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AI-powered misinformation detectors—artificial intelligence tools that identify false or inaccurate online content—have emerged as a potential intervention for helping internet users understand the veracity of the content they view. However, the algorithms used to create these detectors are experimental and largely untested at the scale necessary to be effective on a social media platform. Furthermore, the assumptions programmed into these algorithms frequently conflict with everyday, non-threatening online communication, potentially leading to unwarranted censorship. Consequently, understanding the current limitations of AI interventions for misinformation detection on the internet is important for developing better iterations of these tools and forming effective policies around them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the role of governance quality in the relationship between the Internet and financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan African countries. The study uses data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) database for indicators of financial inclusion, World Development Indicators (WDI) for Internet users and World Governance Indicators (WGI) for governance indicators from 2004 to 2020. Analyzing the data using the System Generalized Method of Moments (SGMM), the results show that the Internet can be effectively complemented with the quality of governance to improve financial inclusion. Thresholds of governance that are needed for the Internet to promote financial inclusion are provided. Policies aimed at reinforcing the quality of governance in SSA countries could help consolidate Internet infrastructure to promote Internet usage and, in turn, improve financial inclusion. Other policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study uses different statistical techniques to understand the relationship between variables explaining the digital divide and classification based on The Inglehart-Welzel Cultural Map for 2023. To achieve this purpose variables focusing on Digital Penetration (the percentage of internet and social media users and mobile cellular connections), Operating Systems share (iOS and Android), Device Traffic (laptop/mobile phone-based web traffic) as well as Mobile Commerce variables (bills and payments using mobile internet) were included in the analysis. To minimize any effects arithmetic means of data was calculated.: The results from one-way ANOVA tests indicate significant differences among groups classified by cultural values for almost all measured variables of digitalization. The mean squares and F-values across variables like cellular mobile connections, internet users, and active social media users are significant indicating a shift towards more secular and self-expressive cultural values. The results of the GLM procedure show that significant portions of the total variance in digitalization variables are associated with membership in groups based on the cultural map. This suggests that cultural classifications can explain substantial differences in digital behavior and preferences across populations. Spearman's correlation coefficients showed strong positive correlations between Traditional/Secular values and several digitalization metrics, such as the use of mobile phones or the internet for payments, and negative correlations with others like share of web traffic by device type (mobile vs. laptop/computer). These correlations suggest that cultural values play a substantial role in influencing digital habits and accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the global expansion of the Internet and the World Wide Web, users are becoming increasingly diverse, including their language proficiencies. In particular, there is now a significant number of polyglot Web users, i.e., users who are proficient in more than one language. However, even such users with potential access to a broad range of information from multiple languages often continue to suffer from unbalanced and fragmented news information, as traditional news access systems seldom allow users to simultaneously search for and/or compare news in different languages. To overcome language barriers, the majority of research has focused primarily on improving retrieval and translation accuracy, while paying comparably less attention to multilingual user interaction aspects. In particular, relatively little human-centered research has been conducted to better understand and support multilingual user abilities and preferences, and even less so regarding news search and different access modalities (such as desktop and mobile interfaces). The research presented in this article provides the first comparative analyses of polyglot users' preferences and behaviors with respect to different multilingual news search interfaces on both desktop and mobile platforms. Specifically, through a set of task-based user studies in laboratory experiments, the key contribution of this article is the presentation of the first human-centered studies in multilingual news search result interfaces, aiming to drive the development of human-centered multilingual news access systems for both desktop and mobile platforms. This contribution includes a detailed analysis of different interface design paradigms, as well as a series of implications for design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the heterogeneity in the symptoms of pathological Internet use. The predictive role of online cognitions and online dissociative experiences on pathological Internet use were investigated. Three hundred and ninety Turkish undergraduate students (261 females) participated in the study. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed. Items responses on the 26-item Chen Internet Addiction Scale were subjected to LCA. The LCA identified three latent classes: (1) Normal Internet Users (n = 141, 36.15%), (2) Problematic Internet Users (n = 148, 37.95%), and (3) Pathological Internet Users (n = 101, 25.90%). The multinomial regression analysis showed that online cognitions, anxious arousal, and online dissociation were significantly associated with pathological Internet use. Our findings showed that the online dissociation as measured by the Van Online Dissociative Experiences Schedule and mental dissociation as indexed by the Dissociative Experiences Scale are qualitatively different constructs in relation to addictive behaviors on the net. Online dissociation and online cognitions seem to be crucial vulnerability factors for pathological Internet use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People's perception of privacy can primarily be directed to themselves or to the value of privacy for society. Likewise, privacy protection can repel both individual and collective privacy threats. Focusing on this distinction, the present article examines Internet users' privacy protection behaviors in relation to individual privacy concerns and their perceived collective value of privacy over time. We conducted a longitudinal panel study with three measurement points (N = 1790) to investigate relations between and within persons. The results of a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model revealed positive relations between the perceived value of privacy, privacy concerns, and privacy protection between persons. At the within-person level, only a temporal increase in the perceived value of privacy was related to increased protection