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New media platforms including social networking sites (SNS) have changed the media landscape and enabled many-to-many communication practices that have increased youth exposure to pro-alcohol consumption messages exponentially, blurring the lines between content generated by alcohol brands, nightclubs and consumers. This study uses qualitative methods to explore the use of Facebook to promote drinking among young consumers. Focus groups with a sample of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24, and a netnographic study investigating alcohol brands, alcohol groups and nightclubs on Facebook were conducted. Findings indicate that alcohol brands and nightclubs use Facebook as a tool to communicate, co-produce and generate alcohol-related content with young adults, which encourages drinking. Findings suggest that SNS such as Facebook are changing the roles of, and inter-relationships between, advertisers and how consumers process media content, including drinking-related marketing communications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this research is to examine consumer motivations to use social networking sites (SNSs) for three distinct activities: (1) general SNS usage, (2) the joining of a business’s SNS page and (3) clicking on an advertisement on a SNS. To assist with this exploration we draw upon the decomposed theory of planned behaviour as a theoretical lens and conduct a mixed-method study that utilises both an empirical investigation as well as qualitative focus group interviews in order to delve deeper into specific reasons why individuals engage in SNS activities. Results show that a number of antecedents such as attitude, compatibility, relative advantage, complexity, normative influences and self-efficacy come into play when determining SNS usage activities. However, specific antecedents may vary according to the explicit activity under investigation. This study’s main contribution involves advancing our understanding of consumer behaviour as it relates to SNS activities by examining not only antecedents to intention but also attitude, subjective norms and behavioural control. Other contributions include additional development of the SNS literature, integrating SNSs into a classical theoretical framework and providing valuable insights and implications for both practitioners and researchers alike. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Disagreement persists as to whether social networking sites (SNSs) are used more frequently to facilitate cross-cutting or like-minded discussions. We examine the relationship between the use of SNSs and involvement in discussions with politically similar and dissimilar others among a sample of US Democrats and Republicans. Affective polarization is negatively related to involvement in cross-cutting discussions, suggesting that individuals extend their dislike of the opposing political party to out-party members within their online social networks. Moreover, political discussion with one’s friends on SNSs plays a mediating role in involvement in both cross-cutting and like-minded discussions. Finally, party identification moderates the relationship between SNS use and involvement in cross-cutting discussions, indicating that Republicans participate more frequently than Democrats in cross-cutting exchanges on SNSs. In the light of these findings, we discuss the contribution of SNSs to the ideals of deliberative democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sample of 488 male and female young adults completed an online survey in effort to explore whether social networking sites (SNSs) are a way in which sociocultural influences regarding body image are propagated. Negative body talk was predicted as an outcome to frequent exposure to friends’ fitness posts (e.g. pictures and status updates about working out, fitness inspiration quotations/images, etc.); we also explored whether this relationship was moderated by body surveillance and social comparison. Results revealed that friends’ fitness posts were positively associated with negative body talk, and this relationship was strongest for individuals who reported a higher tendency to compare themselves to others – even after controlling for body satisfaction, healthy eating and exercise behaviors, and frequency of SNS use. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the advancement of technology, writing in English is no longer confined to the classroom as nowadays students are exposed to various forms of writing on the Internet. Specifically with Generation Y in mind, online writing is a new method that needs to be implemented to enhance Malaysian students’ writing skills. This article aims at identifying what motivates English as a Second Language students to write in English on Facebook. Ten Chinese-speaking students from a private urban school were selected for this study. These students had just started secondary education after being educated in Chinese-vernacular elementary schools for six years. The students were required to participate in an ongoing discussion on their Facebook class page in order to complete a writing task. Data for this study comprised both online discussions and interviews. The findings suggest that peer influence and school surroundings motivated the students to write better in English on Facebook. The findings also imply that the use of technology in writing tasks made students write better in English owing to the exchanges of feedback and ideas that took place through this social networking site. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recent studies on social networking sites (SNSs) reveal that users’ social background is not a significant predictor of participation in this type of social media. The broad user bases of Facebook and other social media platforms also appear to suggest that social background no longer affects access to SNSs. A small number of studies even claim that in the participatory web environment, social content is more likely to be created by non-elites, such as lower-income people or racial minorities [Blank, G. (2013). Who creates content? Stratification and content creation on the Internet.Information,Communication & Society,16(4), 590–612]. Nevertheless, engagement with SNSs also reproduces inequalities, for example via class- and ethnic-based ‘self-segregation’ [boyd, d. (2012). White flight in networked publics? How race and class shaped American teen engagement with MySpace and Facebook. In L. Nakamura & P. A. Chow-White (Eds.),Race after the internet(pp. 203–222). New York, NY: Routledge]. Drawing on a large-scale survey (N = 2327) and a set of 56 interviews with Italian teenagers, the current paper explores the persistent influence of socio-economic background and cultural capital in adolescents’ use of SNSs. The research findings show that, although structural variables inevitably influence their participation in social media, teenagers from ‘lower-income’ families are more enthusiastic about the communication and relational features of these sites. In contrast, their peers from ‘elite’ families focus on the capital-enhancing opportunities offered by SNSs and display a critical stance that leads them to limit their social activities on these platforms. Overall, the results suggest that SNSs are not exempt from digital inequalities, but nonetheless provide novel opportunities to lower-income teenagers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over the past decade, Internet and politics scholarship has been concerned with the effects of the Internet on forms of civic and political participation. Recent research has moved on to examine the effects of social networking sites like Facebook. Although past studies have generally found positive – albeit weak or moderate – relationships between social networking sites use and civic and political participation, reliance on cross-sectional surveys has not produced conclusive evidence of the direction of causality. We use a two-wave panel survey of 15- and 16-year-olds to examine how Facebook use affects various forms of political and non-political entertainment-oriented participation (both online and offline). We find that Facebook use is positively related to civic and entertainment-oriented, but not to online or offline political, participation. Further analysis using structural equation modelling shows that prior levels of civic participation have a stronger effect on Facebook use than Facebook use has on civic participation. Facebook use only leads clearly to entertainment-oriented participation. