How does Facebook news use lead to actions in South Korea? The role of Facebook discussion network heterogeneity,political interest,and conflict avoidance in predicting political participation

Employing survey data collected in South Korea (N?=?470), this study investigated whether and how Facebook users’ news use promotes their offline political participation. Results showed that Facebook news use indirectly influenced political participation through discussion network heterogeneity. This indirect relationship was conditional on Facebook users’ political interest and conflict avoidance. For people who are highly interested in politics but less conflict avoidant, the frequency of Facebook news use is more likely to boost political discussions with heterogeneous others, which contributes to facilitating their participation in offline political activities. The implications of these results were discussed.     

Social media use,political affect,and participation among university students in urban China

Although the role of affects and emotions in political participation has attracted much scholarly attention, few studies have examined whether and how media and communications can be the sources of political affects. This study argues that social media are not only information channels; they can also be effective in communicating feelings and emotions. Social media use may contribute to political affects, which in turn impinge on civic and political participation. In addition, political affects may moderate the effects of social media use on political participation. Based on a survey of university students in Guangzhou, China (N = 897), this study finds that, under China’s networked authoritarianism, political communication via social media is related to positive affects toward the government and society, while connection with activists via social media is related to negative affect. Positive and negative affects have different impact on different types of participation. Negative affects strengthen the connection between social media use and participation. The roles of three discrete negative emotions – anger, anxiety and fear – are also explored.     

Social media and expressive citizenship: Understanding the relationships between social and entertainment expression on Facebook and political participation

Substantial research has explored the political significance of social media use in the context of collective actions. Yet much remains unknown about whether common, day-to-day, nonpolitically oriented activities on social media relate to political engagement. Focusing on Facebook, the primary social media platform for most Americans, this study investigates whether and how social and entertainment expression on the site are associated with political participation among a diverse online sample of American adults. Results show that social and entertainment expressive Facebook use are indirectly associated with political participation through political communication in the form of interactive political expression on the site. In addition, findings demonstrate that social expressive use is also conducive to political participation via offline political talk, but entertainment expressive use is not significantly related to political talk in offline settings. Further analysis shows that the interactions between political interest and each of the expressive uses are largely insignificantly related to political communication and participation. Overall, the study’s findings help to clarify the distinctions between the two types of nonpolitical Facebook use and the underlying process by which these uses contribute to political participation.     

Research on Chinese social media users’ communication behaviors during public emergency events

In recent years, China has been in a period of social transition. Public emergency events have occurred frequently, and social media have developed rapidly. Social media users in China not only represent traditional audiences but also play an increasingly important role in crisis communication during public emergency events by expressing their views, discussing events with others and sharing information both online and offline. According to national telephone survey data from China, nearly two-thirds of the respondents engaged in communication behaviors during public emergency events, and more than forty percent of those users communicated by social media. Hundreds of millions of Chinese social media users are becoming the driving force of the public opinion field. To better understand social media users’ online information dissemination behaviors and influencing factors, we developed the hierarchical logistic regression model and observed that demographic variables (gender and age), social media use, people’s concerns regarding public emergencies and people’s need to monitor the government’s performance during public emergencies significantly influence online information dissemination behaviors. Our study has practical significance and academic value for understanding the online public opinion field and online political participation in China.     

User-orientated perspective of social media used by campaigns

Campaigns have increasingly resorted to Facebook because it has the highest number of users among social media platforms. The question as to whether Facebook is a more favorable choice of social media than a blog for political purposes must be addressed. In this comparative study, cross-sectional data collected in the 2009 and 2014 Taiwan local elections were used for exploring the differences among voter motivations, perceived credibility, and dependency between the use of political blogs and Facebook. In addition, the impact factors regarding the relationship between blogs and Facebook dependency were analyzed. The findings indicate that voter motivations, perceived credibility, and dependency were higher for political blogs than they were for Facebook, suggesting that in a political context, people prefer blogs to Facebook. The results of regression analyses indicate that the motivation for debating political topics was a significant predictor of the dependency on blogs, whereas motivations for general information and entertainment were related to Facebook use. The perceived credibility was not related to blog use; however, accuracy and information depth were significant factors for the use of Facebook. The reasons for the differences between peoples’ use of political blogs and Facebook are discussed in this paper. This study advances our understanding on the variations in people’s use of different social media platforms in a political context, and few studies have investigated this topic from a user-oriented perspective.     