behaviors. This suggests that individual privacy concerns are not as important for temporal protection as assumed, but that a recognition of collective privacy may temporarily change people's privacy behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly many studies have provided practical suggestions for fashion YouTubers as fashion information sources, but no research has yet investigated the resources exchanged in the relationships between fashion YouTubers and viewers. Based on interviews with three Korean fashion YouTubers and ten of their viewers, this study examined social support in their relationships. Viewers acquired information from fashion YouTubers and, therefore, experienced informational support. Subsequently, as a sense of belonging to fandom emerged, established mainly by viewers subscribing to a fashion YouTube channel, network support was experienced by both fashion YouTubers and viewers. Along with constant communication, they shared their values and experienced emotional support through mutual empathy. Therefore, this study verified previous theories according to which both informational and emotional exchanges are possible in online relationships. Furthermore, network support was an important process, which may be connected to emotional support, since these relationships were autonomously established by online users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Click behavior is a typical user behavior in the web search. How to capture and model users' click behavior has always been a common research topic. However, there are few review studies on this topic. In this paper, we present a survey to comprehensively analyze click models of web search via types of models. Based on differences in research hypotheses and modeling methods, click models are generally divided into probability graph-based click models, neural network-based click models, and hybrid click models. Firstly, we give a discussion of click models in the extant literature, within which basic assumptions and their extensions, advantages and disadvantages for click models are presented. We also compare and analyze the characteristics and application scenarios of different types of models. Secondly, we choose eight representative click models and conduct comparative experiments on two real-world session datasets to compare their performance. Finally, we identify current research trends, main challenges and potential future directions of click models worthy of further explorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The integration of the Internet into daily life has potential implications for public health, especially in promoting preventive healthcare measures like annual health checkups. This study explores the association between Internet use and the likelihood of participating in these checkups among older Japanese citizens. Methods: Participants aged 65 and older were randomly selected from 37 municipalities in Japan, ensuring they required no long-term care. Out of 24,313 responses to a postal questionnaire, 11,495 participants were deemed eligible for analysis, achieving a valid participation rate of 70.1%. We applied propensity score matching to balance Internet users and non-users, resulting in 6,504 matched cases. Poisson regression analysis was then used to adjust for demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral variables that could act as potential confounders. Results: Our findings show that 55.1% of participants used the Internet several times a month, and among these, 63.5% had attended an annual health checkup in the preceding year. After adjusting for potential confounders, Internet users were found to be 9% more likely to participate in annual health checkups compared to non-users (95% Confidence Interval: 1.02–1.15). Conclusions: This study concludes that there is a positive association between Internet use and participation in annual health checkups among older individuals in Japan. The results suggest that Internet use may serve as a tool to promote preventive healthcare practices in older populations. However, the study underscores the need for further investigation to understand the underlying mechanisms of this association and to establish a causal relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital literacy affects how people use the internet. However, we argue that the concept of "digital literacy" cannot usefully be applied to all internet users; there is simply too much heterogeneity across devices, platforms, and social contexts. We conduct surveys in Mexico and Colombia to understand how these people use the internet. We find that WhatsApp is by far the dominant platform across all sectors of society. In contrast to evidence from the US, we find that education is a better predictor of two measures of digital literacy than is age. We then conduct a survey experiment to test how people understand news shared on WhatsApp. We find that the inclusion of a link to source material increases respondents' trust in a message shared on WhatsApp, but that the platform-supplied note that a message has been shared many times has no such effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been significant interest in the deployment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations as a potential solution to provide broadband internet access to remote regions [1]. One such constellation, Starlink, run by SpaceX, promises fast internet connectivity via its constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of Starlink’s performance in Nigeria was given, assessing five performance metrics: latency, packet loss, throughput, routing strategy, and environmental influences. The tests were conducted for the various metrics using command-line tools like Ping (Packet Internet or Inter-Network Groper), tracert (traceroute), iperf3 (Internet Performance Working Group), and Python scripts which were used to both automating the test procedures and analysing the collected data. Our findings reveal that Starlink’s latency was higher than advertised but still low compared to most Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria, making it suitable for the majority of internet users. On average, the study found that packet loss remained relatively low, jitter was within acceptable limits, and throughput exhibited variations but generally maintained satisfactory levels. Also, heavy rainfall was found to affect Starlink’s performance, highlighting the impact of environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the internal law of online public opinion spreading under the conditions of different types of spreaders by constructing the model of public opinion spreading by subtypes of spreaders. The new S I S I O I N model is constructed by abstracting factors such as netizens' interests, emotions and views on hot events in the Internet into propensity indices. The simulation results show that the spread of public opinion after categorizing netizens is more in line with the spread of public opinion in reality. Moreover, netizens tend to show different spreading behaviors in different public opinion cases, and the degree of change in netizens' propensity varies greatly. All the data used in the simulation experiments are real data and analyzed with real events. The research results are helpful for what kind of control strategies are adopted after the occurrence of hotspot events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, the trend of using online food delivery applications in Indonesia is growing. Many people are buying food or simply searching for information about available restaurants through food delivery apps. Indonesia itself has become one of the countries with the highest number of internet users utilizing online food delivery applications in the world. Purpose: This research aims to determine the factors that influence repeat purchase decisions on online food delivery applications, which are based on purchase frequency and total purchase value. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis techniques used are descriptive analysis and logistic regression analysis. Findings/Result: The research results showed that product intrinsic factors and loyalty had a significant effect on purchase frequency, while product extrinsic factors, motivation factors, and situational factors did not have a significant effect on purchase frequency. Situational factors and loyalty have a significant effect on the total purchase value, while product intrinsic factors, product extrinsic factors, and motivation factors do not significantly influence the total purchase value. Conclusion: This research shows that a person's purchase frequency is influenced by the intrinsic qualities of the product being sold and by loyalty, where the individual is accustomed to buying the product. Additionally, the total purchase value on food delivery apps is influenced by situational factors and loyalty, where situational factors, such as ongoing promotions, also have a significant impact. Originality/value (State of the art): This research attempts to explain which factors can influence a person in purchasing a product based on the purchase frequency and the total purchase value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase of Internet users, the traditional music recommendation model cannot meet the increasing personalized needs of users. The single deep cross network model has some defects in music recommendation, such as poor stability and inability to process complex data. To overcome the shortcomings of existing models, a new hybrid music recommendation model combining CatBoost algorithm and deep cross network is constructed to improve the recommendation performance and better meet the individual needs of users. Then the performance of the hybrid model is compared with other algorithms. The results showed that the accuracy of the proposed hybrid algorithm was up to 92.7%, which was superior to the comparison algorithm. In comparison with other single model and hybrid model, it is found that the proposed model was more than 0.05% higher than other models in the four indices of AUC area, accuracy, precision and recall. The above results showed that the proposed hybrid music recommendation model could efficiently process data information and provide users with accurate personalized music recommendation. This study not only promoted the development of music consumption and creation, but also found that the CatBoost-DCN hybrid model was significantly effective in improving recommendation performance. This finding provides a more efficient recommendation strategy for music platforms and has far-reaching significance for improving user experience and satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last two decades, Internet use has increased in all parts of the world. Although, the trend of actively using the Internet for seeking health-related information was already on the rise, it accelerated soon after the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with the increased use of the Internet for health decisions, serious concerns have been raised due to fake or misinformation. This study aims to determine the impact of Internet use for gathering health-related information on the disease management behavior of patients and to identify the mediating role of perceived credibility of online information. The study surveyed 200 chronic disease patients with diabetes and hypertension from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, Pakistan. It is concluded that overall health-related Internet use has a positive impact on the disease management behavior of chronic disease patients. The study further confirms the mediating role of the perceived credibility of online information. Patients who are frequent users of the Internet for health information, who perceive online information more credible, reported better disease management behavior as compared to the less frequent users and those who perceive online information less credible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article examines recent development in the regulatory landscape of online harms in the UK and US through a free speech lens. In so doing, it undertakes a comparative analysis of the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 and laws in US states that is grounded in UN guidance advising that approaches to regulating online harms be grounded in human rights. Ultimately, this examination leads to the conclusion that the Online Safety Act and similar efforts at the state level in the US do not reflect human rights based approaches to regulation in this area. While American courts are reigning in state legislation based on the expansive protection of free speech under the First Amendment, the constitutional restraints in the UK are weaker. This raises concerns regarding the adequate protection of the free speech rights of internet users, particularly in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multifaceted nature of online rumors poses challenges to their identification and control. Current approaches to online rumor governance are evolving from fragmented management to collaborative efforts, emphasizing the proactive management of rumor propagation processes. This transformation considers diverse rumor types, the response behaviors of self-media and netizens, and the capabilities of regulatory bodies. This study proposes a multi-agent intervention model rooted in uncertainty theory to mitigate online rumor dissemination. Its empirical validation includes comparing three rumor categories and testing it against a single-agent model, highlighting the efficacy of collaborative governance. Quantitative assessments underscore the model's utility in providing regulatory authorities with a robust theoretical framework for adaptive decision-making and strategy adjustments based on real-world conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The proliferation of internet use in the 21st century has brought about a pluralistic effect on health. Users of the internet are more exposed to health information, thus, making them more health literate and more likely to adopt healthy behaviors. However, frequent use of the internet has been found to adversely affect mental health (e.g., depression), social wellbeing, and obesity. Yet, the link between internet use and physical health outcomes such as hypertension remains less explored. We examined the association between frequency of internet use and hypertension risk among women and men in Kenya using data from the 2022 Kenyan demographic and health survey. Results: Overall, the prevalence of hypertension was higher among women (1,398 [8.69%]) compared to men (504 [3.49%]). Those who reported using the internet often reported higher prevalence of hypertension (women: n = 638 [10.49%]; men: n = 279 [3.98%]). The mean age was 29.3 years (SD = 9.6) for women and 29.9 years for men (SD = 10.9). After adjusting for potential confounders, women who reported