Homo digitalis – Homo medialis. Digitális média és keresztyén antropológia

Homo Digitalis – Homo Medialis. Digital Media and Christian Anthropology. Digital media and virtual community existence define our present and our everyday life to such an extent and poses such new challenges that Christian ethics cannot escape the responsibility of guidance. However, it is not just a question of what ethical norms apply to the online space and appearance therein but also of how online identity redraws a person’s image of him-/herself and of the other. Can Christian ethics speak of homo digitalis and homo medialis without confronting Christian teaching about humans? The present study seeks to critically illuminate new phenomena in the digital world along the topoi of classical Christian anthropology (creation, divinity, alienation, shame, sin, fellow human beings). Keywords: media, digital lifestyle, virtuality, online identity, Christian anthropology

Undergraduate Students’ Attitudes towards Online Language Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Are Students Thriving or Surviving?

The global pandemic has tremendously affected all walks of life. Education is no exception, with online learning being the only available mode of learning. This sudden shift to online learning, which was given marginal attention before the pandemic, has entailed many challenges for decision-makers, teachers and students alike. This paper highlights the general attitudes of Omani undergraduate students towards online language courses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants are 155 undergraduate students who took online English requirements in the Centre for Preparatory Studies (CPS) at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Spring 2021. A quantitative approach to data collection has been embraced to collect students’ perspectives on different aspects related to their online learning experience. A survey addressing different aspects of online learning related to connectivity, communication, learning experience and learning environment, assessment and learner’s online identity was conducted. The findings show that students are thriving and have a general positive attitude towards the online learning experience. However, students reported some factors which made the online instruction stressful such as technical issues, marathon assignments, disconnectedness and online identity. The findings of the study can be good indicators that should be taken into consideration when designing, running and evaluating online language courses for undergraduate students to help them thrive during this mode of learning.

Who are we online? The interplay between online identity formation and Christian marriages

Digital technologies have become an integrated part of everyday life, and this development has not left relationships untouched. A need exists for theological reflection on the interaction between the dynamic contexts of the digital age and Christian marital relationships. The relational implications of the digital age are quite vast; therefore the focus of the article will be limited to online identity formation as a particular challenge of the digital age. Employing the method of a literature study within the scientific field of practical theology, this article explores the interplay between online identity formation and Christian marriage. It suggests that online identity formation exists around a reciprocal interaction with two prominent qualities of Christian marriages: The expansion of the self and one-ness. When considering the interplay between online identity formation and Christian marriage, awareness can be created regarding the marital implications of spouses’ online engagements, which may enhance contextual pastoral care with a relational focus within the digital age.Contribution: The article contributes to practical theological reflection on challenges posed to Christian marriages by the digital age. It is aimed at stimulating pastoral thinking regarding online identity formation and its adverse effects on so-called one-ness in Christian marriages that can enhance pastoral care with a view on the flourishing of couples in the digital age.

Identity Theft Detection Using Machine Learning

Online Identity Theft is known to be quite possibly the most genuine and developing dangers to people and organizations for the past decade because of the colossal financial harm caused by it. It is a critical form of cybercrime which uses information such a victim’s name, bank details, email address, passwords, passport or identification details, and other valuable information to gain access to accounts. This aim of this research is to make use of Machine Learning algorithms for the detection of such crimes. Keywords: identity theft; cybercrime; Machine Learning; detection; algorithms

Who sells knowledge online? An exploratory study of knowledge celebrities in China

PurposeThis study explores identity signaling used by an emerging class of knowledge celebrities in China – Knowledge Wanghong – who sell knowledge products on online platforms. Because identity signaling may involve constructing unique online identities and controlling over product-related and seller-related characteristics, the purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) to uncover different online identities of knowledge celebrities; and (2) to examine the extent to which the online identity type is associated with their product-related characteristics, seller-related characteristics and sales performance.Design/methodology/approachA unique data set was collected from a Chinese leading pay-for-knowledge platform – Zhihu – which featured the online profiles of tens of thousands of knowledge celebrities. Online identity types were derived from their self-edited content using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling. Thereafter, their product-related characteristics, seller-related characteristics and respective sales performance were analyzed across different identity types using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple-group linear regression.FindingsKnowledge celebrities are clustered into four distinctive online identities: Mentor, Broker, Storyteller and Geek. Product-related characteristics, sell-related characteristics and sales performance varied across four different identities. Additionally, the online identity type moderated the relationships among their product-related characteristics, sell-related characteristics and sales performance.Originality/valueAs emerging-phenomenon-based research, this study extends related literature by using the notion of identity signaling to analyze a peculiar group of online celebrities who are setting an important trend in the pay-for-knowledge model in China.

A Literature Review of Online Identity Reconstruction

The tremendous development of the Internet enables people to present themselves freely. Some people may reconstruct their identity on the Internet to build an online identity that is partly or even completely different from their real identity in the offline world. Given that research on online identity reconstruction is fragmented, it is important to evaluate the current state of the literature. In this paper, a review of literature related to online identity reconstruction was conducted. This study summarized the theoretical and methodological preferences of relevant research. In addition, it elaborated why and how people engage in online identity reconstruction. The predictors and effects of online identity reconstruction were also discussed. The results of this study provided an overview of the thematic patterns of existing research. This review also identified current research gaps and recommended possible directions for future studies.