The influence of online forum and SNS use on online political discussion in China: Assessing “Spirals of Trust”

Echoing the significance of mobile online networks in fueling the Arab Spring, the present study seeks to better understand social media influences in China by studying political activity among Chinese netizens. A survey of Chinese college students examines the influence of online social networks in the context of political attitudes and political participation. Study results reveal a moderate but positive impact of online forum and social networking site use on online political discussion. Implications for political change in the social networking era, particularly in regimes that practice Internet censorship like China’s, are discussed.     

Digital inequalities and implications for social inequalities: A study of Internet penetration amongst university students in South Africa

International and national data sources confirm the limited access to the Internet in South Africa. However, there is a need to study how this limited access is distributed amongst population groups in the country. This study investigates the pattern of Internet access amongst university students in South Africa. University students are a relevant population group for studying technology penetration; this population is a generation born in the current era of digital revolution, they are presumably early adopters of technology and are adept in using them. A survey conducted in ten South African universities reveals that beyond publicly available access on campuses – with its attendant constraints, personal/household Internet access is a challenge and it reflects a pattern of inequalities in South Africa. Bearing in mind that social and economic exclusion is the biggest challenge for South Africa, this study reveals that digital inequalities amongst students replicate the pattern of social inequalities in the country. This exacerbates existing social inequalities, specifically amongst university students in South Africa, with certain categories of students being disproportionately disadvantaged.     

Self-ie love: Predictors of image editing intentions on Facebook

Little research has examined image-editing behaviour on social media, yet with images being a key form of online social communication, the importance of such research is evident. The aim of the current study was to examine the factors that influence peoples’ intentions to post digitally altered self-images on the Facebook platform, using an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) model. It was hypothesised that after controlling for age, prior editing application use, and integration of Facebook in a user’s life, the TPB variables (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control [PBC]) would explain a significant proportion of intention to post digitally altered images on Facebook. Furthermore, that the addition of narcissism would explain further variation in intentions, beyond that explained by the control and TPB variables. Participants (N?=?151; M_age?=?25.6 years; 76% female) completed an online survey assessing each of the aforementioned variables. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that each of the hypotheses were supported, with all variables significantly contributing to the prediction of intentions, except PBC and age. This study sheds light on the predictors of image-editing behaviour, and sets the stage for subsequent research examining editing behaviours on Facebook as well as other social media platforms (e.g. Instagram).     

Social participation of the elderly in China: The roles of conventional media,digital access and social media engagement

China is the most rapidly aging country and has the largest aging population in the world. However, social participation is an important intervention to boost the active and healthy aging. The present study investigated the effects of media usage, together with social-demographics and health variables, on Chinese older adults. Drawing upon a national research project with a representative sample (N = 1,399) of older adults (55+) from 58 cities in China, the research findings revealed that conventional media, digital access and social media usage had positive effects on older adults’ informal social participation, while age moderated the relationship between informal social participation and digital access, particularly regarding access to tablet PCs and smartphones. Moreover, conventional media, digital access and social media engagement largely explained seniors’ formal social participation regardless of their social-demographic backgrounds. Finally, the roles of conventional media and digital media in older adults’ social participation are discussed.     