often using the internet also demonstrated a significant association [AOR = 1.21; 95%CI: 1.03–1.43]. However, we found no significant association between frequency of internet use and hypertension among men after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion: Our study concludes that frequent use of internet is positively associated with hypertension risk among women but not men. Policymakers may consider implementing guidelines or regulations to promote healthy internet usage habits and encourage breaks or limits on screen time, especially for individuals at risk of hypertension (i.e., older women of reproductive age, women with higher education, married and previously married women, those in affluent households, parous women, those who consume alcohol and those overweight/obese). Healthcare providers should educate patients about the potential health consequences of prolonged internet usage and incorporate discussions about screen time management into routine clinical encounters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet privacy has been proposed as a new dimension of the digital divide. Although Internet privacy relates to all segments of the population, older Internet users are particularly vulnerable because they generally have lower Internet skills. Coupled with their high level of privacy concerns, this can dissuade them from fully engaging in a variety of Internet uses. As older adults overcome their limited Internet skills by asking others to perform online activities on their behalf, a practice known as use-by-proxy, it is likely that this is also a strategy for dealing with Internet privacy concerns. Therefore, we examine how Internet skills, along with Internet privacy concerns and perceived privacy control, influence their Internet uses and use-by-proxy. To this end, we develop an integrative conceptual model and test it with structural equation modelling using data collected in November 2021 from a nationwide sample of 460 Internet users aged 65+ in Slovenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature has long recognised non‐democratic regimes that are increasingly using Internet manipulation to undermine the opposition. Apart from network control, content surveillance and paying for Internet commentators, the implications of the new trend of online counter‐mobilisation remain to be explored. By analysing 5124 YouTube videos of Hong Kong's Anti‐extradition Bill Protests, this study examines how pro‐regime opinion leaders counter‐mobilised pro‐regime contents and Internet users responded to their videos. The results indicate that the main concern of the pro‐regime opinion leaders was to (i) demobilise the protests, (ii) condemn opposition figures and (iii) show their support for the authorities. Users were mainly participative in videos related to (i) justify suppression, (ii) support for front‐line police officers against protesters and (iii) criticism of the opposition. These differences reflect the apparent asymmetry between opinion leaders, who provide more negative contents, and followers, who have better responses to positively framed contents. The findings further contribute to exploring the strategies of the pro‐regime counter‐framing to overcome the challenges of the opposition camp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, light fidelity (Li-Fi) technology becomes important for rapid data transmission in the network. Integration of different communication technologies can be used to address the traffic limitations posed by increasing number of Internet users. Hybrid Wi-Fi/Li-Fi networks (HLWN) make use of rapid Li-Fi data transmission and Wi-Fi coverage So, the combination of them can resolve the limitations of both technologies and enhance the efficiency of the overall network. At the same time, the choice of access point (AP) remains a difficult task as the coverage regions of various networks overlapped with one another. Based on instant channel data, the traditional load balancing schemes allocate every client to a certain AP, offering the optimum solutions at a time instance. But it can results in several handoffs for clients and degrade the throughput performance. Therefore, this article develops a Mobility aware LB using Kho–Kho optimization algorithm (MALB-KKOA) for HLWN. The presented MALB-KKOA technique is investigated in two aspects such as It is permissible to have both several AP associations (MA) and a single AP association (SA) (MA). In the SA phase, every client is aided by an AP either Li-Fi or Wi-Fi where the MALB-KKOA model allocates every client to a particular network over a time duration to reduce handover. On the other hand, in the MA phase, every client is concurrently assisted by Li-Fi as well as Wi-Fi, and no vertical handover takes place. In addition, the MALB-KKOA model is mainly based on the approaches utilized by the players in a tag-team game named Kho–Kho. Moreover, the MALB-KKOA model computes an objective function for the minimization of packet loss and delay. The experimental validation of the MALB-KKOA model is tested and the results signified its promising performance over other recent approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay explores the challenges and opportunities presented by the new European electronic communications code (EU Directive 2018/19712) within the context of the European strategy for the digital market. It discusses the evolution of digital platforms, emphasizing their significance as information intermediaries. The concept of "netizenship", or digital citizenship, and its cultural relevance in the modern era is explored. The document also highlights the importance of algorithmic transparency and the evolution of privacy in the age of Big Data. The issue of digital sovereignty is addressed, and the urgency for enhanced data protection in an increasingly connected world is underscored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Work-related asthma (WRA) is often undiagnosed and underreported. The occupational asthma web application (OAKKU) has been created to assist in identifying asthmagens to find and manage WRA. However, it has language limitations and lacks a user guide. Objective: To develop an effective OAKKU web application user guide using participatory action research (PAR). Materials and Methods: The design of the present study was PAR. The study was conducted in two loops of PAR at two asthma clinics, with the eight participation of physicians, nurses, nurse assistants, and pharmacists. Data was collected through group meetings, brainstorming sessions, situational analysis, and real-time observation during work. Data analysis was carried out using content analysis and mean. Results: The results revealed challenges as the followings. Physicians lacked awareness due to the effectiveness of current treatments and difficulties in accessing information on asthmagens, coupled with limited time for searching. Although the OAKKU web application was developed and implemented, language barriers and complex search functions posed usability issues. To address these challenges, user guides were developed, and the OAKKU web application was translated into Thai, while search functionalities were simplified. Experimental results demonstrated high effectiveness, as evidenced by a usability test score of 4.88 out of 5 for ease of understanding and satisfaction. Additionally, the OAKKU web application significantly reduced search time. Conclusion: The OAKKU web application user