scholarly journals Preliminary development of the social media disinformation scale (SMDS-12) and its association with social media addiction and mental health: COVID-19 as a pilot case study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noomen Guelmami ◽  
Maher ben Khalifa ◽  
Nasr Chalghaf ◽  
Jude Dzevela Kong ◽  
Tannoubi Amayra ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND In recent years, online disinformation has increased. An infodemic has spread around the COVID-19 pandemic. Since January 2020, the culprits and antidotes to disinformation have been digital and social media. OBJECTIVE Our study aimed to develop and test the psychometric properties of the SMDS-12 measurement scale which assesses the consumption, confidence, and sharing of information related to covid-19 by social media users. METHODS A total of 874 subjects recruited over two exploratory (n = 179, Mean age = 29.34, SD = 7.98) and confirmatory (n = 695, Mean age = 31.22, SD = 11.63) periods, completed thesocial media disinformation scale (SMDS-12),the Internet addiction test (IAT), the COVID-19 fear scale, and the perceived stress questionnaire.The 12-item scale (SMDS-12 ) was initially tested by exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS The test supported the three-dimensional structure, in addition, no items were removed from the measurement scale. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the robustness of the measure by referring to a wide range of goodness-of-fit indices that met the recommended standards. The reliability of the instrument examined by means of three internal consistency indices demonstrated that the three dimensions of the instrument are reliable.The correlation between the instrument's dimensions with the internet addiction scale and mental health factors showed positive associations. CONCLUSIONS The scale is eligible for measuring the credibility of disinformation and can be adapted to measure the credibility of social media disinformation in other contexts.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Guillermo Pulido

There is a global consensus about the potential of the COVID-19 pandemic to affect people's mental health. In this context, and prior to the formulation of mitigation strategies, tools are required that allow an objective and effective assessment of mental health risk. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of COVID-19 Stress Scale, formulated by Taylor et al. (2020), based on the concept of COVID-19 Stress Syndrome. A national sample of 1214 participating adults was taken in Colombia, who answered a translated version of the scale. Evidence of a hexa-dimensional structure was obtained whose goodness of fit indicators were Chi2 = 1215,759, Sig. =. 000, CMIN / DF = 2.202, RMSEA = .044, NFI = .943, TLI = .964, CFI =. 968 and FMIN = 1,967. Regarding reliability, an α = .924 and Spearman-Brown = .824 were obtained for the entire scale; the reliability indicators of the 6 subscales were also high. The similarities and differences in the findings with respect to the original psychometric study of the scale are discussed, as well as the utility and importance of the instrument as a tool in future efforts to mitigate the psychosocial effects of the pandemic.


Author(s):  
Habibolah Khazaie ◽  
Javad Yoosefi Lebni ◽  
Jaffar Abbas ◽  
Behzad Mahaki ◽  
Fakhreddin Chaboksavar ◽  
...  

Background In recent years, Internet and social media technology use have emerged as an integral tool of human society, and the evolution of technological integration, cyberspace, and web-technology has become a common practice in educational institutions. Internet usage among students has played an indispensable role in learning behavior; however, the excessive usage of the internet and social media leads to internet addiction. This original study has performed a focalized scrutiny on revealing relationships between internet addiction and associated factors among the students of medicine, dentistry, and pharmaceutical departments. Methods This descriptive and analytical study recruited medical students from the Self-governing Education Incubator of Kermanshah. This survey distributed questionnaires among the respondents’ three departments, and this statistical data reported on 420 valid responses of the respondents. They represent first and second-semester medical students of the academic year 2017–2018. The study selected medical students by applying Cochran's Sample Size Formula through Stratified Random Sampling and cross-sectional research design. The survey has utilized a demographic questionnaire of Young's Internet Addiction Test (IAT) for the data collection. The study analyzed received data by using SPSS version 23 and performed the descriptive statistics, and analytical statistics (t-test and ANOVA). Results The results of the present study established that the majority of subjects were female students (53.3%), and the average age was 23.84 ± 2.14, including the students of all departments. Besides, findings specified that the overall mean and standard deviation scores were 3.34 and ±0.88. Internet addiction revealed mean and the standard deviation score measured for all students 3.29 ± 0.73, 3.17 ± 0.92, and 3.57 ± 0.64 correspondingly. The survey results illustrated that medical students’ internet addiction substantially correlated with demographic variables, such as age, marital status, the field of study, academic term, significant time of consuming the internet, the key reason of utilizing the internet, and daily usage of the internet ( p < .05). Conclusion The results of the study specified that 25% of medical students showed internet addiction. The students are increasingly using the internet, and it has penetrated among students. The design and implementation of adequate educational programs and the application of internet-based efficiency interventions are essential for both knowledge acquisition and medical students’ healthy behavior.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-33
Author(s):  
Stevent Efendi ◽  
Alva Erwin ◽  
Kho I Eng