Political disagreement and ambivalence in new information environment: Exploring conditional indirect effects of partisan news use and heterogeneous discussion networks on SNSs on political participation

This study investigates the (de)mobilizing influences of political (dis)agreement in the news and in political discussion on political attitudes and participation in new information environments. Results demonstrate the mediating functions of political ambivalence in that exposure to proattitudinal news reduces ambivalence and thereby promotes political participation, whereas exposure to counter-attitudinal news increases ambivalence and thereby discourages participation. Importantly, the effect of exposure to counter-attitudinal news on ambivalence was moderated by heterogeneous discussion networks on social network sites, such that the combination of exposure to counter-attitudinal news and to heterogeneous discussion networks amplifies ambivalence additively, and thereby augments the tendency toward demobilization. These results are interpreted as suggesting that changing media contexts may lead to complex roles of news and political discussion.     

南非电子电气产品的强制性认证制度概述

经过金融危机的洗礼,中国出口的地域结构出现了较大变化,企业开始着力开拓非洲、南美等新兴市场。本文对南非电子电气产品的市场准入要求进行了概要介绍,并重点剖析了南非的标准体系和强制性产品认证制度。     

发挥新闻媒体与社会舆论监督作用健全会计诚信监管措施

当前，随着新闻媒体的深化发展，其越来越凸显其在维护诚信、伸张正义的作用；同时，社会舆论监督作为监督手段的一种也担负着重要的监督职责，两者在会计诚信监督方面都具有重要的作用，并促进其不断完善和发展。     

Leveling the playing field: The use of Twitter by politicians during the 2014 Indian general election campaign

In this study, it is theorized that the communicative affordances offered by social media platforms will enable politically under-resourced candidates to contest the marginalization they face in traditional media. Multivariate analyses were conducted of the tweets of 205 political candidates of the 2014 Indian general election. Findings reveal that fringe party candidates received the least media attention and tended to use Twitter more frequently than major party candidates, especially for interaction and mobilization. Minor party candidates also received less media attention, albeit their Twitter usage patterns were not significantly different than major party candidates. The results illustrate that social media platforms can help overcome resource inequality in politics. The larger implications of this study are discussed.     

The collective storytelling organisational framework for social media use

The organisational implementation and use of social media for online community engagement is plagued with many challenges. The result is managers being frustrated at not achieving their desired results. Despite an increase in social media research, it is evident that some critical aspects of social media use by organisations are left unexplained by existing theories. The purpose of this research study is to investigate how social media is used within organisations to engage with its online community. The grounded theory method (GTM) was used to develop a substantive theory that increases understanding of this phenomenon. Two organisations were selected as the case studies. Both are industry leaders in South Africa, with one being a prominent retailer with a visible social media presence and the other, being a leading university in South Africa, which is actively growing its social media presence. The results show that organisations enter a collective storytelling process with their online community. The need to reduce risk to reputation and improve on the levels of online community engagement are identified as reasons for this. The strategic alignment of the social media function and the organisational social media use characteristics set the backdrop for the collective storytelling process, while content quality influences the richness of this process. Challenges associated with the collective storytelling process lead to the development and refinement of the organisational social media strategy, which in turn helps to reduce risk to reputation and improve online community engagement.     

Social media,public discourse and civic engagement in modern China

Drawing on the theoretical view of cyberspace’s role in engagement in public discourse and civic activities, the current study investigates how social media use is related to public discourse and civic engagement in mainland China. Moreover, we examine how political interest, general trust in people, and life satisfaction modify the interdependence of social media use and public discourse and civic engagement. Data analyses based on a survey of 1, 202 online Chinese show that social media use is significantly related to both public discourse and civic engagement. In addition, political interest has a consistent, strong modification on the role of social media use in public discourse and civic engagement. Both general trust in people and life satisfaction moderate some of the relationships examined but not all of them. Theoretical and empirical implications of the results are discussed.     

