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This study examines the implications of WhatsApp usage in Israel, focusing on the interplay between usage patterns, privacy concerns, and protection behaviors. Using a sample of 505 participants, this study aimed to understand whether users are aware of privacy issues and how this awareness translates into proactive protection actions. Results showed a significant positive correlation between usage frequency and privacy concerns, but no significant correlation between usage frequency and protection behaviors. However, there was a strong positive correlation between privacy concerns and protection behaviors, with privacy concerns mediating the relationship between usage and protection behaviors. This study underscores the importance of understanding user behavior and privacy perceptions, providing insights for future research and policymaking to enhance privacy on digital platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the impact and implications of implementing cybersecurity identity verification on the popular instant messaging platform, WhatsApp. Specifically, it focuses on the effects of such a measure on resilient infrastructure, user perceptions of the platform's branding and trustworthiness, and the cost-effectiveness of this approach in preventing scams, phishing, fraud, and cybercrime. Empirical data collected from a diverse group of WhatsApp users highlight that the introduction of identity verification could potentially enhance transaction efficiency, foster trust, and boost user satisfaction, particularly regarding the platform's security. However, the cost and complexity of implementation pose significant challenges. Despite these hurdles, most users perceive the potential benefits to outweigh the associated costs, pointing to a broad acceptance of such security measures. The study provides practical and theoretical contributions, offering valuable insights for managers and decision-makers at WhatsApp, as well as contributing to academic discussions on digital platform management and security. The research also underscores the societal implications of such a measure, suggesting an increase in trust in digital communication platforms and supporting safer financial transactions on social media. The integration of identity verification on WhatsApp being a responsive institution emerges as a valuable but complex endeavor, demanding careful planning to ensure maximum value creation for all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings from a research and development project to support fathers’ involvement with their children’s literacy development. Eighty Emirati fathers attended workshops about sharing reading with their young children, where they were provided with a variety of children’s picture books in both Arabic and English, and reported their experiences of sharing reading in their homes with their young children. In the context of a rapidly evolving United Arab Emirates, the role of fathers is changing within this multilingual society to encompass enhanced engagement with their young children. Emirati fathers reported their experiences via WhatsApp voice-notes and text messages, which offered a naturalistic and culturally appropriate way for them to share their everyday shared reading activities. The overarching takeaway from these responses indicates a sense of their joy at engaging with their children in such volitional shared reading experiences. This leads to a feeling of wellbeing for themselves and their children, as well as a way of being more engaged in child-rearing in this nation which is moving towards more shared spousal responsibilities and more of an emphasis on the importance of connecting with their young children, for not only their children’s benefit but also their own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driven by the increasing use of social media by people seeking to reconstruct family histories and preserve historical, cultural, and societal legacy, genealogy-based online communities are experiencing a surge in popularity. This study explores how trauma-affected communities use online communities to reconstruct their identities and histories, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of these groups in the digital age. Based on the theory of Knowledge Co-Creation, this paper presents a novel conceptual framework designed to categorize the content in such communities. This framework is composed of two axes. The first axis, 'Time,' reflects the evolving character of participants' involvement, starting with an exploration of immediate family history and gradually expanding to encompass a broader interest in ancestral and communal history of the past. The second axis, 'Space,' explores the interplay between online interactions and offline activities. To demonstrate the applicability of this framework, the paper focuses on the case study of the WhatsApp community dedicated to collaborative research of the descendants of annihilated Jewish communities of the Upper Silesia region of southwestern Poland.This research contributes to the literature on digital genealogy and online communities by offering a structured approach to analyzing the dynamics of trauma-affected populations engaging in collaborative genealogical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of using WhatsApp groups to improve university students’ vocabulary learning. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design. It consisted of 60 male and female EFL students from Ajloun College University at Al-Balqa Applied University. The participants were assigned evenly into a control group, which was taught via conventional teaching methods, and an experimental group, which was taught via a researcher-administrated WhatsApp group. The teaching material included the first three units of the curriculum specified for the English Language 1 course at Ajloun University College. The study used vocabulary pre- and post-tests. The findings of the study revealed that the experimental group members performed better than the control group in the vocabulary post-test results. The findings demonstrated the effectiveness of using the WhatsApp group method to improve vocabulary learning among undergraduate EFL students at Ajloun University College. The study concluded that using group instant messaging mobile applications significantly improves the vocabulary teaching and learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of HIV in South Africa is informed by national guidelines, which are regularly updated. Ongoing training of healthcare workers is vital for optimal patient care, but is challenging, due to human, financial and infrastructural constraints. There is a need for innovative solutions to meet training and support needs. With 93.2% of South African adults using WhatsApp, it is an ideal platform for training, even in the most remote clinics. The primary aim of the study is to design, test and evaluate the effect of WhatsApp group-based HIV training on nurses' and community health workers' knowledge. The secondary aims are to assess uptake, acceptability, and feasibility of the intervention; and to explore and describe the changes in prescribing, comparing the intervention group to the control group. A pragmatic, mixed-methods, parallel-group