guide, developed through PAR, significantly enhanced the OAKKU web application. These included improvements to incorporate Thai language supports and simplifies the search process, resulting in more effective searches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet users possess accounts on dozens of online services where they are often identified by one of their e-mail addresses. They often use the same address on multiple services and for communicating with their contacts. In this paper, we investigate attacks that enable an adversary (e.g., company, friend) to determine (stealthily or not) whether an individual, identified by their e-mail address, has an account on certain services (i.e., an account enumeration attack). Such attacks on account privacy have serious implications as information about one's accounts can be used to (1) profile them and (2) improve the effectiveness of phishing. We take a multifaceted approach and study these attacks through a combination of experiments (63 services), surveys (318 respondents), and focus groups (13 participants). We demonstrate the high vulnerability of popular services (93.7%) and the concerns of users about their account privacy, as well as their increased susceptibility to phishing e-mails that impersonate services on which they have an account. We also provide findings on the challenges in implementing countermeasures for service providers and on users' ideas for enhancing their account privacy. Finally, our interaction with national data protection authorities led to the inclusion of recommendations in their developers' guide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empathy is an integral aspect of human existence. Without at least a basic ability to access others' affective life, social interactions would be well-nigh impossible. Yet, recent studies seem to show that the means we have acquired to access others' emotional life no longer function well in what has become our everyday business – technologically mediated interactions in digital spaces. If this is correct, there are two important questions: (1) What makes empathy for frequent internet users so difficult? and (2) What can we do to alleviate the negative consequences? Correspondingly, the aim of this paper is twofold. First, we identify structural differences between offline and technologically mediated interactions that can explain why digital empathy is harder to achieve. Second, drawing on the literature on 'situated affectivity,' we consider the idea of modifying digital spaces in ways specifically designed to 'scaffold' empathy where our evolved mechanisms fail. Section 2 argues that empathy is requires interpreting the behavior of embodied subjects. Section 3 identifies three factors that are crucial for this interpretative endeavor: the empathizer's affective repertoire, their perceptual input, and their background knowledge. Section 4 argues that technologically mediated interactions differ from face-to-face interactions with regard to these factors in ways which render our evolved empathy mechanisms less effective in the digital world. Section 5 introduces the idea that situational factors can serve as 'empathic scaffolds,' i.e., as 'tools' that can 'shape' people's empathic reactions. Section 6 wraps up the main line of reasoning, responds to objections and invites further scholarship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication accommodation is by definition a form of a person adapting himself or in other words the adaptation made to the person he is speaking to. This research will discuss the analysis of group communication accommodation for mobile legend online game players on Tel-u Alpha. This research aims to determine the group communication accommodation that occurs among mobile legend online game players on Tel-u Alpha. This research uses qualitative methods by collecting data through interviews with focus group discussions conducted with Telu Alpha. In this research, Giles uses CAT theory or Communication Accommodation Theory. The research results showed that there were adjustments made by each member of the Tel-u Alpha team because adjusting their way of communicating, would make it easier for the team to achieve common goals. This can happen because communication accommodation aims to equalize perceptions to reduce conflict that will occur in a group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: According to the statistics of the World Bank, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in Iran has grown by 210.65% in the last thirty years. In such a situation, this unfavorable situation should be changed in line with environmental standards, which naturally requires the identification of important factors affecting pollution. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the factors that seem to affect pollution according to the background. As economic complexity improves, higher knowledge and technological progress can lead to less polluting activities. Reducing economic risk and consequently increasing investment, if it is followed by efficient use of inputs and the use of environmental technology, can reduce pollution by overcoming the effect of scale. Higher energy prices, energy-efficient technologies and low energy prices have imposed technologies with a higher share of energy input on companies, which has an impact on the environment. The impact of trade expansion on pollution depends on the results of scale, combination and technical effects. ICT can change the efficiency of energy consumption by moving the economy towards a knowledge-based structure, by substituting information for energy, and thus affect pollution. Urban density can reduce energy consumption by creating economies of scale for public urban infrastructure, while the absence of proper urban infrastructure has the opposite effect. FDI increases relative advantage in which production sector affects pollution. Also, the advanced technology that comes with FDI affects the environment.Materials and Methods: Explanatory variables of the model are economic complexity, interrelationship between economic risk and investment, interrelationship between energy price and energy intensity, trade liberalization, internet users, capital per capita, foreign direct investment and urbanization rate and the dependent variable of carbon dioxide emissions. The information of the variables was obtained from the World Bank, the MIT University website, and the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) database and the energy balance sheet. The investigated period was during 2000-2022 and the ARDL method and EViews 9 software were used in the estimation.Results: With the increase of economic complexity variables, energy price-energy intensity interrelationship, internet users and foreign direct investment, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions decreases in both short-term and long-term periods. The variables of mutual effects of economic risk-investment and capital per capita on pollution did not have a significant effect in both time periods. Commercial liberalization and urbanization have created a significant negative impact on the quality of the environment in the short and long term. Discussion: The improvement of economic complexity has led to the dominance of technical and structural effect over scale effect and has reduced pollution. The increase in investment in the country, along with the reduction of economic risk, has not yet reached a level that can reduce pollution through the channel of economic growth. With the increase in energy prices, incentives have been placed in the direction of increasing energy efficiency, as a result of which pollution is reduced. As a result of the increase in exports due to trade liberalization, the use of resources and energy has been inappropriate, and in this regard, environmental laws and standards have also been ignored. The expansion of urbanization has increased the pollution with the expansion of economic activities, and in this regard, it has not been able to reduce the intensity of energy and pollution for public urban infrastructures through the creation of economies of scale. Foreign direct investment reduces pollution with the possibility of improving energy efficiency through technology spillover from foreign companies to domestic companies.