Social media has been a widespread phenomenon in the recent years. People shared a lot of thought in social media, and these data posted on the internet could be used for study and researches. As one of the fastest growing social network, Twitter is a particularly popular social media to be studied because it allows researchers to access their data. This research will look the correlation between Twitter chatter of a brand and the sales of brands in Indonesia. Factors such as sentiment and tweet rate are expected to be able to predict the popularity of a brand. Being one of the biggest industries in Indonesia, automotive industry is an interesting subject to study. A wide range of people buys vehicles, and even gather as communities based on their car or motorcycle brand preference. The Twitter results of sentiment analysis and tweet rate will be compared with real world sales results published by GAIKINDO and AISI.


2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 326-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thais Martini ◽  
Leticia S. Czepielewski ◽  
Daniel Prates Baldez ◽  
Emma Gliddon ◽  
Christian Kieling ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction The Internet has seen rapid growth in the number of websites focusing on mental health content. Considering the increased need for access to accurate information about mental health treatment, it is important to understand the promotion of this information online. Objective To analyze BuzzFeed’s Mental Health Week (BFMHW) interactions on its own website and in related social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) using metrics of information delivery in mental health topics. Methods We extracted social media metrics from the 20 posts with the highest number of BuzzFeed interactions on the BFMHW website and from 41 videos available on the BFMHW playlist created by the BuzzFeed Video profile on YouTube. We analyzed the format and content used in BuzzFeed’s publishing methods as well as the following social media metrics: exposure (presence online, views and time online), influence (likes) and engagement (comments, shares, replies and BuzzFeed interactions). Results Analysis of the variables revealed that audience engagement is associated with the number of medias in which the content is published: views on YouTube and shares on Facebook (0.71, p<0.001), total interactions on Facebook (0.66, p<0.001) and BuzzFeed number of total interactions (0.56, p<0.001). Conclusions Our results suggest that videos on YouTube may be an important information channel, including activity and engagement on other medias such as Facebook. Information may be more effective in reaching the audience if it is delivered in more than one media and includes personal experiences, some humor in content and detailed information about treatment.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javad Yoosefi Lebni ◽  
Razie Toghroli ◽  
Manoj Sharma ◽  
Behzad Mahaki ◽  
Hadi Darvishi Gilan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The internet itself is a harmless technology. However, its overuse and misuse will expose its users to internet addiction. On the other hand, diagnosis of students’mental dysfunction is of prime importance, and their progress and academic success in the future can be prevented by this technology if not properly handled. Methods: In this descriptive and correlational study, the statistical population consisted of all students at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, of which 447 students studying in the first and second semesters of the academic year 2017-18 were selected through Cochran's Sample Size Formula and Stratified Random Sampling. As for data collection, the Young's Internet addiction Test (IAT) and Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were utilized. Moreover, for data analysis, the descriptive statistics (percentage, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (T-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis) were employed in the environment of SPSS Statistical Software Version 23.0. Results: The results of the present study demonstrated that the total mean score of students’ internet addiction and mental health measured 3.81±0.88 and 2.56±0.33, respectively. The results also indicated that internet addiction correlared positively with depression whereas negatively with mental health (P<0.001). Besides, the results of multiple regression analysis revealed that the five major predictors of vulnerability to internet addictionin university students were as follows: the key reason for using the internet, faculty, depression, the main place for using the internet, and somatic symptoms. Conclusions: According to the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that students’ excessive use of the internet leads to depression, anxiety, and reduced mental health, thereby affecting their academic performance. Hence, it is suggested that further monitoring and control be exercised on how the internet is used by university students, and they should be informed of the detrimental effects of this technology in the case of misuse or overuse.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Xiang ◽  
Jacqueline L. Birt

Purpose This paper aims to investigate internet reporting and social media strategies by Australian firms. This study looks at the extent of internet reporting and considers firm characteristics associated with disclosing information on the internet. This research is timely as in the past decade, this paper has witnessed the rapid growth of technologies such as the internet and social media and their subsequent impact on business and the economy. Design/methodology/approach This paper constructs a disclosure index featuring a wide range of both financial and non-financial disclosures including social media strategy. This study then investigates the firm characteristics associated with the level of internet disclosure. Findings This paper finds that a firm’s internet reporting is associated with firm size, financial performance and analysts’ coverage but not associated with the percentage of independent board members. A firm’s social media strategy is associated with firm size and its environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) ranking. Practical implications The findings can help firms improve their internet reporting disclosures by providing a comprehensive list of disclosures that could benefit users of financial reports. It also helps standard setters and regulators understand some of the firm factors related to internet reporting and provide guidance for standard setters to consider in developing best practice internet reporting standards. Originality/value The research features the top 100 Australian companies’ internet disclosures in 2018 and also includes social media strategy. The results highlight that there is room for improvement with firms’ internet disclosure. By constructing a comprehensive index, this study provides guidance for standard setters to consider in developing best practice internet reporting standards.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Fibriyani Nur Aliya