cluster-randomised study design will be used. This paper details the design – and rationale behind it – of the study. A critical realist stance was chosen, with outcomes measured using questionnaires, pre- and post-intervention; WhatsApp group interaction; focus groups; and folder reviews. Inferential analysis will be conducted using Stata, descriptive analysis using Excel™ and qualitative data using template analysis with NVivo™. Rigor of the study will be ensured using relevant points from the CASP and COREQ checklists, considering the study's theoretical underpinning, design and aims. Reporting will be guided by the CONSORT and SRQR guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines students' perceptions of teacher authority in WhatsApp groups compared to the traditional classroom setting, with a focus on female students attending religious high schools. The strict authority structures inherent in these settings provide a unique context for the research. Most students reported finding it easier to challenge teacher authority in WhatsApp groups than in the classroom, citing five key reasons. Additionally, we identified six patterns of resistance to teachers' stipulations within these groups. The discussion highlights the significance of this increased opposition to teachers' demands and the adoption of new response patterns in WhatsApp groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media has become central to how political parties plan, organize, and coordinate electoral campaigns in Africa, with WhatsApp increasingly the preferred medium. How, we ask, have African political parties made use of WhatsApp to organize internally during elections, and what explains the approaches they have taken? We argue that pre-existing party institutionalization is the main factor influencing how parties use WhatsApp to organize and coordinate campaign events, and reach voters. Comparing Ghana and Nigeria, we show that more institutionalized parties create formal, hierarchical online structures, with in-group policing of message content. Conversely, less institutionalized parties rely on informal, personality-based online structures with unclear hierarchies and where there is little message discipline. This matters both for the spread of mis/disinformation and inflammatory content online, and for parties' future organizational strength. In both instances, "digital clientelism" ensures that existing patrimonial structures are replicated online, restricting the empowerment of new political actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Team-based learning (TBL) involves students working together to solve problems or complete tasks. Active learning, collaboration, and critical thinking are promoted. TBL uses pre-class preparation, in-class team activities, and evaluations to improve course comprehension and application in a dynamic learning environment. Organise WhatsApp groups for TBL in Ayurveda courses by assigning facilitator, recorder, and timekeeper roles. Group discussion, case studies, sharing resources, and scheduling in-depth discussions to improve TBL by encouraging active engagement, good communication, and timely task completion. Faculty or moderators monitor WhatsApp groups, enforce rules, and facilitate discussions. WhatsApp group collaborative learning may improve academic performance because students gain peer interactions and different perspectives. It enhances learning by encouraging active participation and comprehension. Communication, teamwork, and critical thinking are taught to help students succeed in their careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how lecturers and university students used WhatsApp as an academic tool. The study employed an ANT methodological and analytical framework to investigate WhatsApp as an academic tool in a university set-up in post COVID-19 era. Participants were selected from one state university. The snowball purposive sampling approach was used to select twenty students and five lecturers who provided some deep insight into how WhatsApp was used in academic activities. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, following actors on the WhatsApp platform and document analysis. Findings revealed that WhatsApp was used in various ways to build students' networks of learning. The study concluded that lecturers could leverage the WhatsApp platform to enhance students' academic engagement by expanding the networks of learning to enable students to acquire and share knowledge. Therefore, the study recommends the wider use of WhatsApp to enhance academic performance among students by focusing on a community of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the Effect of social media on the Academic Performance of Entrepreneurial Undergraduates in Rivers State Nigeria. The study was instigated because of unparalleled sensitivity of undergraduates in the use of social media applications has not been properly explored especially in learning and communicating abilities, thereby affecting academic performance among entrepreneurial undergraduates in Rivers-State Universities and persistent rise in unemployment among Rivers-State graduates. To achieve the aims of the study, three research questions were raised and three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted the pretest, posttest Quasiexperimental survey design. The study population comprised 200 undergraduates, drawn from a target population of 1,870 undergraduates taking entrepreneurial courses in the 2022/2023 academy session from three public universities in Rivers State University: Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rivers-State University and University of Port Harcourt, all in Rivers-State, Nigeria. The selection was done through the purposive sampling technique based on functionality and accessibility to smartphones and iPhones on the use of social media (Telegram and WhatsApp) groups while the control group was the discussion method. The instrument used for the data collection was a questionnaire titled: Effect of social media on Academic Performance of Entrepreneurial Undergraduates Questionnaire (ESMAPEUQ), which was developed by the researchers and was validated by experts in Department of Educational Management, University of Calabar and Measurement and Evaluation in the Department of Educational Foundations in Faculty of Educational foundation studies, University of Calabar, Calabar. Data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 25. The results revealed that undergraduates who are exposed to the Experimental group (Telegram and WhatsApp) performed better than those exposed to the control group while there was gender disproportion on the part of the females, indicating that the males performed better than the females in the three groups. It was recommended among others that the use of social media should be a seal in supplemented lessons while gender disportion should be frowned against to give a boost in academic performance, while females should be guided against marginalization in entrepreneurship to create academic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive shift of communication culture from direct to virtual channels due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected virtual politeness performance. The limitation of physical