclic and largely modular. It provides a set of goals and tasks for each stage of a potential event, rather than fixed activities. This allows authorities to adapt the process to individual legal frameworks and organization setups. The approach behind the process is holistic where social media is regarded as both source and destination of information. Ultimately, the process aims at efficiently and effectively mitigating the risk of virtual and physical violence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
pp. 53-61
Author(s):  
Sofiani Sofiani

Social media has became one of the marketing strategies by most of the companies to deliver their brands, products and services to customer. Apart from the advantages of the use of social media for companies, it is becoming difficult for companies to raise awareness for their brand beause of the competition. The aim of this research is to determine the impact of social media on brand awareness of Amaris Hotel. The results of this research obtained from questionnaires that had been distributed to the respondents in Jakarta and processed with correlation method. The results shows that social media gives quite big and positive impact on building and estabilishing brand awareness of AYANA Amaris Hotel for 41,5%, and Instagram gives the biggest impact on brand awareness of Amaris Hotel. The level of brand awareness of Amaris Hotel has reached the highest level, Top of Mind level. Keywords: Social Media, Brand Awareness, Marketing, Amaris Hotel


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11193
Author(s):  
Karol Król ◽  
Dariusz Zdonek

Content published in social media (SM) can be motivating. It can induce action, stimulate demand, and shape opinions. On the other hand, it can demotivate, cause helplessness, or overwhelm with information. Still, the impact of SM is not always the same. The paper aims to analyse the relations between sex, personality, and the way social media is used and motivation to take specific actions. The conclusions are founded on a survey (n = 462). The data were analysed with statistical methods. The study revealed that the use of SM has a significant impact on the motivation to act. Browsing through descriptions and photographs of various achievements posted by others in SM increased the intrinsic motivation of the respondents. Positive comments and emojis had a similar effect. Moreover, women and extraverts noted a significantly greater impact of SM on their intrinsic motivation concerning health and beauty effort, travel, hobby, and public expression of opinions than men and introverts. The results can be useful to recruiters. Extravert women that are open to cooperation, thorough, and well-organised are more likely to be active in SM.


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