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of social networking sites (SNSs), individuals not only disclose personal information but also share private information concerning others online. While shared information is co-constructed by self and others, personal and collective privacy boundaries become blurred. Thus there is an increasing concern over information privacy beyond the individual perspective. However, limited research has empirically examined if individuals are concerned about privacy loss not only of their own but their social ties'; nor is there an established instrument for measuring the collective aspect of individuals' privacy concerns. In order to address this gap in existing literature, we propose a conceptual framework of individuals' collective privacy concerns in the context of SNSs. Drawing on the Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory (Petronio, 2002), we suggest three dimensions of collective privacy concerns, namely, collective information access, control and diffusion. This is followed by the development and empirical validation of a preliminary scale of SNS collective privacy concerns (SNSCPC). Structural model analyses confirm the three-dimensional conceptualization of SNSCPC and reveal antecedents of SNS users' concerns over violations of the collective privacy boundaries. This paper serves as a starting point for theorizing privacy as a collective notion and for understanding online information disclosure as a result of social interaction and group influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the type and implications of user-generated content posted by users of an open access institutional repository (DSpace) on Facebook. Design/methodology/approach – The identified user-generated content was organised into three categories: personal; professional; and social information. It encompassed all content from the members of the “DSpace” Facebook group, posted during the seven-year period (2007-2014). The posts were read and analysed to identify and categorise user-generated content posted by users to determine how Facebook is used by open access repository users. Findings – The results of analysis demonstrate the importance of social information posted by users over personal and professional information. Major types of user-generated content posted by users in the social information category were request, greetings, status-update, and announcement. Further, there has been a threefold increase in the number of user postings in the last two years (2013-2014), when posts were analysed over a seven-year period. Research limitations/implications – This study contributes to the theory on the implications eventuating from user-generated content posted by users of an open access institutional repository. An analysis of user-generated content identified in this study implies that users of DSpace open access repository are primarily using Facebook for information seeking, relationship building, and knowledge dissemination. Practical implications – By analysing the findings, administrators and policy makers of open access repositories could identify the extent of user support in the form of technical assistance, improved sustainability of supported projects, user community development, marketing and communications required to sustain open access scholarly communication. Originality/value – Previous studies examined how social networking sites have been used for a different purpose (interaction, collaboration, and discussion), but to date there has been very little research into the use of Facebook, a public social networking site, by open access repository users. Hence, this study addresses this gap in the literature by an interpretive analysis of user-generated content posted by users on the “DSpace” Facebook group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 10 years, the internet has been transformed, along with the emergence of interaction and communication technologies. Indeed, there has been an emerging movement in the interaction and communication technologies. More specifically, the growth of Web 2.0 technologies has acted as a catalyst for change in the disciplines of education. The social networking websites have gained popularity in recent years; therefore, many research studies have been conducted to explain how the use of social networking websites for instructional purposes. For the best practices, it is essential to understand theories associated with social networking studies because related theories for any subject may provide insights and guideline for professionals and researchers. This theoretical paper was designed to offer a road map through the literature in relation to the utilization of social networking websites by presenting main understandings of theories associated with social networking. The Uses and Gratification Theory, social network theory, connectives, and constructivism were selected to serve as a basis for designing social networking studies regarding instructional purposes. Moreover, common attributes of the theories and specific application areas were also discussed. This paper contributes to this emerging movement by explaining the role of these theories for researchers and practitioners to find ways to beneficially integrate them into their future research endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the use of social networking sites among the scientists of Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE). A total of 153 scientists are working in the various institutions coming under KSCSTE. Questionnaire method was used for collecting the data. More than half of the scientists are aware of scientific article sharing, presentation sharing, blogging, image and video sharing. Maximum numbers of respondents are aware of Academia and Research Gate. Other science social media that are aware to scientists are Lab Meeting, Nature Network, Science 2.0 and Social M D. The ability to communicate internationally is the major benefit of social networking. Lack of time, problem of authority and trust, technology factor, unsure about moral right or copyright and slow internet speed are barriers faced in accessing social media. All the respondents depend on social media to identify research opportunities. Scientists use social media in the following phases of research such as secure support, review the literature, collect the research data, analyze the research data and manage the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social networking sites (SNSs) have increasingly become important tools for travelers to retrieve and share information related to their trips. The success of SNS marketing depends on users’ willingness to share information in SNS and intentions to build a social community with other users online. This