scholarly journals Managing News Overload (MNO): The COVID-19 Infodemic

Information ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 375
Author(s):  
Sameera Tahira Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Global Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Information Overload ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
News Consumption ◽  
News Sources

A crucial area in which information overload is experienced is news consumption. Ever increasing sources and formats are becoming available through a combination of traditional and new (digital) media, including social media. In such an information and media rich environment, understanding how people access and manage news during a global health epidemic like COVID-19 becomes even more important. The designation of the current situation as an infodemic has raised concerns about the quality, accuracy and impact of information. Instances of misinformation are commonplace due, in part, to the speed and pervasive nature of social media and messaging applications in particular. This paper reports on data collected using media diaries from 15 university students in the United Arab Emirates documenting their news consumption in April 2020. Faced with a potentially infinite amount of information and news, participants demonstrate how they are managing news overload (MNO) using a number of complementary strategies. Results show that while consumption patterns vary, all diaries indicate that users’ ability to navigate the news landscape in a way that fulfils their needs is influenced by news sources; platform reliability and verification; sharing activity; and engagement with news.

Unknown Publics

2018 ◽  
pp. 207-214
Author(s):  
Susan Zieger
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Information Overload ◽  
Information Storage ◽  
First Century ◽  
Media Consumption ◽  
The Media ◽  
Twenty First Century

The conclusion reviews the five central components through which the book has posited connections between nineteenth- and twenty-first century habits of media consumption. It shows how “addiction” still serves as a descriptive metaphor for the consumption of information, now networked and constantly refreshing itself; how the fantasy of infinite mental retention still governs fantasies of mastering information overload; how playback has only continued to conflate memory with information storage, resulting in programmable subjects and information as a super-commodity; how digital media reproduction and circulation ironically still creates the aura of mass live events; and finally, how the media consumer’s dilemma of establishing authenticity has only become more aggravated in an era of self-branding on social media.

scholarly journals The uncertain first-time voter: Effects of political media exposure on young citizens’ formation of vote choice in a digital media environment

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 3243-3265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Ohme ◽  
Claes H. de Vreese ◽  
Erik Albaek
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Media Exposure ◽  
Political Information ◽  
Vote Choice ◽  
Election Campaign ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
News Sources ◽  
First Time

The digital media environment changes the way citizens receive political information, also during an election campaign. Particularly first-time voters increasingly use social media platforms as news sources. Yet, it is less clear how accessing political information in such a unique social setting affects these cohorts’ decision-making processes during an election campaign, compared to experienced voters. We compare effects of these two groups’ political information exposure on their vote choice certainty during the 2015 Danish national election. We furthermore test how the relation between exposure and certainty can be mediated by active campaign participation. An 11-wave national panel study was conducted, using a smartphone-based assessment of citizens’ ( n = 1108) media exposure and vote choice certainty across the campaign period. Results suggest that first-time voters’ social media exposure is responsible for their increase in certainty as the campaign progresses, while this effect is absent for experienced voters.

scholarly journals An Exploration of Esports Consumer Consumption Patterns, Fandom, and Motives

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Devin Anderson ◽  
Kevin Sweeney ◽  
Erica Pasquini ◽  
Brent Estes ◽  
Ryan Zapalac
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
University Students ◽  
Stepwise Regression ◽  
Market Value ◽  
Public University ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Motivation Scale ◽  
Total Market

Esports, or competitive gaming, has become a large market in the entertainment industry, with a total market value approaching $1 billion USD in 2019. An understanding of esports consumers has become increasingly important as the industry continues to grow and evolve. Using a sample of 374 university students at a large public university, this study examines the motivations and fandom of esports consumers using a modified version of the Sport Fandom Questionnaire (SFQ) and the Motivation Scale for Sports Consumption (MSSC). Survey respondents were asked about their consumption of esports in relation to viewership, event attendance, social media usage, and spending. Three stepwise regression analyses were employed to examine the predictive capabilities of esports fandom and esports motivations on esports consumption variables. The results reveal a wide variety of relationships between esports fandom, motivation for consumption, and consumption behaviors.

scholarly journals Gaming and Social Media Addiction in University Students: Sex Differences, Suitability of Symptoms, and Association With Psychosocial Difficulties

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Burén ◽  
Sissela B. Nutley ◽  
David Sandberg ◽  
Johanna Ström Wiman ◽  
Lisa B. Thorell
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
University Students ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Internet Gaming Disorder ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Psychosomatic Symptoms ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Psychosocial Difficulties ◽  
Symptom Criteria

Background: Previous research has shown that addictions to digital media can have negative impact on psychosocial health. Although Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has received most scholarly recognition, the potential negative consequences of Social Media Disorder (SMD) have also been found. However, few studies have assessed the symptoms of these two digital media addictions in the same way, making comparisons difficult. The present study aims to fill this gap by investigating differences and similarities regarding how common the symptoms are, sex differences, the suitability of the symptoms, and their association with psychosocial difficulties.Method: A total of 688 university students (63.2% women, Mean age = 25.98) completed a questionnaire measuring symptoms of IGD and SMD, as well as psychosocial difficulties (i.e., psychosomatic symptoms, low self-concept, and social problems).Results: Results showed that 1.2% of the men and 0.9% of the women met the symptom criteria for IGD (non-significant difference), whereas 3.2% men and 2.8% women met the symptom criteria for SMD (non-significant difference). Dimensional analyses indicated that men had higher IGD scores compared to women, whereas the opposite was found for SMD. Symptoms of heavy involvement in digital media (i.e., Preoccupation, Tolerance, Withdrawal, Unsuccessful attempts to control, and Escape) had high sensitivity, but low positive predictive value (PPV). However, symptoms associated with negative consequences of digital media use (i.e., Loss of interest, Continued excessive use, Deception, and Jeopardizing career/relationships) had low sensitivity, but high PPV. These symptom patterns were similar for IGD and SMD. Meeting the criteria for IGD or SMD as well as being at risk of these disorders were significantly associated with psychosocial difficulties. Symptoms of SMD generally had stronger associations with psychosomatic symptoms compared to symptoms of IGD.Conclusions: We conclude that heavy involvement in digital media seems common among individuals with IGD or SMD, but also among those not meeting the symptom criteria, whereas negative consequences are less common but highly predictive of digital media addictions once present. Further attention to SMD is warranted, as it seems more common than IGD and also seems to be equally or more strongly associated with psychosocial difficulties.