expression in digital platforms encourages emojis to replace gestures, mimics, and other expressions. This study aims to describe the types of speech acts and the function of the emojis along with the performance of politeness strategies in the WhatsApp group of Javanese netizens. Understanding politeness performance through the use of speech acts and emojis in virtual communication provides insights into how universal emojis are specifically used in a particular culture and shows the creativity of emoji use in phatic communication. The virtual textual data were taken from five WhatsApp group’s with 174 Javanese members by observation method. The emoji that occurred in the conversational texts were classified based on the types of speech acts and their functions. The analysis was conducted within the cyberpragmatics framework. The findings showed that emojis were used in assertive speech acts, directive speech acts, expressive speech acts, and phatic speech acts. The functions were to emphasize meaning, clarify meaning, direct certain actions, express feelings, and establish social rapport. The research contributes to the development of cyberpragmatics as the current approach in pragmatics study. Moreover, the findings depicted the current phenomenon of social media communication on a cultural basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology has made it easier to connect, interact, explore and learn. The smartphone is a unique and valuable device. WhatsApp is the most popular mobile app used for multiple purposes worldwide. The study aimed to get the teachers' views of the Public Colleges of Punjab, Pakistan, BS (Physics) regarding the pedagogical use of WhatsApp and their challenges. The study used an interpretative paradigm, qualitative method and phenomenological design. The data was collected through in-depth unstructured interviews and purposively analysed using a thematic coding inductive approach. The target population was all the teachers (Female/Male) of Public Colleges of Punjab, Pakistan, BS (Physics) Programme, and the sample was drawn from the target population purposively till saturation (12 college teachers =6 Females and 6 Males). The study recommended the pedagogical use of WhatsApp by determining some boundaries for students to interact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Effective communication is the heart of any organization. It is associated with employees' job satisfaction and productivity and therefore, is responsible for the institution's continuity and prosperity. In educational institutions, communication has been undergoing swift and significant changes that affected not only instructional strategies, but also administrative dimensions. The need for instant and precise information made digital mediums indispensable for school administration that helps in planning, following up, executing, and evaluating short-term and long-term goals. Since the start of the 21st century, a multitude of smartphone applications have surfaced, all designed to enhance communication. WhatsApp is one of the applications that stands as the most popular medium, which is widely spread and used on personal as well as professional basis. The question at hand is whether employing WhatsApp as a communication tool within educational institutions can effectively contribute to the development of communication competence, encompassing aspects such as communication motivation, communication knowledge, and communication skills. Methods: Based on the indicators used to measure communication competence in institutions, this qualitative study elicited relevant information through semistructured interviews from 14 different government secondary school principals in Jerusalem and the West Bank about the approach principals employ WhatsApp to achieve competence. Results: The results of the study show that indicators of communication competence are achieved through the use of WhatsApp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facebook and WhatsApp, recognised as popular social media and messaging platforms, are increasingly being used as online sales platforms through the emergence of marketplaces, online stores and groups. Businesses and individual sellers create groups on these platforms to attract buyers who share similar interests, but the buyers and sellers often do not know one another, which may cause trust issues. Therefore, sellers should be aware of the factors that influence a buyer's trust so that strategies can be developed to mitigate trust issues that may hinder sales transactions. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of information quality, perceived ease of use and usefulness on consumers' trust in Facebook and WhatsApp groups as online sales platforms. Following a descriptive research design, the data was gathered from 412 participants by means of an electronic selfadministered questionnaire that was distributed to the South African database of an international research company. The statistical methods that were used to analyse the data included reliability measures, HTMT analysis and structural equation modelling. The findings of the study revealed that the information quality and perceived ease of use of WhatsApp and Facebook groups significantly influence the perceived usefulness of these groups, which, in turn, influences consumers' trust in WhatsApp and Facebook groups as online sales platforms. In conclusion, by understanding the relationship between these factors, social media platforms could alter their group features, while businesses and individual sellers can improve their marketing strategies to instil trust among group members and ultimately increase sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to describe the use and functionality that migrant women provide to social networks and the role they play in the social integration of migrant women. Using a qualitative methodology design, a virtual ethnography approach, and with the support of ATLAS, this research analyses 863 discursive threads of a WhatsApp group comprised of 123 migrant women belonging to an association related to the social and labour integration of the migrant population. The results indicate that the WhatsApp group is a reliable source of information as well as spaces of solidarity and emotional support among women who experience similar situations during the migration process. The originality of these results is that they provide insight into the uses of social networks by migrant women, on which there is little research, through observations in a WhatsApp group. Organisations working with migrant women should rethink the functionalities of these social networks and the importance of these tools in improving the social and labour integration of migrant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arboviral diseases remain a significant health concern worldwide, with over half the world's population at risk for dengue alone. Without a vaccine or targeted treatment, the most effective strategy of prevention is vector management with community involvement. mHealth interventions, like WhatsApp, offer promising results for engaging communities and promoting healthier behaviors. This study explores the feasibility of integrating WhatsApp in vector control activities to improve arbovirus prevention