study investigates the antecedents of travelers’ intention to participate in exchanging travel-related information on SNSs. A structural equation model reveals that trust and enjoyment plays as antecedents of intention to share travel information on SNSs whereas ease of use does not have a direct influence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Acculturation refers to the degree to which immigrants maintain their ethnic culture and accept or reject the new dominant culture. While considerable studies have focused on immigrants’ acculturative processes, little is known about acculturation from the perspective of the host culture. This study examined American students’ acculturation orientations toward international students based on the concept of interactive acculturation and investigated the influence of ethnocentrism, sex, and Facebook use on such acculturation attitudes. Results from a survey of 346 American college students indicated a high degree of individualism and integrationism over other orientations, namely transformation-integrationism, exclusionism, assimilationism, and segregationism. The model with ethnocentrism, sex, and Facebook usage predicted five of the six acculturation orientations, with ethnocentrism being the most important predictor. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Social networking sites, particularly Facebook, have been rapidly assimilated into young people’s daily social lives. Facebook has attracted much research attention in the social sciences, although the site’s widely used photo sharing functionalities have been underexplored. In this article, we argue for the use of innovative methods to access and explore young people’s digitally and visually mediated worlds from their own perspectives. We use an illustrative research example that explored students’ drinking cultures on Facebook. Nine undergraduate students engaged in interviews with an Internet-enabled laptop, sharing their Facebook pages and discussing online photos and photo-sharing practices. Screen records of Facebook activity alongside participants’ talk provided multiple modes of data, which were analysed together to show that Facebook photos were important discursive resources that had implications for students’ identities, friendships, and drinking practices. Creative qualitative approaches such as these can provide novel insights into young people’s social worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – This study examined the antecedents and consequences of intensity of SNS use in a cross-cultural context. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of three IT-related consumer characteristics – privacy concern, consumer innovativeness and propensity to share information – on the use of social networking sites (SNS) and examine if there are cross-national differences in the relationships between consumer characteristics and SNS use. Design/methodology/approach – The authors developed and tested a structural equation model including consumer characteristics related to SNS usage, by using survey data of 977 SNS users in Korea and the US. Findings – Consumer innovativeness, propensity to share information and privacy concern affected intensity of SNS use and the usage of SNS enabled social capital. In addition, the effects of innovativeness and privacy concern on the intensity of SNS use were greater in the US sample than in the Korean sample. People in the culture of high peer pressure and herding behavior tend to expect more reciprocity in social surveillance, especially among in-group members because they are interested in tracking others in the group. This tendency might alleviate the negative impact of privacy concern on the intensity of SNS use. The positive impact of innovativeness on the intensity of SNS use was alleviated in the collectivism culture. This is maybe because the imitation factor predicts the adoption behavior better than the innovation factor in the collectivism culture. Research limitations/implications – Despite several notable contributions, this study has a few limitations, which may be overcome by further research. First, this study did not considered many other personality variables. Second, most measurements were retrospective, depending on the respondents’ memory of past shopping behavior. Third, an experimental study will be needed to obtain more accurate effects of the antecedents on the intensity of SNS use in the next stage. Fourth, there are sample limitations in the study. Although this study has some limitations, it also provides very meaningful implications. For example, both the positive impact of innovativeness and the negative impact of privacy concerns on the intensity of SNS use were alleviated in the collectivistic culture. Practical implications – This finding implies that SNS in the collective culture should focus more on group behavior than individual behavior in order to promote SNS use. In addition, it is an effective strategy to emphasize the innovative function of SNS in individualism culture. As privacy concern is not big problem of SNS usage in collectivism culture, it is an effective strategy to stimulate the needs of in-group surveillance. Originality/value – The study contributes to the literature examining cross-cultural influence on SNS use. The study presents how consumer characteristics interact with culture in order to explain the intensity of SNS use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of culture on the use of a website intended for tracking exercise activities. The data was collected using an online survey with 258 respondents from three national backgrounds: Germany, the USA and Spain. In the analysis, the focus was on determining whether users' cultural background impacts their use and perception of the site, especially as concerns social networking and the sharing of content. The Spanish were most interested in social networking, collaboration and sharing content with others, whereas the German participants were the least interested in these activities. The applicability of Hofstede's cultural theory in the explanation of differences between national cultures in online community use is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates students' involvement in Facebook® as a course management system (CMS), Facebook acceptance, and the relationships between the two. The study used Facebook as a CMS in two freshman courses and employed mixed method as part of an action-research approach. Forty-two students participated in the study, and 12 of those students were selected for face-to-face interviews through maximum variation sampling. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and course Facebook page logs. Qualitative data were collected through the interviews. The quantitative data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and correlation analyses. The findings indicate that the relationships between course Facebook page involvement and Facebook acceptance differed according to the course. The findings support that Facebook as a CMS has the potential to increase student involvement in discussions and out-of-class communication among instructors and students. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