THIS ARTICLE USES WORDS OR LANGUAGE THAT IS CONSIDERED PROFANE, VULGAR, OR OFFENSIVE BY SOME READERS. Hate speech detection in online social networks is a multidimensional problem, dependent on language and cultural factors. Most supervised learning resources for this task, such as labeled datasets and Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools, have been specifically tailored for English. However, a large portion of web users around the world speak different languages, creating an important need for efficient multilingual hate speech detection approaches. In particular, such approaches should be able to leverage the limited cross-lingual resources currently existing in their learning process. The cross-lingual transfer in this task has been difficult to achieve successfully. Therefore, we propose a simple yet effective method to approach this problem. To our knowledge, ours is the first attempt to create a multilingual embedding model specific to this problem. We validate the effectiveness of our approach by performing an extensive comparative evaluation against several well-known general-purpose language models that, unlike ours, have been trained on massive amounts of data. We focus on a zero-shot cross-lingual evaluation scenario in which we classify hate speech in one language without having access to any labeled data. Despite its simplicity, our embeddings outperform more complex models for most experimental settings we tested. In addition, we provide further evidence of the effectiveness of our approach through an ad hoc qualitative exploratory analysis, which captures how hate speech is displayed in different languages. This analysis allows us to find new cross-lingual relations between words in the hate-speech domain. Overall, our findings indicate common patterns in how hate speech is expressed across languages and that our proposed model can capture such relationships significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classifying user browsing behavior is an essential task to put suitable information on the web. Also, the browsing behavior is stored in the web server logs, which are used for identifying and classifying commonly assessed patterns of web users. This work designs a Butterfly-based Recurrent Neural Scheme (BbRNS) for accurate classification of the web user browsing behavior based on the URLs. It involves preprocessing, feature extraction, and classification. Generally, preprocessing removes the error, and feature extraction is employed to extract the web user browsing URLs. Then, updating the fitness function in the classification layer for accurate prediction of the browsing behavior of web users also enhances the performance of user behavior detection. Consequently, the developed framework is implemented using a Python tool, and the parameters of the current research work are evaluated with prevailing assignments. The designed model gained 98.8 accuracies, 97.5% recall, and 98% precision for predicting and classifying web user behavior. The experimental result shows improved accuracy for classifying web user browsing behavior with less error rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Digital health, aiming to boost healthcare accessibility, is an emerging concept in the domain of healthcare administration and delivery in developing countries. In India, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), more than half (55%) of the men have reported ever using the internet, while only one-third (33%) of the women have done so. This gendered digital divide is further complicated and worsened by the fact that individuals in the lowest wealth quintile exhibit significantly lower internet usage rates, with only 9% of women and 26% of men. Such intersectionality of the gendered digital divide might prove a barrier to realizing the full potential of digital health in India. Eliminating digital inequalities in all forms and ensuring universal digitalization is essential for desired digital health outcomes. Methods: This study aims to explore India's readiness for digital health in terms of access to basic digital infrastructure, i.e., the internet. We analyze access to the Internet among Indian women of reproductive age using pan-India survey data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (2019–21). We investigate predictors of Internet use in a regression model and apply the Erreygers Concentration Index (ECI) to examine inequalities in Internet access. Using decomposition analyses, we analyze factors contributing to digital inequality in terms of internet use. Results: Our inequality analysis based on the ECI [ECI- 0.4444 (p < 0.001)] suggests that a significant inequality exists in internet access. Furthermore, the decomposition analyses in the study find women's educational level to be the most prominent (28.19%) contributing factor to internet inequality, followed by wealth (25.67%), place of residence (23.16%), and caste (1.10%). Recommendation: We suggest a comprehensive readiness and need assessment, revamping of digital infrastructure, and moving with caution in implementing digital health innovation in the country as it may further exacerbate the existing healthcare access inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's highly competitive business environment, effective digital marketing is essential for businesses to build brand presence and attract and retain customers. In Indonesia, internet users are increasing from year to year because they can access anything and easily explore the things they want to know. This research aims to analyze the digital marketing and social media content of Starbucks Indonesia. This research approach is a qualitative approach. In this research, the case study that will be used is Multiple Case Study. This research approach is a qualitative approach. In this research, the case study that will be used is Multiple Case Study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how Chinese netizens view Russia and how contested memories shape perceptions. It identifies and categorizes four different perceptions of Russia, held by pro-Russian groups, pro-Soviet groups, anti-Russian nationalists, and liberals on China's social media, who have divergent interpretations of the past. This study contributes a distinct case to the literature on Chinese collective memory and facilitates an understanding of Sino-Russian relations at the social level. Theoretically, it enriches the interdisciplinary dialogue between memory studies and International Relations by highlighting the complexity of historical narratives and the instability between the past and the present. It finds that when a collective