in Colombia. A mixed-methods approach was employed to assess the WhatsApp-based intervention. WhatsApp messages were sent to 45 community women for 5 weeks to increase their knowledge and practices about dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Pre-and-post surveys and focus group discussions were conducted in community settings to measure the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention. Chat reviews were done to assess the usability of users. A total of 1566 messages were exchanged in 45 WhatsApp chats. High acceptance and good usability (82% of users used the app for replying) were reported in this study. WhatsApp messages were perceived as short, clear, and enjoyable. Users liked the frequency, and design of messages. Pre- and post-surveys demonstrated improvements in the knowledge and practices of arboviral diseases. The intention to apply this knowledge in practice was reflected in a significant improvement, particularly in cleaning the laundry tank once a week (pre 62.1% to post 89.6%, p < 0.008). This study suggests that using WhatsApp as an additional tool could be a feasible, acceptable, and affordable strategy for improving the adoption of better practices in the prevention of arboviral diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing numbers of social media users report being blackmailed on social media following their sharing of sensitive and personal information. However, little is known about this emerging crime and its victims. Using a survey of adult WhatsApp users in Oman (n = 1452) and interviews (n = 18) with victims and Omani criminal justice professionals, this study addresses this gap by examining the prevalence of blackmail among adult WhatsApp users arising from their voluntary self-disclosures, as well as the characteristics and vulnerabilities of those who fall victim to this activity. New insights are also offered into the factors influencing victim's decisions to report their experiences to criminal justice professionals, as well as the challenges associated with investigating and prosecuting this activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the interplay between the creation of 'meme factories' by political elites, and their operationalisation through WhatsApp. It uses the case study of Indonesian President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) bid for re-election in 2019 to argue that political elites are leveraging meme culture's association with popular voice to 'astroturf' public discourse, and that WhatsApp's unique infrastructure advances that project. Drawing on interview data, we offer a holistic picture of the processes and structures implicated in this instance of astroturfing, with a focus on how WhatsApp is positioned within them. The authors' access to campaigners affords a rare inside view of these processes and structures, and contributes to a growing body of work on the WhatsAppification of election campaigns globally. In addition, the article builds on scholarship on social media election campaigning in Indonesia by drawing attention to the role WhatsApp's unique features play in surreptitiously influencing public discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employed a mixed-methods design to investigate the experiences of ESL students during their English language learning interactions through the WhatsApp platform. The primary objective was to examine the presence of social, cognitive, and teaching presences in the WhatsApp interactions using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model. A survey was administered to 349 undergraduate students in Malaysia to collect the quantitative data, which was then triangulated through interviews with 20 students. The interviews were categorized based on Braun and Clarke's reflective thematic analysis. The survey related to social presence indicates a strong interaction among students and a notable decrease in students' inclination for informal and humorous social interactions with their teachers. The findings related to teaching presence view instructors as actively engaging students in their learning process. However, they also pointed out that out less sharing of critical knowledge is taking place. On the other hand, the cognitive presence category was associated with the development of meaningful interaction The educational implications seek to provide guidance to educators and institutions on maximizing the utilization of WhatsApp, for the learning of English as a Second Language (ESL). This involves considering the social, cognitive, and teaching presences highlighted in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fact-checks and corrections of falsehoods have emerged as effective ways to counter misinformation online. But in contexts with encrypted messaging applications (EMAs), corrections must necessarily emanate from peers. Are such social corrections effective? If so, how substantiated do corrective messages need to be? To answer these questions, we evaluate the effect of different types of social corrections on the persistence of misinformation in India (N ≈ 5,100). Using an online experiment, we show that social corrections substantially reduce beliefs in misinformation, including in beliefs deeply anchored in salient group identities. Importantly, these positive effects are not systematically attenuated by partisan motivated reasoning, highlighting a striking difference from Western contexts. We also find that the presence of a correction matters more relative to how sophisticated this correction is: substantiating a correction with a source only improves its effect in a minority of cases; besides, when social corrections are effective, citing a source does not drastically improve the size of their effect. These results have implications for both users and platforms and speak to countering misinformation in developing countries that rely on private messaging apps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mix-method study aimed to investigate the influence of communication media on the realization of the speech act of request in Arabic. Thus, it examined the number of words and the type of modification devices in the request of 40 Saudi female postgraduate students in equal power situations across two communication channels: face-to-face and WhatsApp text-based interactions. The data is collected using a discourse completion task with four situations that varied in the degree of imposition and social distance. The collected data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Two samples t-test was used to analyze the collected data along with a modified version of Blum-Kulka and Olshtain's (1984) coding scheme for categorizing the modification devices. The study found that participants produced more words in WhatsApp text-based communication than face-to-face communication, but no significant difference was found except in the context of (+I, +D). External modifiers were produced more than internal ones, especially grounders. Social distance influenced modifier frequency, while imposition only affected disarmers. The study implies modification devices are obligatory rather than optional in Saudi culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study scrutinized the impact of Web 2.0 on the language achievement and self-regulated