With the increase in popularity and continued globalisation of social networking sites, it is important to define the theoretical boundaries of research in this area. While previous research has evaluated social networking trust based on the community perspective, the current study extend trust at two levels: community level trust and trust in connections made. Two data samples were used to ensure valid and reliable results on the findings. The first sample included a group of university students and the second data sample was randomly selected from a population of members within an active social networking site. The results from two samples establish a clear distinction between two levels of trust (i.e., trust in connections made and trust in the community). These results were applied to a previous study on social networking to provide an example of how these two levels can individually influence the research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research wants to identify the factors that impact the use of the social networking sites for knowledge exchange based on the open and sparse structure of virtual communities. Thus, we have adapted the technology adoption model (TAM) to evaluate the perceptions of the members of virtual communities of professionals hosted inside social networking sites regarding their autonomy, the openness of the sites, the diversity of the members of the networks and the interactivity when using these sites. Social networking sites are beneficial for knowledge exchange since their openness influences diversity of members and ideas. Usefulness increases when users feel to have more autonomy in managing their activity in the sites. Autonomy and diversity of the members are key factors because they influence the level of interactivity inside the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the researchers aim to assess and investigate the risks and opportunities of using social-networking sites (SNS) in workplace/communities, especially in Australia and Portugal. An online survey was conducted of 80 employees from both large organisations and SMEs in Australia and Portugal to determine these risks and opportunities. The study outcomes indicated that SNS usage in businesses is very useful, convenient, and fast and provides a real-time environment for marketing, communication and collaboration, enhancing employees' knowledge and skills and improving communication between customers and stakeholders. However, SNS usage in businesses can lead to legal issues or loss of reputation, security, privacy, hacking to identify theft, and virus attacks. The current study ascertains new practical significance, as a set of recommendations were generated to minimise and reduce the risks of using SNS in the workplace and to meet employees' needs and expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media communication is characterized by reduced anonymity and off-to-online social interactions. These characteristics require scholars to revisit social influence mechanisms online. The current study builds on social influence literature to explore social network and gender effects on online behavior. Findings from a quasi-experiment suggest that both network-related variables and gender are significantly associated with online behavior. Perceived social environment, measured by personal network exposure rate, is more significant than objective reality, measured by frequency of received social messages, in determining behavior. We discuss the implications of social contagion effects on web-based strategic communication—including advertising, political campaigns, and social mobilization. Data limitations and the difficulty of measuring social network influence via social media are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, it was aimed to examine the use of learning management systems supported by social networking sites in distance education and to determine the views of learners regarding these platforms. The study group of this study, which uses a qualitative research approach, consists of 15 undergraduate students who resumed their education in Turkey. The data were gathered via a semi-structured interview form which consists of open-ended questions. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the data. According to the results of the study, it has been revealed within the scope of the course that the students have positive attitudes towards the use of social networking sites and distance education applications and these applications have positively affected the quality of communication between instructors and students. Furthermore, it was seen that the students made comments relating to the interesting aspects of the applications and the difference between distance education and face-to-face learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given Facebook’s popularity for the maintenance of interpersonal relationships, this investigation examined the extent to which frequency of Facebook communication with a specific friend predicts relational interdependence. The chief goal of the investigation was to extend media multiplexity theory by examining whether attitudes toward (a) online self-disclosure and (b) online social connection moderated this association. Results not only replicated previous findings that multiple media are associated with relational interdependence, but also supported the hypothesized moderation of online communication attitude. Based on these results, the manuscript explores how media multiplexity theory might be extended to account for communicator cognitions about communication media. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Social networking sites (SNSs) are a flourishing component of the Internet, with enormous potential for growth. The distinctive social-oriented features of social networking platforms provide a pleasant social interaction experience for users. This pleasant experience tends to encourage individuals to continue using these platforms excessively without their knowledge, and thus results in problematic use behaviors and negative outcomes in different aspects of life. In view of the increased attention to the issues of problematic use of social networking sites and their relation to psychological well-being variables, the main objective of this paper is to investigate how self-esteem affects the development of problematic Internet use in the context of social networking sites. The authors integrated self-esteem as a hypothesized antecedent into the model of generalized problematic Internet use and empirically tested the model with 200 Facebook users. Structural equation modeling analysis confirmed that low self-esteem predisposes individuals to develop a preference for online social interaction (POSI). This preference and the use of social networking sites to regulate mood in turn predict deficient self-regulation and result in negative outcomes. The paper concludes with a discussion of practical and theoretical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social networking sites (SNS) have becoming a mass phenomenon, positioning as one of the most popular online means of communication. So, they have appeared as new communication tools between people and organizations. Due to the growing importance of SNS and the many advantages offered to companies, the main objective of this research is to study the adoption and use of SNS by Italian users, on the basis of a technology acceptance model by adding the trust and perceived risk variables, as they are essential when uncertainty is present. Results support the positive relationships and influences between variables from an extended technology acceptance model. Some practical implications are exposed to explain the importance of the adoption of SNS by users for business sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social networking sites (SNSs) and virtual communities (VCs) are popular online social media having similarities and differences. The paper investigated the difference in motivations and in the relationships from motivations to continuance intention between active users of SNSs and VCs. The results show that while connecting with old friends, meeting new people, seeking information, seeking entertainment, and seeking social support are significant motivations of both communities’ active users, active users of SNSs rate higher motivation to connect with old friends than VCs; seeking information and social support motivations have the same effect on the continuance intention of the both communities’ active users through attitude; connecting with old friends and meeting new people motivations have obvious different effects on continuance intention through attitude between the two communities’ active users. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Numerous studies have shown that college students use computers, the internet, and social networking websites (SNS) at high rates; however, all of these studies have relied on self-report measures of technology use. Research in other areas of human behavior has shown that self-report measures are considerably inaccurate when compared to actual behaviors. This study produces more effective estimates of the time that college students spend on computer and internet activities by using logging software to collect data on actual use. A sample of 45 students installed a computer monitor for two months. The results show that social networking was the most popular computer activity, withFacebookbeing the most popular SNS. Furthermore, the results also suggest that students may be able to somewhat regulate their computer use in ways that could benefit them academically. For instance, students spent significantly more time using the university's learning management system when classes were in session and less time watching videos. Although there are some limitations of monitoring computer usage, such monitoring is an effective method of evaluating frequency of use. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study investigates how library and information science professionals working in higher education institutions in India integrate social networking sites (SNS) into their routine work. It was revealed through the questionnaire that the majority of respondents are members of the institution's official group on the SNS, whereas only one fifth are members of an unofficial student group. These information professionals use SNS to socialize, keep themselves up-to-date, find jobs, and acquire information about conferences and seminars in their respective fields. Some of the legitimate concerns of library and information science professionals are privacy and cyberbullying. To increase use, social networking applications must be incorporated into the curriculum of master's degree courses for library and information science. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines complimenting behavior directed at members of one Facebook network of family and friends in the United States. It proposes a way of selecting a corpus for analysis within the online environment under scrutiny and offers a preliminary characterization of Facebook compliments in American English in relation to the form compliments take, common objects of complimenting and the key function(s) that they perform. As part of a multimodal system of communication, compliments on Facebook are described as a kind of second-pair part of photo-initiated communication online that can be employed to reaffirm the relationship and strengthen the bonds between the interactants. The paper also explores the extent to which complimenting behavior on Facebook resembles usage that has been described for American English in face-to-face interaction. It shows that complimenting behavior on Facebook is the same in some ways but also different. The differences identified appear to be mainly related to the medium of interaction and the affordances (and restrictions) of the technology that can give rise to variations of talk and perhaps even new social practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The paper aims to study the purpose of using social networking sites (SNSs) among the research scholars of Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh and Kurukshetra University (KU), Kurukshetra in India. Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted through a questionnaire administered to the research scholars in two universities in India. The questionnaire was distributed among the randomly selected research scholars of the two universities in India. Findings – It is observed that the majority of the research scholars from both the universities are aware of the SNSs and have their accounts on them. Facebook is the most popularly accessed SNS both in PU (83 per cent) and KU (77 per cent) followed by Orkut (46 per cent) in PU and Research Gate (38 per cent) at KU. The majority of the research scholars who use SNSs for various purposes from both the universities are in the age group of 20-30 years. 46 per cent of the researchers surveyed from PU do not have any publications and only 5 per cent have more than ten publications so far, whereas 54 per cent research scholars do not have any publications to their credit in KU. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to two universities in India, namely PU, Chandigarh and KU, Kurukshetra. There are a total of 75 teaching departments at PU and 46 departments at KU. The present study is limited to 20 departments each of both the universities. The PU has approximately 500 research scholars and KU has approximately 450 research scholars. The representative sample was formed by taking approximately 15 per cent of respondents (i.e. 65) from 20 departments of each university. 130 questionnaires were received and analyzed for the present study. Originality/value – The paper attempts to find out the awareness and use of SNSs among the research scholars perusing their research in different disciplines in PU, Chandigarh and KU, Kurukshetra in India. It is the first of its kind survey to find out the purpose of using the SNSs by the researchers of this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of adolescent self-presentations in Fotolog. The images which these adolescents create and share through the Net focus on the construction of the Self. Here gender and sexuality become the main structuring factors of representation. Results point to the fact adolescents self-presentations mirror some of the categories defined by Goffman in his study of gender hyperritualization in advertising. Moreover, other gender expressions are found in the sample, such as the lesbian pose or the erotization of bodies which Gill also detects in advertising. Despite the fact that the images that adolescents upload in Social Networking Sites reproduce gender stereotypes and patriarchal patterns based in advertising, it must be said that they also elaborate a relatively varied repertoire of pictures and are able to conceive original creations. These creative self-representations are the outcome of a process of negotiation of gender and sexual identity which occurs in these settings, as well as in other adolescent media practices. To avoid a thoughtless reproduction of gender stereotypes and contribute to a critical negotiation of these representations, media education is needed. This media education should take into account the way in which adolescent practices are shaped by other media consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We examine the connection between narcissism and social networking site (SNS) use. [•] We differentiate among narcissism types, students/adults, and Facebook/Twitter. [•] We demonstrate how two different measures of use yield different results. [•] Facebook use is associated with exhibitionism for students but not for adults. [•] Twitter use is associated with Superiority for students while Facebook use is associated with Superiority for adults. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The attractiveness of social networking sites (SNSs) has extended to almost all professionals in numerous human organizations including the library. Librarians as a result of this development are now making use of these sites to connect to other libraries and librarians both within and outside their environment. However, it is observed that the use and benefits derived from social networking sites by Nigerian librarians, generally, and those in academic libraries, particularly, has not been well documented. It is against this backdrop that this study examined the use of social networking sites to both the libraries and the librarians in selected academic libraries in six Nigerian States. A survey research design approach was adopted. The simple random study drew upon 200 academic librarians from academic libraries across six selected States in Nigeria. Five research questions were raised and answered by the study. The results demonstrate that Facebook and Twitter are mostly use by academic librarians. Academic librarians are making use of SNSs on a weekly basis and partially on a daily basis. Many potential benefits of SNSs were indicated both to the librarians and their libraries such as creating opportunity to connect with people across the globe, which includes those that have never been seen and those that one is not sure of coming in contact with. It was also found that SNSs give opportunity for academic libraries to incorporate SNSs as a means of creating more interactive user centered library and information services. Examples of the defects identified associated with SNSs include sexual harassment, cybercrime, fraud, and spreading of spam. It is expected that the outcomes of this study will serve as pioneer data upon which future related studies will be anchored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – There is considerable debate among academics and business practitioners on the value of the use of social networking by organizational members. Some, fearing presenteeism (i.e. being at the workplace but working below peak capacity), claim that the use of social networking sites by organizational members is a waste of time, while others believe it leads to improvements in job performance, partly due to employees' successful efforts to balance work-life realms. This paper aims to inform this debate by examining the use of social networking sites by organizational members and its effect on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job performance. Design/methodology/approach – The exploratory study is based on a survey of 193 employees, focusing on the following constructs: social networking site use intensity, perceived job satisfaction, perceived organizational commitment, and job performance. The authors' proposed model was evaluated using variance-based structural equation modeling (SEM), a latent variable-based multivariate technique enabling concurrent estimation of structural and measurement models under nonparametric assumptions. This study used WarpPLS 2.0 to assess both the measurement and the structural model. Findings – The results show that social networking site use intensity has a significant positive effect on job performance through the mediation of job satisfaction, and that this mediating effect is itself mediated – in a nested way – via organizational commitment. The findings suggest that social networking site use, rather than causing presenteeism, may be a new way through which employees balance their work-life realms, in turn benefitting their organizations.Originality/value – To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to analyze, in an integrated way, the relationship between those theoretical constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs a secondary analysis of U.S. nationally representative data from the Pew Internet 2008 civic engagement survey ( N = 2251) to examine the degree to which contacting public officials both online and offline is explained by the variables of gender and political connectedness. We find that while women are somewhat less likely to contact public officials through direct means, such as emailing or writing a letter, they are more likely to sign petitions, offline and especially online. Gender gaps in direct forms of contact are smaller in the online context than the offline context. We additionally find that that gender moderates the relationship between political connectedness developed via social networking sites and contacting public officials, such that women gain even further advantage in signing online petitions, but also gain further disadvantage in writing a letter/calling public officials and signing offline petitions. Finally, we find that political connectedness, achieved via social networking sites and offline contexts, is related to contacting public officials through both online and traditional means, suggesting a blurring of offline and online worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the differences in European and American perspectives on privacy and to question whether most users of web services, such as Facebook, are equipped with the proper level of media literacy skills in order to manage the responsibility for their own privacy. Design/methodology/approach – Discussion of theoretical concepts on privacy, from the perspectives of both law and social sciences. Findings – Promoting government responsibility for the privacy of individual citizens seems problematic in an online context, as it threatens to open the door to censorship. One should wonder whether citizens need protection from what is perceived as infringement to the rights of privacy, while these citizens are actually consumers, using commercially provided services with policies that they have agreed to. The European Commission has been following closely what is happening to personal data online. Several forms of legislation have been brought into force aiming to enhance the protection of personal data of European citizens. This European protectionism often clashes with the privacy policies of, largely American, commercial organisations such as Facebook and Google. Research limitations/implications – Further research should be carried out on whether the general user is media literate enough to be able to mitigate their privacy online. Legislators are focussed on handing responsibilities to the users themselves, however users could benefit from a more paternalistic approach. Originality/value – This paper combines perspectives on online privacy from the multi-disciplinary perspectives of law and social sciences. These two viewpoints are not often combined in critical literature. This paper serves as a discussion piece for future research and media literacy programs in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Studies have shown that multitasking with technology, specifically using Social Networking Sites (SNSs), decreases both efficiency and productivity in an academic setting. This study investigates multitasking’s impact on the relationship between SNS use and Grade Point Average (GPA) in United States (US; n =451) and European (n =406) university students using quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Moderated Multiple Regression analysis results showed that the negative relationship between SNS use and GPA was moderated by multitasking only in the US sample. This may be due to European students being less prone to “disruptive” multitasking. The results provide valuable cautionary information about the impact of multitasking and using SNSs in a learning environment