Abstrak. Personal branding seorang eksekutif merupakan proses menjaga identitas, reputasi, dan citra publik seseorang. Mantan Ketua Umum PSSI, Edy Rahmayadi, menerima petisi online yang memaksanya mundur. Petisi online tersebut dipicu oleh maraknya pemberitaan di media massa dan media sosial. Meme kontroversial yang dibuat oleh Edy menanggapi pertanyaan jurnalis dibuat dan disebarluaskan di internet. Diketahui bahwa pengguna internet didominasi oleh pengguna internet. Berdasarkan hal tersebut, maka penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis faktor personal branding Edy Rahmayadi dalam pandangan kaum milenial sebagai pengguna internet dan media sosial terbesar. Variabel origin yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini. adalah Authentic Personal Branding variable. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan empat faktor baru terbentuk, yaitu Mampu menjelaskan sebelas faktor asal dan faktor personal branding pembentuk Edy Rahmayadi, Faktor pertama adalah Faktor Keunggulan, faktor kedua adalah Faktor Inovasi, Faktor ketiga adalah Faktor Pakar, dan Faktor keempat adalah Keunikan. Faktor yang menjelaskan variabel asal adalah faktor keunggulan.Abstract. An executive's personal branding is the process of maintaining one's identity, reputation and public image. Former PSSI Chairperson, Edy Rahmayadi, received an online petition that forced him to resign. This is happened when he handled the crisis that occurred in the PSSI organization. The online petition was triggered by the rise of news coverage on him in the mass media and social media. The controversial memes made by Edy in response to journalists' questions were made and disseminated on the internet. It is known that internet users are dominated by millennial generation, where this is directly proportional to social media users. Based on this, this study aims to analyze Edy Rahmayadi's personal branding factors in the view of millennials, as the biggest internet and social media user. The origin variable uses in this study is the Authentic Personal Branding variables. The results shows four new factors formed, which are able to explain eleven origin factors and the personal branding factors forming Edy Rahmayadi. The first factor is the Excellence Factor, the second factor is the Innovation Factor, the third Factor is the Expert Factor, and the fourth Factor is Uniqueness. The most dominant factor explaining the origin variable is the excellence factor.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 245-258
Author(s):  
Susil Kumara Silva ◽  
B N F Warnakulasuriya ◽  
B J H Arachchige

AbstractThis paper is to develop a measurement scale for perceived construction project success to be used for management studies in construction project context. First, a systematic literature review was conducted. A questionnaire was administrated to a sample of 108 construction projects and 47 (44%) questionnaires were received. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out and required steps were followed in the process to establish validity and reliability of the measurement scale. Initially nine criteria with 25 items which can be used for evaluating and driving construction projects were found. Results of factor analysis reveal seventeen measurable items which were loaded on three dimensions/factors. Practitioners can use these criteria as a guiding framework for monitoring and driving their construction projects. This scale will be instrumental for those who are aspired to do research in construction project context. This study may be the first to discuss a measurement scale for construction project success with the viewpoints of Sri Lankan construction professionals. Also this scale has attempted to go beyond the traditional criteria and emphasize the requirement of having a long term perspective. This study add to the body of knowledge of project success criteria and construction project management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-195
Author(s):  
Iredho Fani Reza

The purpose of this study is to develop a measurement scale for phone snubbing among Moslem youth in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0. This research is used a quantitative survey research with the number of respondents N = 503 who were Moslem youths at a university in the Republic of Indonesia which was determined by multistage sampling technique. The instrument used is the Phone Snubbing Scale (Phub-S) which consists of three dimensions - ignore others, dependency on gadgets and social disconnectedness. In analyzing the data through the process of building validity consisting of confirmatory factor analysis and total correlation of corrected items, analyzing internal consistency reliability using Cronbach's alpha technique. The results showed that the Phone Snubbing Scale (Phub-S) has a good item validity and reliability test as a measurement scale for phone insulting behavior young Moslems in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0. The recommended Phub-S items totaling 45 items that have been fulfilled are valid based on testing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) technique (standardized solution (SS) > 0.4 and T-Values > 1.96), Corrected Item-Total Correlation ≥ 0.30 and with a scale reliability value. 0.932 (Cronbach's Alpha value> 0.8).


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