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Topic: Social Media

Social endorsement, credibility, and support for the regulation of research on enhanced geothermal systems

McKasy, M., Yeo, S. K., Zhang, J. S., Michael A. Cacciatore, Allen, H. W., & Su, L. Y.-F. (2022, December). “Social endorsement, credibility, and support for the regulation of research on enhanced geothermal systems,” Society for Risk Analysis, Tampa, FL.

Abstract: This paper explores how audiences form opinions about an under-communicated energy source, “Enhanced Geothermal Systems” or EGS. As a new relatively new and unknown energy technology, we explore how social media metrics (likes, comments, and shares) can influence audience perceptions of credibility of a balanced opinion article about the topic, and in turn, how that influences support for regulation of EGS.

Social Media and its Influence on Sexual Activity and Perceptions of Sexual Activity Among College Students

Baldwin-White, A., Darville, G., Shira Chess, & Beer, J. (in press) “Social Media and its Influence on Sexual Activity and Perceptions of Sexual Activity Among College Students,” Journal of American College Health.

Abstract: As social media becomes an increasingly popular vector for young adults – and college students in particular – it is necessary to consider the role social media plays in establishing the norms college students adopt and the behavior they participate in. In this study, we use mixed-methods research to consider the relationship between social media use, sexual behavior, and perceptions of the sexual behavior of peers. Specifically, this study focuses on the use of the current four most popular social media sites at the time of data collection, March and April of 2019: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Results of the study indicate that social media, indeed, influenced the behavior of college students regarding their sexual activity and perception of peer sexual activity. Furthermore, we found that each specific social media platform influence and predict sexual activity to varying degrees.

Unraveling The Effect of Social Media-Based Mental Health Campaigns During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Support Reception, Expression, and Coping Strategies

Kim, Hanyoung (Grady Ph.D. Alum) & Han, Jeong-Yeob. (2023, May). “Unraveling The Effect of Social Media-Based Mental Health Campaigns During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Support Reception, Expression, and Coping Strategies” paper to be presented to Health Communication Division of the International Communication Association Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada.

Abstract: Recent research has accumulated evidence for the efficacy of participating in social media health campaigns. However, less is known about what communicative activities within social media campaigns are efficacious and in what ways such activities render positive outcomes. With this in mind, this study explored if and in what ways college students’ expression and reception of four different social support messages (i.e., informational, emotional, esteem, and network support) within a social media campaign produce health benefits. To do so, this study carried out a Facebook mental health campaign designed to help college students cope with psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results showed that campaign participants’ support expression and reception are vital in their use of adaptive coping; more importantly, each support type predicted differential cognitive and affective coping outcomes. Moreover, support reception tended to directly contribute to coping adoption, while support expression exhibited a buffering effect, such that participants’ improvement in coping over the course of the campaign was greater for those who expressed more supportive messages for similar others.

On being human: An investigation of virtual influencers and activism

Haley R. Hatfield (PhD student) and Aarum Youn-Heil (PhD student). (2023). On being human: An investigation of virtual influencers and activism [Paper Presentation]. 2023 AEJMC Midwinter Conference, Norman, OK.

Abstract: Social media influencers leverage their online fame to influence consumers’ decision-making. With the advancement of immersive and interactive media technologies, virtual influencers (VIs) are rapidly catching up. As technology advances, the lines between responsibility and accountability blur because companies create and control VIs to portray a persona. Anthropomorphism, or the perception of human-like traits in non-human agents, can help to explain the humanness of VIs. Although VIs can look and act human, they cannot have human experiences like traveling or be harmed by dangerous social issues like racism and sexism. However, those consuming the images of VIs can. The current paper critically examines a famous VI known for advocating various social issues to understand the consequences of VI activism and how that may impact everyday consumers.

How Hispanic and Latino Young Adults Respond to COVID-19 Crisis Information on Social Media: Opportunities of Overcoming Digital Inequality Threat to Public Health

Karen Robayo Sanchez (PhD student), Yan Jin, and Vivian Medina-Messner (2023, March). “How Hispanic and Latino Young Adults Respond to COVID-19 Crisis Information on Social Media: Opportunities of Overcoming Digital Inequality Threat to Public Health.” International Public Relations Research Conference (IPRRC), Orlando, FL.

Abstract: Our research seeks to provide current knowledge on media usage by Hispanic and Latino young adults in a health crisis. We will perform a survey to identify the sources and means used by this population during COVID-19 to seek, vet, and share information in a social media-mediated health crisis. This study will be among the first pursuing to identify the sources and media used by Hispanic and Latino young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic to seek, vet, and share information in a social-mediated health crisis. Our findings will contribute to future research essential to advancing health public relations theory and practice by addressing the digital inequality and health information disparity challenges confronting racial and ethnic minority groups in times of public health.

Camera perspective and skin color: Biased reactions to viral body work camera videos of police violence

Bailey, R., Yan, H., & Glenna L. Read (Forthcoming). Camera perspective and skin color: Biased reactions to viral body work camera videos of police violence. Communication Monographs.

Abstract: Technological advances have allowed greater transparency into police-citizen interactions. Body-worn camera (BWC) and citizen mobile device videos capturing violent police use-of-force are shared and commented upon widely within social media. Utilizing social identity theory as a main theoretical framework, this study integrated propositions stemming from social categorization, colorism, and extended cognition to investigate how video features, including point-of-view (POV: onlooker vs. officer perspective) and citizen skin color (dark skin vs. light skin), interacted to affect emotional responses, likelihood to comment and share via social media, and comment on content. A sample of predominantly White participants watched police use-of-force videos in which citizen skin color and camera POV varied. BWC videos in which light-skinned citizens were harmed elicited the most likelihood to comment and share. Further, experienced negative emotion fully mediated this relationship. BWC videos in which dark-skinned citizens were harmed elicited the least negative emotion, the least likelihood to comment, and less normative commentary about officer behaviors.