on university students’ GPAs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper starts from the warning given by Tim Berners-Lee about the present threats to the social web with a view to analyzing the main limitations of the Web 2.0 paradigm (fragmentation, centralization, control and risks to privacy). The authors continue on to describe several proposals (federation and interoperability, distribution and free management of identity and privacy) that tackle those threats. Finally, the paper offers a brief comparative map of decentralized social web efforts and focuses on the specific case of Lorea/N-1, a Spain-based federation of free social networks originated in 2009. Along with Lorea/N-1's pioneering nature and technical possibilities, the paper concludes by referring to its adoption by the M15 movement and by discussing its current limitations a well as its potential implications. To this end, our research combines bibliographic revision of recent works on the social web and fieldwork within Lorea/N-1 developing group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of social network sites (SNS) creates communication tools to facilitate many processes that can be applied in teaching and learning. Although SNS provide great learning applications, the advantages of this kind of websites are oftentimes ignored. There is currently little research regarding the educational benefits of SNS dedicated to teaching and learning. In order to investigate the largely unexplored benefits of educational SNS, the researchers estimated social network intervention as a support of learning management system for the enhancement of social presence in relation to perceived learning and satisfaction with the instructor in blended learning. Findings of this research study show there was a significant difference between before and after social network intervention. However, the highest enhancement was for the social interaction and satisfaction with the instructor due to creating an online community. The results also showed a significant correlation between social presence and perceived learning, social presence and satisfaction with instructor, and satisfaction with instructor and perceived learning after social network intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have changed the way people live. Today we depend heavily on social networking sites for our day to day activities. This paper presents a case study where we research the effect of YouTube on education. We have studied one of YouTube's most famous education channel called Khan Academy, founded by a MIT graduate. It has a huge collection of around 3,200 video lectures. We perform in-depth study of Khan Academy. We provide results regarding viewer-ship and popularity of these lectures by providing statistics on view count, age of videos, user comments and rating of videos. We also study viewer characteristics like age, gender and location distribution. Overall, we believe that the results presented here are crucial in understanding importance and relevance of social network for education system. The results provide valuable information to educationalists in better using the social media to facilitate quality education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to apply Maslow's hierarchy of needs to extend the expectation-confirmation model of information systems continuance (ECM-IS) to analyze users' continuance intention of social networking services (SNSs). Design/methodology/approach – A survey is conducted on 202 users of social networking services in China. Findings – Fulfillment of self-actualization needs has a significant impact on continuance intention; however, the direct impact of fulfillment of social needs on continuance intention is not significant but fully mediated by satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – The first limitation is that the participants in the sample are undergraduates. Second, this study has used cross-sectional survey data to empirically test the model. Third, the survey is conducted in a single country. Practical implications – The results of this paper provide several marketing implications to better manage SNSs. First, SNS managers should enhance instant communication functions, develop a platform that is convenient for users to express themselves and provide more entertainment functions. Second, SNS managers should focus on users' expectations and experiences about website functions and adjust or update website functions accordingly. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the research on continuance intention of social networking services from the perspective of Maslow's hierarchy of needs to capture motivations of continuance intention. The authors believe their conceptualizations of fulfillment of self-actualization needs and fulfillment of social needs, as well as their substantial findings, would be useful to researchers and practitioners alike to better study and manage continuance intention of socially-oriented online services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the participation of African Americans on social networking sites (SNS), and evaluates the degree to which African Americans engage in activities in the online environment to mitigate social capital deficits. Prior literature suggests that compared with whites, African Americans have less social capital that can enhance their socio-economic mobility. As such, my research question is: do African Americans enhance their social capital through their participation on SNS? I use nationally representative data collected from the Pew Internet and American Life Project to explore the research question. The results suggest that the online environment is potentially a space in which African Americans can lessen social capital deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The present study aims to report the findings of a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of the Facebook pages of the two presidential candidates. Design/methodology/approach – The sample contained 513 posts collected during the last three months of the 2012 US presidential election. The analysis of the candidates' pages consisted of three phases: the identification of the different elements of the Aristotelian language of persuasion, the identification of the subjects that appear on the posts, and the identification of additional roles that the Facebook pages play in the campaigns. Findings – Findings show that both candidates used an emotional and motivational appeal to create a social capital and to present a personal image that revealed very little of their personal lives. Statistical analysis shows the numbers of comments and likes given to the posts were influenced by the element of persuasion used on the posts. Results show that campaigns wanted to retain control of the message displayed on the pages by posting information on a small number of non-controversial subjects. Finally, the content analysis revealed that the Facebook pages were used for fund-raising purposes, and for the mobilization of supporters. The Facebook pages of both candidates present an alternative way to do politics called fandom politics that is based not on logic or reason but on the affective sensibility of the audiences, discouraging dissent and encouraging affective allegiances between the candidate and his supporters. Originality/value – This study presents an innovative way of analyzing the use of social media sites as a tool for the dissemination of political information and reveals utilization of these media for the creation of social and economic capital by politicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although research findings have been equivocal as to whether the use of social networking sites (SNSs) increases experiences of online risk among children, the affordances of SNS lend support to this possibility, attracting much policy and public concern. The present article examines whether the use of such services increases the risks that children and young people encounter by analyzing data from a random stratified sample of approximately 1000 internet-using children aged 9–16years in each of 25 European countries. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested. The first hypothesis, namely that children who use social networking sites will encounter more risks online than those who do not, is supported by the data. The second hypothesis stated that SNS users with more digital competence will encounter more online risk than those with less competence; this was also supported, despite being counter to common assumptions. Thirdly, we hypothesized that SNS users with more risky SNS practices (e.g. a public profile, displaying identifying information, with a very large number of contacts) will encounter more online risk than those with fewer risky practices: this too was supported by the data; thus what matters for risk is how SNS are used, a useful point for awareness-raising initiatives. The fourth hypothesis stated that SNS users with more digital competence in using the internet will experience less harm associated with online risk. The data did not support this hypothesis, since digital competence did not reduce the probability of children saying that they have been bothered or upset by something on the internet. Finally, the study found that, although this had not been predicted, whether or not risks are experienced as harmful depends on the specific relation between risks and platforms (website, instant messaging, gaming or social networking). We call on future research to explore how particular affordances sustain particular communicative conditions and, in turn, are responded to differently by children. The research and policy implications of the findings are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we attempt to explore the penetration of Web 2.0 technologies amongst Greek students, determine their level of usage and explore the students' opinions and perceptions regarding their usefulness for learning and educational purposes. In that context, we present the initial results of a survey-based cross-institutional study, conducted between September 15 and October 30, 2010, on a sample of five hundred undergraduate students from the two oldest university establishments in Greece. Our survey results reveal that social networking sites despite being by far, the most popular Web 2.0 service amongst Greek students, present the lowest perceived value in regards of the service's usefulness for educational and studying support purposes. On the other hand, blogs and wikis, which are considered educationally more useful by students, present low percentages of systematic use and content contribution and even lower percentages of ownership. Following the initial descriptive analysis of our cross institutional survey data presented in this paper, we are in the process of conducting a series of statistical tests for identifying significant correlations between variables and testing a set of prescribed research hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media, specifically social networking sites (SNSs), offer organisations direct access to a significant amount of personal information about their consumers and provide the means by which to create two-way, business-to-consumer (B2C) information channels. Therefore, instead of traditional impersonal one-direction advertising, organisations can establish personal two-way communication, by accepting members and forming 'friendships' on these digital platforms. A case study is presented that examines how a professional Australian Rules Football club has implemented Facebook and Twitter to improve the level and quality of communication they have with their fans. An end of season member survey indicated that the club were not performing well, in the area of communication, and a project team was formed to identify how improvements in the club's social media capabilities could be leveraged to improve communication. Whilst the level of success of the case was measured in terms of consumer investments; consumer behaviours that are linked to social media, such as traffic, time spent on an application, and comments gained, etc., a growth in membership sales, match day attendances, ticket sales, TV audiences and merchandise sales were also experienced in the period following the improvements made to the club's Facebook and Twitter presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to better understand the relationships between the paradoxes of social networking sites (SNSs) and users' loyalty toward these websites. Design/methodology/approach – This study surveyed 180 students enrolled in graduate and/or undergraduate level classes in three different universities in the Midwest and Southwest regions of the USA. The structural equation modelling (SEM) technique was employed to analyze data and examine the conceptual model proposed in the current study. Findings – The results suggest that the paradoxes of social networking sites (assimilation/isolation and competence/incompetence) are significant antecedents of online social networking pleasure and loyalty. Furthermore, the results suggest that pleasure mediates the relationships between paradoxes of social networking sites and loyalty toward social networking sites. Research limitations/implications – A sustainable business strategy for SNSs would be to maintain a safe environment that on one hand promotes continuous innovations and on the other hand facilitates desired feelings such as fun, pleasure, and adventure. Results based on student sample suggest more works are needed to generalize the findings. Practical implications – This study points out online communication technologies (e.g., SNSs) are a double-edged sword for consumers. Marketers need to manage consumers' feeling and experiences effectively. Originality/value – This study with few other studies extends social marketing literature by offering theoretical and statistical evidence regarding how paradoxes of SNSs impact users' experience. Specifically, this study addresses the underlying reasons that may cause SNS users decrease their participation over time, and the role of SNS users' feelings play in forming their overall SNS usage experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first aim of this study was to compare the quality of online, offline, and mixed-mode friendships (i.e., friendships that originate online and extend to offline settings) among users of a social networking site. The second aim was to investigate the relative contribution of proximity, perceived similarity, and social attraction to the quality of each of the three types of friendships. We surveyed 2,188 members of a Dutch social networking site. Results showed that the quality of all three types of friendships increased over time. The differences in quality between online and offline friendships remained significant over time, but those between mixed-mode and offline friendships disappeared. Proximity did not affect the quality of any of the three types of friendships. Perceived similarity was the most important predictor of online friendships, whereas social attraction was the most important predictor of mixed-mode and offline friendships. Our results are discussed in the light of both interpersonal and computer-mediated communication theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]