The connection of committing and experiencing cyber-bullying peer violence with depression, anxiety and stress in high school students

<p></p><p>This research has aimed to determine whether cyber-bullying peer violence is associated with depression, anxiety and stress in high school students. The research results are based on the data obtained from a sample of 202 Montenegrin high school students. It has been established that committing and experiencing e-violence is associated with depression. Committing and experiencing verbal online violence, as well as involvement in online counterfeiting/criminal acts, is associated with depression, while involvement in online identity concealment and lies has no connection with depression. When it comes to anxiety, the results of this research show that involvement in verbal e-violence and in online counterfeiting/criminal acts leads to anxiety, while committing and experiencing online identity concealmentis not related to anxiety. When it comes to committing and experiencing verbal online violence and stress, although there is a statistically significant difference, it is not applicable for all values. Consequently, we cannot draw a strong enough conclusion about it. Victims of online counterfeiting and criminal acts, according to the results of our research, have a higher level of stress than those not involved in this type of cyber-bullying peer violence.</p><p><i>Cyber victim and bullying scale </i>has been used to collect data on committing and experiencing e-violence among peers (Cetin, Yaman and Peker, 2011).Permission to use this scale was requested and obtained. The scale examines experiencing and committing online violence. It consists of two parts, each part containing 22 particles. In the first part (<i>Experiencing cyber-bullying </i>subscale), participants have assessed whether the described behavior happened to them,on a scale from 1 (never) to 5 (always). In the second part (<i>Committing cyber-bullying </i>subscale), and with identical particles, respondents have assessed whether they themselves behaved in this way. </p><p></p><p> </p><p><i>In our research, we have performed a factor analysis of the </i><i>Cyber victim and bulling scale .</i></p> <p>When it comes to the <i>Committing cyber-bullying </i>subscale, the percentage of explained variance amounts to 55.141%, whereas factor analysis also points to 3 factors, namely: a) verbal online violence; b) online identity concealment and lies; and c) online counterfeiting and criminal acts.</p> <p>When it comes to the <i>Experiencing cyber-bullying</i> subscale, the percentage of explained variance amounts to 65,211%, whereas factor analysis also points to 3 factors, namely: a) verbal online violence; b) online identity concealment and lies; and c) online counterfeiting and criminal acts.<i> W</i>e have used a scale for assessing the depression, anxiety and stress levels (DASS21) to determine whether experiencing e-violence leads to depression, anxiety and stress,and to what extent. We have chosen this scale because the results of a research checking its psychometric qualities have indicated that the DASS-21 scale’s psychometric qualities recommend it for use in researching unpleasant emotional states in adolescents. DASS-21 is a 21-item self-report measure giving three subclasses of seven items each: depression , anxiety and stress. Participants have been asked to indicate which statement applied to them over the past week on the Likert 4-point scale. DASS-21 has high reliability, consistent factor structure and high convergent valiadity. We did not have to ask permission for this scale and it can be used freely.</p><p></p>

The connection of committing and experiencing cyber-bullying peer violence with depression, anxiety and stress in high school students

<p></p><p>This research has aimed to determine whether cyber-bullying peer violence is associated with depression, anxiety and stress in high school students. The research results are based on the data obtained from a sample of 202 Montenegrin high school students. It has been established that committing and experiencing e-violence is associated with depression. Committing and experiencing verbal online violence, as well as involvement in online counterfeiting/criminal acts, is associated with depression, while involvement in online identity concealment and lies has no connection with depression. When it comes to anxiety, the results of this research show that involvement in verbal e-violence and in online counterfeiting/criminal acts leads to anxiety, while committing and experiencing online identity concealmentis not related to anxiety. When it comes to committing and experiencing verbal online violence and stress, although there is a statistically significant difference, it is not applicable for all values. Consequently, we cannot draw a strong enough conclusion about it. Victims of online counterfeiting and criminal acts, according to the results of our research, have a higher level of stress than those not involved in this type of cyber-bullying peer violence.</p><p><i>Cyber victim and bullying scale </i>has been used to collect data on committing and experiencing e-violence among peers (Cetin, Yaman and Peker, 2011).Permission to use this scale was requested and obtained. The scale examines experiencing and committing online violence. It consists of two parts, each part containing 22 particles. In the first part (<i>Experiencing cyber-bullying </i>subscale), participants have assessed whether the described behavior happened to them,on a scale from 1 (never) to 5 (always). In the second part (<i>Committing cyber-bullying </i>subscale), and with identical particles, respondents have assessed whether they themselves behaved in this way. </p><p></p><p> </p><p><i>In our research, we have performed a factor analysis of the </i><i>Cyber victim and bulling scale .</i></p> <p>When it comes to the <i>Committing cyber-bullying </i>subscale, the percentage of explained variance amounts to 55.141%, whereas factor analysis also points to 3 factors, namely: a) verbal online violence; b) online identity concealment and lies; and c) online counterfeiting and criminal acts.</p> <p>When it comes to the <i>Experiencing cyber-bullying</i> subscale, the percentage of explained variance amounts to 65,211%, whereas factor analysis also points to 3 factors, namely: a) verbal online violence; b) online identity concealment and lies; and c) online counterfeiting and criminal acts.<i> W</i>e have used a scale for assessing the depression, anxiety and stress levels (DASS21) to determine whether experiencing e-violence leads to depression, anxiety and stress,and to what extent. We have chosen this scale because the results of a research checking its psychometric qualities have indicated that the DASS-21 scale’s psychometric qualities recommend it for use in researching unpleasant emotional states in adolescents. DASS-21 is a 21-item self-report measure giving three subclasses of seven items each: depression , anxiety and stress. Participants have been asked to indicate which statement applied to them over the past week on the Likert 4-point scale. DASS-21 has high reliability, consistent factor structure and high convergent valiadity. We did not have to ask permission for this scale and it can be used freely.</p><p></p>