memory involves multiple significant but symbolically and ideologically competing historical events, it can become a divisive force that creates confusion in the self-other relationship and motivates different social groups to resist and revise official narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: School burnout remains a prevalent problem among adolescents; it is associated with low academic achievement and school dropout risk, in turn linked to a whole host of deleterious developmental outcomes. The current longitudinal study sought to better understand the developmental course of school burnout by testing whether poor sleep and problematic internet use each uniquely and additively explained the variance in school burnout over time. Method: Data were collected four times over 18 months, 6 months apart from N = 405 adolescents, grades 9 to 11. Results: Sleep quality, but not quantity, was significantly associated with the school burnout intercept (β = −0.29); no effects were found for the slope. Problematic internet use was also significantly associated with the intercept (β =.44), but not the slope. In a combined model, both sleep quality and problematic internet use significantly predicted the school burnout intercept. The slope was only predicted by age (β = −0.21). Conclusions: The study found partial support for the hypotheses that both poor sleep quality and problematic internet use predicted school burnout, intercept only, not the rate of change. The evidence suggests that school burnout increased across high school; however, the rate of increase slowed with age. In contrast to some previous work, study findings highlight the importance of separately considering both poor sleep and problematic internet use in understanding the development of school burnout during adolescence. N = 229 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Left‐behind adolescents are vulnerable to depressive symptoms under the context of parent‐adolescent separation. However, limited knowledge is available regarding left‐behind adolescents' depression trajectory and the protective resources against it. The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate the depression trajectory and its association with parent‐adolescent separation (left‐behind status, age of separation and duration of separation) and parent‐adolescent cohesion (father‐adolescent cohesion, mother‐adolescent cohesion) among left‐behind adolescents. Methods: The participants were 1,107 left‐behind adolescents (Mage = 13.23 ± 0.86 years at T1; 45.17% girls; 38.48% both‐parent migrant adolescents, 61.52% father‐only migrant adolescents) from two rural areas of Shandong Province in China, who were participated in assessment at three time points with 6 months apart from November 2014 to November 2015. Results: The results indicated that the trajectory of left‐behind adolescents' depression symptoms showed a decreasing trend. Both‐parent migrant adolescents reported a higher initial level of depressive symptoms than father‐only migrant adolescents. Duration of separation positively predicted the initial level of left‐behind adolescents' depressive symptoms. Mother‐adolescent cohesion negatively predicted the initial level and positively predicted the change rate of left‐behind adolescents' depressive symptoms. Moreover, mother‐adolescent and father‐adolescent cohesion buffered the negative effect of parent‐adolescent separation on the initial level of left‐behind adolescents' depressive symptoms. Conclusions: These findings highlight the protective role of parent‐adolescent cohesion for left‐behind adolescents, having important implications for interventions targeted toward mitigating the detrimental influence of parent‐adolescent separation on left‐behind adolescents' depression trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposals of think tanks nowadays carry weight in political actions worldwide. The communicative actions of these centers are crucial in the relationship with their diverse audiences for their initiatives to have a notable influence. Through a quantitative content analysis, the present study gathers communicative tools and measures the degree of interactivity promoted by these online research centers through their official websites, the medium that has the greatest impact on their visibility and influence. The research focuses on the 25 most influential think tanks in Central and South America, according to the 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index. The results show that the level of interactivity offered by the unidirectional tools of these think tanks is considerably high. However, in the case of bidirectional resources, which provide a greater opportunity for interaction and dialogue with the web user, greater use is made of those of an asymmetrical nature. The level of interactivity achieved is still insufficient, as not all the opportunities offered by the digital space are leveraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyber-violence is an entrenched phenomenon in the context of information society services, as the operational and business model of online platforms can pose severe harms and threats to online users. The Digital Services Act has come into force as of 19 October 2022, with the purpose of facing the risks and challenges for individual recipients of information society services. While ambitious in its aim to create the conditions for a 'safe, predictable, and trustworthy online environment', the Digital Services Act introduced several – yet still difficult to outline – due diligence obligations on very large online platforms ('VLOPs'). The purpose of this article is to investigate said new due diligence obligations of the Digital Services Act Regulation, in the attempt to assess whether or not these might benefit the users most affected and/or exposed to cyber-violence within a long-term policy strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an increasingly digital world, refugees heavily rely on modern communication technologies to navigate many aspects of their lives. In this article, we specifically explore how resettled refugees in New Zealand use social media in their everyday lives. We present the findings drawn from a national survey (n = 592) in six languages, exposing the benefits and limits of social media use among this cohort of people. Using a multivariate model, we show how refugees' social and political activities enable civic participation and a sense of belonging. Our study also charts the barriers constraining their everyday social media use, including financial cost, security concerns, and low technical and digital literacy levels. By centring the impacts of sociodemographics and sociotechnological factors, we interrogate the meanings and outcomes of digital exclusion, which is crucial for informing digital citizenship and settlement policy among resettled refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internet has become an integral part of daily life, impacting various aspects, especially among children and adolescents. Internet overuse has been associated with numerous physical and mental health issues. Despite its significant implications, there is no universally accepted assessment tool for internet addiction. This study focuses on validating the Georgian version of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) among pediatric patients aged 9 to 17, specifically the Internet Addiction Test - Adolescence (IAT – A). The study, conducted