scholarly journals Students’ perceptions on social media teaching tools in higher education settings

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-28
Author(s):  
Mònica Figueras-Maz ◽  
María-del-Mar Grandío-Pérez ◽  
Julio-César Mateus
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
University Students ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
The Media ◽  
Spanish Universities ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Academic Year

Young people use social networks extensively in their daily lives, and using social media is, without doubt, the media practice they do the most. Therefore, there are increasing efforts to include students’ use of social media outside the classroom into university learning practices. However, there is still very little innovative application of mobile technology and its social networks in Spanish universities. In this article we explore Spanish university students’ perceptions of the use of social networks for educational purposes in the classroom. We found students to have an ambivalent perception as they are both critical and approving of using mobile devices in university teaching. We present data from the research project “Media competencies of citizens in emerging digital media in university environments” funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain. The study is based on 897 questionnaires given to Spanish university students studying various degrees, as well as four focus groups held in Seville, Madrid, Huelva and Barcelona during the 2017-2018 academic year. The data show that there is little use of social networks for educational and creative purposes in Spanish universities, and formal practices (organized by the teacher) are very different from informal practices (organized spontaneously by students). The latter is the most common among university students and WhatsApp is the most used internal tool, followed far behind by Facebook and Instagram. Students appreciate the direct and immediate communication of these networks, but are concerned about their distracting influence in the classroom and the possibility that teachers could invade their privacy.

The effect of news consumption on fake news efficacy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Chan-Olmsted ◽  
Yufan Sunny Qin
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
News Consumption ◽  
News Sources ◽  
News Source ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
Use Of Social Media

The increasing use of social media has led to the growing reliance of social media as a news source. The viral nature of social platforms inevitably elevates the viral impact of fake news. As both academia and practitioners touted media literacy as a means of combating fake news or misinformation, little is known about the nature of relevant efficacies. Existent literature points to the plausible contribution of media consumption, self-efficacy of fake news and perceived impact of fake news in this process. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between consumers’ news consumption, such as fake news experiences/perceptions, news sources and news consumption motives; and fake news perceptions like self-efficacy and impacts. This study conducted an online survey to examine the proposed hypotheses and research questions. The findings suggest that consumers’ previous experiences and consumption motives are connected with their perceived effects and efficacy of fake news. In addition, different news sources (i.e. mainstream media and social media) exert diverse effects on fake news self-efficacy.

Barrier or Booster? Digital Media, Social Networks, and Youth Micromobilization

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 865-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas V. Maher ◽  
Jennifer Earl
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
University Students ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Network Ties ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
The Family

Research on young people’s protest participation has focused on how the family, peers, and institutions support activism and micromobilization. But digital and social media usage has arguably altered how we interact and how individuals participate in politics and activism, especially among youth. This sets up an important question: Do the institutional supports (e.g., schools) and network ties (e.g., friends and family) that have historically driven micromobilization still matter in a world of pervasive digital and social media usage, particularly for youth? In this article, we analyze this question using interviews with 40 high school and university students. Rather than acting as a disruptive force, we find that digital media has become an integral part of youth micromobilization, facilitating traditional paths to activism and offering pathways to activism for those with no other options. As has been true historically, participation may also be dampened when supportive network ties are absent. We conclude with a discussion of the broader implications for micromobilization and political participation.

scholarly journals Ways of exposing the sexuality of university students in digital media

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Sousa ◽  
M D O Lima ◽  
P A Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
University Students ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Digital Medium ◽  
Belo Horizonte ◽  
Source Of Information

Abstract Background Due to social and technological developments, experiences related to relationships between people express changes, which can be observed in social media, especially in social networks and dating and sexual apps. The use of social networks is growing among people of all age groups, which facilitates the maintenance of interpersonal contact and allows some people to get to know each other digitally, in addition to assisting in the search for information about sexuality and making it possible to meet with women. loving or sexual purpose. Objective to understand the means that university students express their sexuality in digital media. Methods This is a research with a qualitative approach, based on the Theory of Social Representations. University students from Belo Horizonte participated in the study. Data collection took place through a structured questionnaire with open and closed questions made available via the internet. The data were interpreted based on the Structural Analysis of the Narration, proposed by Demazière; Dubar. Results Two theoretical categories were listed. Use of digital media for sexual and amorous encounters - university students reveal the use of apps for casual encounters, where they use photos considered sensual to get a date outside the digital medium. Use of digital media as a source of information - the research subjects say they use the internet as a source of information about sexuality, as they still consider this issue difficult to approach with parents. These students also share the acquired information and personal experiences with friends. Conclusions In the digital environment, social relations are based on a hypervisibility of personal life on social networks, where intimate, private and especially sexual and body issues are exposed. Key messages Understanding how university students express their sexuality in digital media is an important step towards promoting the health of this population group. Social media can be of great value, but it can also present risks. Thus, university students are susceptible to these two factors, especially when it comes to topics such as sexuality.

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