learning of Iranian EFL learners in online language courses. A mixed-methods approach was employed to leverage the Learning Management System (LMS) alongside WhatsApp as a supplementary tool in the experimental group. In the quantitative segment conducted over a three-month semester, an experimental design was implemented involving 24 Iranian male and female students from the Iran Language Institute (ILI). These participants were divided into two coeducational online classes: LMS and WhatsApp were utilized in the experimental group (n=12), while the control group (n=12) solely employed LMS. Quantitative data were gathered using the Oxford Placement Test (OPT), the Language Learning Self-Regulated Scale, and pre-test and post-test assessments. Concurrently, the qualitative phase entailed interviews with 8 participants, aimed at capturing nuanced insights into the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing WhatsApp alongside LMS for online learning. The quantitative outcomes revealed a notable impact on language achievement and self-regulated learning among EFL learners in the experimental group, emphasizing WhatsApp's supplementary role. Furthermore, qualitative findings shed light on the multifaceted aspects of employing WhatsApp in conjunction with LMS, unveiling both its merits and drawbacks. The implications for online EFL classes are substantial, offering valuable insights into optimizing digital platforms for enhanced language learning experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs in secondary prevention is well-recognized, there is a lack of studies exploring the potential of mobile health to enhance educational interventions within CR. The objective is to assess the impact of a structured WhatsApp-assisted health educational intervention, in conjunction with the usual care, compared to the usual care alone among participants enrolled in a CR program. The trial will recruit 32 participants enrolled in a CR program, who will be randomly assigned to a structured WhatsApp-assisted health educational intervention plus usual care or usual care alone group. The intervention will span 4 weeks, with assessments at baseline, 4 weeks, and 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome measure is the cardiovascular risk factors knowledge score. Secondary outcomes include physical activity levels, anxiety and depression, and quality of life. Expected results include improved knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors, increased physical activity levels, and better mental health outcomes in the intervention group. Additionally, an enhancement in the overall quality of life is anticipated. These findings are expected to underscore the value of integrating mHealth with traditional CR methods, potentially shaping future approaches in chronic disease management and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two different media platforms played a key role in keeping Tema Port in Ghana afloat during the period immediately leading up to and during the three-week COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdown in late March–April of 2020. The one media platform, Eye on Port, is a weekly broadcast television show by the port's authorities, which caters primarily to external commercial stakeholders of the port. The other platform is a closed WhatsApp forum used by stakeholders working at the operational level of the port. Both platforms served specific needs among their users, who had been restricted in their mobility but had to keep the port operational. Combining 'scalable sociality' with the concept of polymedia, we identify how the two media functioned to meet the different informational and conversational needs of their respective users. We argue that either medium alone could not fulfil the communicative needs necessary to keep the port operational during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Cup is among the most popular televised sport events. This case study examined how enjoyment from and transportation into World Cup broadcasts affected WhatsApp use on a second screen. The authors hypothesized a negative correlation between World Cup enjoyment and WhatsApp use (both match related and unrelated), mediated by transportation into the match. Based on an online survey of 454 participants, they found that the more enjoyment the viewers experienced, the less they used WhatsApp for non-match-related purposes and (contrary to their hypothesis) the more they used it for match-related purposes. It was also found that the more enjoyment viewers experienced, the more transported they were into the match, leading to higher match-related and lower non-match-related WhatsApp use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted relationships between religious communities and the state. Churches, religious authorities, and believers have been obligated to modify key activities (prayer, ceremonies) and weigh their religious identity against state prohibitions. Accordingly, we ask how members of a reclusive religious community negotiated and performed their identity under a prolonged emergency. We analyse intra-communal discourse concerning the state's social distancing regulations during Covid-19 outbreaks and lockdowns that occurred in closed groups in messaging apps. Specifically, this research case-studies Jewish ultra-Orthodox communities in Israel (Haredim). Extensive analysis of over 2,000 WhatsApp and Telegram posts in 35 ultra-Orthodox groups over a two-year period indicates that participants constantly sought to affirm their primary, dominant, communal identity. While efforts to integrate adherence to state prohibitions into this primary identity were evident, these efforts were well accepted only when justifying them via affirmation of the communal identity – superseding medical, political, and practical concerns. The findings advance understanding of minority groups' attitudes towards state directives and illuminate contemporary pathways of identity dynamics in online social networks. The findings may also be applicable in a broader sense to the study of discourse dynamics in echo chambers and filter bubbles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the outcomes of virtual nutritional counseling (VNC) for oncology patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our study evaluated the nutritional status data of cancer patients at the baseline and after VNC. An oncology dietitian evaluated the patients by video calling each patient via WhatsApp and sent an individual nutrition diet plan and recommendations via e-mail. Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) was used as a screening and evaluation tool to assess nutritional status. A total of 157 patients with a mean age of 55.8 ± 14.7 (r = 19–89) were included in the study. Researchers detected at least one nutrition-related sign in 77.7% of patients. After the VNC and based on the final PG-SGA assessments, 62.2% of the patients whose baseline PG-SGA Score-B improved to Score-A, 12.5% with a baseline PG-SGA Score-C improved to Score-A and 54.2% with a baseline Score-C improved to a Score - B (χ 2 = 55,000, P < 0.001). Based on the number of VNCs, the improvement in malnutrition status following two sessions and three or more sessions was found to be 17.6% and 35.7%, respectively (P < 0.001). Our results confirm that VNC can improve the nutritional status of cancer patients. Hence, nutritional counseling should be an integral part of oncological treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: social media consists of many applications like Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and many more through which people communicate with each other. Over the past few years, the use of social media has increased tremendously. Apart from its advantages in our lives, increased use of social media has many health-related adverse effects like vision problems, sleep problems, depression and anxiety. This study aims to find the relationship between increased use of social media and its various health related adverse effects on the students of Khyber Medical College. Study type, settings & duration: This cross-sectional study conducted at Khyber Medical College, Peshawar from January to June 2020. Methodology: A sample size of 412 calculated using the WHO calculator for sample size and the sampling technique employed was a random sampling technique. The tool used to collect the data was questionnaire based; representative of each class group from first year to final year. SPSS Microsoft for Windows was used to analyze the data quantitatively. Results: Each variable was quantitatively weighed with a total of 63.8% of the study population exceeding 2 hours of recommended screen time. Of the various variables evaluated; depression, anxiety, disturbed sleep and vision problems showed a positive relationship with prolonged social media usage whereas use of sleep-inducing drugs were not related to prolonged social media usage. Conclusion: We were able to conclude from the comparison with previously conducted studies that health related problems have been on the rise due to increased utilization of social media apps which should be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims at investigating congratulation methods by Jordanian users of social media. The study also investigates the influence of culture on speech acts of congratulation. The researchers compiled a corpus consisting of (400) messages and comments from two major social media, Facebook and WhatsApp. The data were obtained from friends' and relatives' comments regarding four occasions: religious events, graduation from (school/university), having a baby, and getting married. They were decoded and analyzed according to Elwood’s (2004) proposed taxonomy of congratulation strategies. The quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed in analyzing the data. The results of the study showed that the most frequently used strategies of congratulation were illocutionary force indicating device (IFID), the offer of good wishes, and expression of happiness combined with using the word “Allah” (God) and prayer for the benefit of the addressee due to cultural and religious background. Culture played a significant role in the results where the religious factor was evident in the majority of employed IFID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article proposes that WhatsApp can offer insights into couples' relationships. Based on Gottman's therapy model, which mathematically analyzes marital conflicts, this study focuses on couples' WhatsApp correspondence and asks to what extent it reflects the offline relationships of Generation X. The research was conducted over a year using semi-structured interviews with 18 couples who have been in a relationship for at least 5 years. The couples described their discourse on WhatsApp and the dynamics of their relationship offline. The findings indicate that WhatsApp use mirrors offline relationships. The following four types of interaction were identified: (1) technical, (2) practical, (3) casual, and (4) emotional. In addition, the following three patterns of conflictual behavior that correspond with Gottman's distinctions were identified: (1) logical, (2) emotional, and (3) avoidant. The article cites WhatsApp's potential for behavioral observation and the possibility of using it to change relationship dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instant messaging applications integrated in smartphones have favored the emergence of new digital writing systems, which are characterized by the use of specific spellings called textisms. This study analyses the relationship between the use of textisms and spelling mistakes in academic texts. The methodology applied was descriptive, based on a directed content analysis. The sample consisted of 270 students in the third and fourth years of compulsory secondary education enrolled in twelve public high schools in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Data were obtained from real texts provided by the students participating in the study, extracted, on the one hand, from WhatsApp messages from their smartphones, and, on the other, from academic texts produced as an activity in the secondary school classroom. The results obtained from the descriptive analyses and the bivariate correlation analyses (Pearson coefficient) allow us to affirm that the average number of textisms in WhatsApp of the sample is much higher than the number of misspellings in school texts, which confirms that textisms are intentional discrepancies with the academic norm in the digital context. Consequently, they cannot be considered as misspellings that occur due to a lack of knowledge of the Spanish language, but rather as new forms of language generated by the use of digital technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media presents both opportunities and risks for any firm. The Internet has recently made everything possible. Due to its low cost and rapid speed, it is in high demand. Due to the virtual technique of interacting through various social media apps like Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, etc., people are drawn to social networking. Despite the fact that it offers advantages on both sides, new threats are constantly emerging. Social media usage is widespread, but awareness is low, which makes significant cyberattacks more likely. Numerous threat categories put consumers at risk for cyber security. This research reviewed literature on educating Middle Eastern social media users about information security. Additionally, this research examines various threats made via social media, offers countermeasures, and considers various detection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing of the WhatsApp application in recent years, especially in the last ten years, is an increasing use and the way it is exponentially increasing. With the development of mobile phone generations and what the fifth generation technology (5G) is looking forward to, it become necessary to have a mechanism that controls the traffic in the WhatsApp application in the fifth generation technology (5G). In this article, a model called WhatsApp Traffic Control Time-Based (WTCTB) was proposed, which synchronizes with WhatsApp usage times and reduces traffic in secondary-priority applications as well as saving time consumption for traffic flow in addition to saving energy consumption in the phone battery in the sixth generation mobile networks. WhatsApp application is normally consuming more than 40% in almost smart phones of their battery energy, the