Two days, twenty outfits: Coachella attendees’ visual presentation of self and experience on Instagram

Keyser Lough (forthcoming). “Two days, twenty outfits: Coachella attendees’ visual presentation of self and experience on Instagram.” Journal of Visual Literacy.

Abstract: This study uses a visual discourse analysis to explore the self-construction of presence and experience at events such as a music festival, theoretically guided by presentation of self and how users curate this via multimodal, visual-focused social media posts. Real-time, location-based, public posts from events act as a new form of visually-embedded culture in how individuals present themselves and their experiences. An analysis of 200 location-tagged Instagram posts from attendees at the 2017 Coachella music festival reveals attendees care less about sharing photos of the music and more about curating a visual sense of taste, embrace and place. This focus on self-presentation is explored through themes such as seeing more full-body images than selfies in order to emphasize festival fashion, use of the ‘plandid’ (planned candid) to add a sense of spontaneity, and use of chronological and geographic tags to establish physical presence in time and place.

Will Brands Make it if They Fake it? Exploring the Effects of CGI Influencer Disclosures in Sponsored Social Media Posts

Alex Pfeuffer, Haley Hatfield (Ph.D. student), & Jooyoung Kim. “Will Brands Make it if They Fake it? Exploring the Effects of CGI Influencer Disclosures in Sponsored Social Media Posts.” Paper to be presented at the American Academy of Advertising Annual Conference 2023 in Denver, CO.

Abstract: CGI (computer-generated imagery) influencers have become a popular tool for brands to promote their products, as they can be made to look, act, and communicate as brands please. However, CGI influencers’ existence has prompted questions and concerns among consumer protection advocates and regulators, as these virtual influencers cannot always be readily discerned from their human counterparts, and their profiles can reflect unrealistic or inhuman body proportions. Consumers may be misled if they do not know that an influencer endorsing a product is not human and experience harmful effects if they compare themselves to unattainable beauty standards. While regulatory approaches exist in some countries to require disclosure for edited and manipulated images on social media posts, the practice of computer-generating influencers does not require disclosure. The present study draws on the theoretical frameworks of persuasion knowledge and Signaling Theory as well as the theoretical construct of trust to examine the effects of CGI influencer disclosures. Results show that such disclosures hold the potential to activate consumers’ persuasion knowledge and reduce body comparison, but also lead to less favorable perceptions regarding the influencer and brand. Implications for various stakeholders, including scholars, regulators, brands, and content creators are discussed.

What do 5G networks, Bill Gates, Agenda 21, and QAnon have in common? Sources, engagement, and characteristics of COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories

Itai Himelboim, Borah, P., Ka Lai Lee, D., *Lee, J., Su, Y., Vishnevskaya, A., and Xiao, X. (Accepted). “What do 5G networks, Bill Gates, Agenda 21, and QAnon have in common? Sources, engagement, and characteristics of COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories,” New Media and Society.

Abstract: Mounting uncertainties regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the popularity of social media created fertile grounds for conspiracy theories to flourish, leading to a global “infodemic.” We examine information sources used to support five popular COVID-19-related conspiracy theories on Twitter to identify 1) their primary building blocks, 2) similarities and dissimilarities across COVID-19 conspiracy theories, and 3) the relationship between conspiracy rhetorical strategies and content distribution. Findings show that statements of belief and of malicious purpose were most popular, followed by conspirators, authentication, and secretive actions. However, only malicious purposes and secretive actions rhetorical strategies successfully predicted higher distribution of content, while, for instance, content authentication showed a negative relation.  Furthermore, type of conspiracy theories matters. Mega theories such as, Agenda 21 and QAnon, incorporated less statements of Belief. COVID-19 vaccine theory focused more on authentication, while QAnon highlighted the conspirators behind the pandemic. Conceptual and practical implications are discussed.

Understanding crisis narratives with large-scale Twitter data: The role of celebrity and emotions in the virality of #MeToo social media activism messages

Xuerong Lu (PhD Alum), Yen-I Lee (PhD Alum), and Yan Jin. (Forthcoming). “Understanding crisis narratives with large-scale Twitter data: The role of celebrity and emotions in the virality of #MeToo social media activism messages.” Narratives in Public Communication (Eds: Fuyuan Shen and Heidi Hatfield Edwards). Routledge.

Abstract: This study, grounded in the perspective of public-centric crisis communication and narrative, conducted a computer-assisted content analysis, using the Latent Dirichlete Allocation (LDA), to identify what and how different crisis narratives about the #MeToo social movement made Twitter users spread the #MeToo campaign message quickly and widely. The results showed:  First, celebrities made the issue of the #MeToo social movement become salient and evoked Twitter users to share and comment on celebrities’ posts. However, tweets with celebrity stories did not trigger Twitter users to create their own #MeToo stories to mutually share stories among each other. Second, when different crisis narratives are examined, blame-based narratives tweets motivated higher sharing while renewal-based narratives tweets led to both higher sharing and commenting. Third, gender stereotype was detected in tweets about the #MeToo social movement. Our findings suggest that, for social movement driven public communications aimed to increase public discourse and foster dialogues on Twitter, renewal and blame narratives, with celebrity figures highlighted, seem to be most effective in enhancing social issue engagement among users. Practically, this study provided guidance for organizations to engage in social media activism, telling compelling narratives and reaching a mutual beneficiary relationship between organizations and the public.

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