in 2022–2023, involved pediatric patients from Givi Zhvania Pediatric Academic Clinic, generally healthy but with parental concerns about screen time. The IAT-A, a self-administered questionnaire, was adapted for cultural relevance. Translation-back-translation was employed for linguistic validation. Data was collected twice, with a 6-month interval. Statistical analyses included the Kappa coefficient, Kendall's tau test, paired t -test, and Bland-Altman plots. The translation process ensured linguistic accuracy and cultural relevance. The study included 100 participants (59 % boys, 41 % girls) with a mean age of 12 years. The mean IAT - A score remained consistently high over both testing periods. Kendall's tau correlation coefficient indicated a strong correlation (0.97), and Bland-Altman plots confirmed repeatability. The cut-off of 40 points identified 84 % as problematic internet users. Individual question analysis showed strong correlation and agreement. The Georgian version of the IAT - A demonstrated reliability and consistency in assessing internet addiction among pediatric patients. The prevalence of problematic internet use among children referred to a university hospital because parents were worried about their internet use was indeed high. The study contributes valuable insights into internet addiction research in Georgia and underscores the importance of a standardized assessment tool. The repeatability of the scores of each question was strong among both groups of problematic internet users and non-problematic internet users, confirming that the Georgian version of IAT – A has high level of accuracy and can be used in internet addiction research. • Internet addiction is a growing concern globally, especially among adolescents, leading to various physical and mental health issues. • The Internet Addiction Test–Adolescence (IAT-A) is a reliable tool for assessing internet addiction among young populations. • This study validates the Georgian version of the IAT-A, confirming its accuracy and usability among Georgian pediatric populations. • The repeatability of the scores of each question was strong among both groups of problematic internet users and non-problematic internet users, confirming that the Georgian version of IAT-A has a high level of accuracy and can be used in internet addiction research. • Future research should explore different cut-off thresholds and consider shorter versions of the IAT-A for more efficient assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Española de Sociología is the property of Federacion Espanola de Sociologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of the internet use on university students moral behavior in South West Region Cameroon. The researcher used mixed research method design involving both qualitative and quantitative methods. The sample size used was 100 students from HTTTC Kumba all departments from levels 200 and 300. Four lecturers were also interviewed. From the findings, majority of the respondents indicated that some of their private information has been disclosed without their permission; they have been involved in plagiarism, betting, cyber bullying, illegal downloading and many other vices. These issues can be handled through guidance and counselling sessions for students. Also, each department should use plagiarism detection software and each lecturer is expected to be trained in using the software in order to combat plagiarism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, governments are contemplating taking steps to reverse or mitigate the negative health and developmental effects that come from the increasing amount of time children are spending online and using screens. In 2023, the People's Republic of China (PRC) released a draft regulation restricting minors' screen time and internet use, which imposes a significant burden not only on children, but also on technology and internet companies that wish to continue operating in the country. However, the PRC's proposed minor mode regulation is neither an extreme departure from the types of restrictions neighboring countries in East Asia have imposed on children's screen time and internet use, nor its own previous regulations in this area. As such, the proposed regulation is unlikely to have violated a norm of customary international law against restricting children's internet use. Similarly, although international instruments like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee a universal right of expression, which arguably includes an implied right to the internet, the proposed Chinese regulation is not likely to be deemed violative of either of these instruments because of ambiguities within them as to how states are meant to weigh children's rights against their protection. This conclusion is bolstered by the competing provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child about protecting children's fundamental rights while also ensuring their health and wellbeing. As such, the PRC's Draft Minor Mode Guidelines are likely to pass without facing significant legal challenges domestically or internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agriculture & Nature / Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım & Doğa Dergisi is the property of Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam Universitesi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Collective attacks related to controversial issues are pervasive in online communication. However, public opinion is often reversed later when earlier reports are revealed to be misinformation, which may lead to remedies offered to the victim by netizens. We call such phenomena online public opinion reversal (POR) events, which reflect group polarization from attack to remedy. This paper explores the pragmatic strategies that netizens employ to launch attacks and offer remedies in such events, examining a dataset including 300 netizen-generated attacking comments and 300 remedial comments collected on Weibo. The study identified two main categories of online attack strategies and seven types of remedial strategies. Chinese netizens prefer to employ on-record strategies when launching attacks. When an earlier report is revealed to be fake, they employ apology as the most frequent remedial strategy. Preferences for different attacking and remedial strategies and potential influencing factors are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of agenda-setting has faced considerable challenges in the digital age. Not only are the existing conceptualizations inadequate regarding the new features of online media outlets, but traditional analysis has also become insufficient to address the nuances of agenda-setting in the dynamic online media environment. In this study, we refined assumptions of reverse and intermedia agenda-setting theory, introduced the news events and hourly intervals approach, and considered economic news events in China as an appropriate theme. Our analysis showed that the few popular media played a gatekeeping role in the Chinese online media environment, and the average time interval in which agendas transferred across media and netizens was about 4 h. This study, thereby, advanced the understanding of agenda-setting dynamics in the digital society and showed directions for future agenda-setting research in terms of establishing more up-to-date conceptual assumptions and employing more nuanced methodological approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]