proposed model WTCTB is reducing this consuming rate to be 35%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to recent studies, most of the Spanish population identifies disinformation as a social problem and believes that it could endanger democracy and the stability of the country. In this context, many institutions point out the need for media literacy campaigns and initiatives that alleviate the possible harmful social effects of the phenomenon, especially among vulnerable audiences. While children and young people are the continuous target of this type of action, few so far have targeted the elderly. This article analyzes the effectiveness of a training action to increase the ability to detect false news in this age group. A 10-day course was designed, and a sample of 1,029 individuals over 50 years of age residing in Spain who are smartphone users was selected. Participants were divided into an experimental group (n=498), who were invited to take the course, and a control group (n=531). An ex ante and ex post study was carried out to determine the effects of the course on their ability to detect false news. The results reveal that those who took the course were more successful in identifying the news as true or false than the members of the control group. The results confirm the opportunity and convenience of designing media literacy actions aimed at those over 50 years of age, a social group particularly exposed to disinformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shift to online learning during COVID-19 has uncovered the existing internet access inequality in the world. Shifting an interactive team-based learning (TBL) session to online is even more challenging since it necessitates interactions and feedback. Choosing the proper digital platforms for online TBL is critical to ensure achieving the intended benefits of TBL. A face-to-face TBL course was transformed fully to online. The basic TBL elements, i.e., pre-reading materials, iRAT, tRAT, and the tAPPS, remained the same in online TBL. Platforms that use less internet bandwidth and are familiar to students were used such as Google meet, WhatsApp, and Google Chat. An online questionnaire was disseminated to all students at the end of the semester to get their feedback. Sixty-six students responded to the questionnaire (54% response rate). The majority of the students (85%) perceived the online TBL positively and reported good interaction and engagement without any major technical issues. They reported that the application exercises and the online discussion through WhatsApp and the use of emoji have helped them to interact and comprehend the topics. Therefore, the use of technologies that operate at low internet bandwidth is an option to provide an equitable access to active learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health has become an exceptionally important social and public health issue in Australia. The government has invested billions of dollars in new services, while ubiquitous ad campaigns call on ordinary people to tend to their psychological well‐being. This national valorization of mental health is striking, given the well‐documented psychiatric harm suffered by refugees under Australia's offshore detention regime. This article draws on ethnographic work with a group of volunteer therapists who provide crisis counseling to these detained refugees over WhatsApp, allowing them to intervene in scenarios where therapy is inaccessible but badly needed. Highlighting the predictable challenges and surprising affordances of delivering care in this restrictive and high‐stakes context, I show how my informants forge a genuine therapeutic connection with their clients. While this intervention is meaningful, I argue that the volunteers are aware that it is no substitute for winning political freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the hidden and under-researched phenomenon of child/adolescent-to-parent violence and abuse (CAPVA). Despite the attention given to spousal and child abuse, very little is known about why children abuse their parents or what can be done to prevent it. This article explores how this issue is explained, its effects on parents and carers and the different interventions that have emerged to tackle it. Based on in-depth focus groups with parents, grandparents and practitioners participating in a 'Who's in Charge' intervention in the United Kingdom, this article explores the complex intersection of parenting skills, intergenerational violence, gender, neurodiversity and the associated response (or lack thereof) from education and law enforcement. The article concludes with important new recommendations on 1) the need for better referral routes, 2) greater emphasis on neurodiversity, 3) very early intervention, and 4) the benefit of online platforms used during the COVID-19 lockdown for engaging parents and grandparents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the prominence of online teaching over the last few years, mobile instant messaging (MIM) has grown in importance for students studying English outside of class. Applications like WhatsApp have the potential to provide language learners the opportunity to practise communicative strategies while receiving feedback from a teacher. To explore feedback provision in a MIM context, the present study examined the experience of 11 English as a foreign language learners in Spain while they received two types of delayed corrective feedback in a WhatsApp group, used as an extension of their online B2 English course. For five weeks students completed weekly language-based tasks from which errors were selected and received feedback either during the tasks or after the series of tasks were completed. The chat transcript was analysed to give a holistic view of the interaction within the group, and students' perspectives on the feedback provision were gathered through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Overall students were more responsive to, more successful at, and preferred, repairing their own errors while receiving correction during the tasks. Addressing the lack of research on language learning in MIM contexts and different approaches to corrective feedback timing, this study contributes insight into future research and pedagogical implications for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was designed to determine if the use of blended learning (combining face-to-face instruction and mobile-assisted language learning using WhatsApp) contributed to the vocabulary learning and autonomy of Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, compared to the traditional method. To assess their English skills, the Preliminary English Test (PET) was given to 80 homogenous intermediate learners at the beginning of the study. The study's intended participants were 50 EFL learners whose scores were within the intermediate competency level. Then, the participants were divided randomly between experimental and control groups. One-way between-groups analysis of covariance was run. Findings from post-test scores indicated a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups. Another one-way between-groups analysis of covariance was performed to assess the impact of two distinct blended learning versus traditional teaching treatments on EFL