Social media use and university students’ participation in a large-scale protest campaign: The case of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement

This study examines the impact of social media use on participation in large-scale protest campaigns that feature a range of participation opportunities. It develops a theoretical model which distinguishes between support generation and behavior activation effects, differentiates collective action, digital, and personalized action participation, and posits social media use as a mediator between social psychological predictors of protest behavior and actual participation. The empirical analysis focuses on Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement in 2014. Analyzing a probability sample of university students (N = 795), the findings show that sharing political information and direct connections with political actors via social media have significant impact on both support for and participation in the Umbrella Movement. Social media use has effects on each dependent variable in the causal chain even after all the immediate causes are controlled. Social media use also mediates part of the impact of general political awareness, efficacy, and grievances on movement support and participation.     

A social mapping of Swedish environment-focussed Facebook groups: The principles,methods and implementation of a mapping project

Aiming to contribute to the sparse literature on social mapping methodologies, this article elaborates on the principles, procedures and research design of a social mapping project. It first demonstrates the design and implementation of a mapping project of active Facebook groups in Sweden that focus on the environment, by elaborating on the project’s mapping principles and procedures. The developed mapping methodology integrates a variety of data gathering and analysis methods (survey research, online search, big data analysis, content analysis), applying the principle of triangulation, to ensure the completeness of the mapping. It also combines small-scale and big data analysis, addressing the advantages and limitations of these methods, in the framework of the specific research. In the second part, the article gives the overview of the social map of the 152 identified environment-focussed Facebook groups, connected to Sweden, during 2019–2020, presenting their basic features, networks and environmental focal points. In their majority these groups adopt ecocentric positions towards the environment and openly critique anthropocentrism, often being connected to civil society and activist networks, concerning environmental issues and action. These findings point to the potential of coordinated environmental action, being communicated and mediated through online spaces.     

The impact of the Internet on political attitudes in Kuwait and Egypt

This study reports the responses of 445 university students, 242 (54%) from Egypt and 203 (46%) from Kuwait, to a questionnaire exploring the influence of the length of time a person spends on the Internet, their reasons for using the Internet and the use of Internet applications on political efficacy, engagement and knowledge. Data were collected before the political unrest in Egypt took place. The study finds that Internet use for the reason of self-expression has a negative impact on political efficacy. The use of Facebook, Twitter and blogs as Internet applications, together with Internet use for information, positively predict political engagement. The discussion presented relates the results to the political upheavals currently transforming the Arab world and its politics.     

“I Don't Like You Any More”: Facebook Unfriending by Israelis During the Israel–Gaza Conflict of 2014

This article explores Facebook unfriending during the Israel–Gaza conflict of 2014. We suggest that politically motivated unfriending is a new kind of political gesture. We present an analysis of a survey of 1,013 Jewish Israeli Facebook users. A total of 16% of users unfriended or unfollowed a Facebook friend during the fighting. Unfriending was more prevalent among more ideologically extreme and more politically active Facebook users. Weak ties were most likely to be broken, and respondents mostly unfriended people because they took offense at what they had posted or disagreed with it. Although social network sites may expose people to diverse opinions, precisely by virtue of the many weak ties users have on them, our findings show these ties to be susceptible to dissolution.     

The role of online news and social media in preventive action in times of infodemic from a social capital perspective: The case of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea

Infodemic, the spread of false information during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been raised as one of the major concerns aggravating the confusion in the global society. In this regard, the role of media as an information channel in delivering the reliable information and motivating the active participation of citizens in complying with government’s preventive actions becomes much more important. In this study, the role of online news and social media on people’s preventive actions considering the role of trust in citizens and government from the perspective of social capital is investigated. For the empirical study, a structural equation modeling is employed by using survey material gathered from South Korea in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak. South Korea was selected as its COVID-19 prevention strategy focused not only on the provision of medical support, but also on the enhancement of social trust through active engagement with people through media channels. Our results reveal that the perceived characteristics of online news and social media influence preventive actions through the trust in citizens or in government. In addition, while online news media enhances trust in both the citizens and the government, social media only influences trust in citizens. Based on our findings, the role of media in preventing the spread of COVID-19 is dicussed.