learners' autonomy. In the post-test results, a significant difference between the control and experimental groups' performance was observed. This study provided insights into how technology may be applied to teach language components and skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the politeness theory in the light of Austin & Searle's speech act theory as reflected in CMC between students and their lecturers or supervisors. Thus politeness aspects were analyzed as enacted in the five categories such as: Assertives, commisives, directives, expressives, and declaratives. The paper also examined politeness in other language aspects that are usually present in any form of communication, such as: Address phrases, meeting requests, request for reply, and adjunct phrases. The objective of this article was to shed light on the politeness strategies employed by the lecturers and students in their e-communication through Whatsapp and SMS (short messages or text messages) platforms. Fifty communications were downloaded from the lecturers' phones through their permission and the students', which were used as data for this study. Five lecturers and seven postgraduate students made the population of this study. The findings indicated that students seem to be comfortable using this mode of communication, and it is important to understand how students and lecturers make choices and how these choices affect the perception of the cultural appropriateness of CMCs. The results also revealed that elements of politeness greatly decrease in the follow-up messages, that is, messages that require some kind of response. From the study, lecturers adhered to formal language use as compared to the students in their communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WhatsApp is one the world's most popular social media apps, as well as one of the most popular chat-based, closed platforms. Utilizing the insights from 19 in-depth interviews, we approach WhatsApp from a cultural perspective of ritual communication, seeking to understand how people make sense of WhatsApp use in their daily lives. We found WhatsApp is largely used to maintain community and fellowship with friends, coworkers, family, and even acquaintances or strangers. However, WhatsApp use is not wholly cohesive or harmonious. Social life on WhatsApp can become highly fragmented given numerous groups, and more groups mean more messages that individuals struggle to keep up with. We define the central nature of WhatsApp in Indian social life as India's WhatsApp imaginary, in which ritualized mobile media practices intertwine with cultural contexts to transcend borders, connect people via mobile affordances, and sustain daily social and business lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fundamental role of political discussions in democracy has been frequently highlighted by quantitative and qualitative literature at the intersection of political communication and media effects. Most research has revolved around whether, and if so under what conditions, social media platforms constitute public spaces where democracy can be nurtured and promoted. Building on this literature and underscoring the importance of individuals' self-effects theories, this qualitative study, based on 42 in-depth interviews, clarifies how social media users navigate political discussions and their ulterior affective and cognitive processes, introducing the notion of political discussion regret. Specifically, this concept fundamentally emphasizes the sterility of partaking in political discussions as the main motivation for users' cognitive lamentation, which indirectly cancels the presumed muscle of social media as the sphere of public and private political discussion and deliberations. Implications of the study's findings and main theoretical consequences for the political discussion literature are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Comunicação, Mídia e Consumo is the property of Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing 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.)

Copyright of Comunicação, Mídia e Consumo is the property of Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing 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 COVID-19 pandemic is unarguably one of the most disastrous events whose detriment to the normalcy of the education and training sectors will never be forgotten. To salvage the academic year, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) encouraged historically disadvantaged schools to explore rotational learning. This was supplemented by mobile learning, with WhatsApp Messenger as the schools' most preferred application. However, in the face of the concerns that were raised by education commentators, student bodies and teacher unions about the lack of public schools' readiness for mobile learning, this social constructivist-oriented qualitative study adopted the technology acceptance model (TAM) as a lens to investigate educators' perceptions of WhatsApp Messenger as a supplementary tool for curriculum knowledge transfer and acquisition during the stricter COVID 19 lockdown at three historically disadvantaged schools in South Africa. This study drew on 12 educators' diverse and convergent views. The participants generally deposited positive feedback regarding the benefit of using WhatsApp Messenger to engender curriculum knowledge transfer and acquisition. However, they also detailed a few negative aspects of this pursuit, primarily on how the financially needy learners were excluded from participating in this process. Also, educators admitted that while going beyond the call of duty was necessary during the pandemic, the adoption of WhatsApp-mediated teaching consumed most of their leisure time. According to them, this was compounded by poor internet connectivity due to the country's power crisis. In some instances, this adversely affected the productivity of WhatsApp Messenger-mediated curriculum knowledge transfer and acquisition processes during the COVID-19 stricter lockdown regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's digital age, emojis have come to compensate for the nonverbal cues that speakers use to communicate their attitudes or emotions as they speak, and hence become an essential element of online communication. In the realm of WhatsApp, where written conversations with an immediacy level close to that of spoken are supported, an ironic or sarcastic message is likely to be misunderstood, as it involves decrypting a meaning that often contradicts what is said. The functions of emojis could facilitate the correct interpretation of a message. However, the phenomenon of emojis may not be ideal for visually impaired WhatsApp users. Distinguishing sarcasm from the sincerity tone of a message requires distinct semantic and cognitive processes. This study aims to uncover how visually impaired users (VIU) use emojis on WhatsApp to clarify sarcastic versus literal intent. To meet this aim, two experimental tasks were conducted. Results provide clear evidence that emojis are necessary tools for VIU in online communication. However, their use varies with emojis linked more to literal WhatsApp messages than sarcastic ones and in praise situations than in criticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]