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This paper examines cross-national commonalities and differences in online hate speech content, exposure, and emotional reaction. Using online surveys from 18 to 25-year-old respondents in six countries, we find a majority of respondents were exposed to online hate in the preceding 3 months. Commonalities across countries are the platform where the respondents were exposed and how they arrived at such content. Unique national cultures of hate speech also exist, including the common targets and respondents' emotional reactions. A majority of respondents report feeling angry, sad, or ashamed, but most worrisome may be the substantial numbers who report feelings of hatred or pride after seeing online hate. Given the potential for repeated exposure and the recent increase in hate crimes in the US. and Europe, this finding should serve as a reminder of the dangers of online hate and its potential link to offline violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal threats are a growing concern in European democracies in light of risks of terrorism. At the same time, we are witnessing a visible trend of political polarization across the countries. Therefore, there is a need to understand how risk perceptions have changed over time ideologically and demographically. This article provides a novel look into risk response over time while considering potential ideological links to the phenomenon. The analysis is based on four comparable population surveys collected between 2004 and 2017 (N = 7,775) in Finland. Findings showed that terrorism risk perception was highest in 2004 and declined during the 2010s despite multiple terrorist attacks in Western Europe. Terrorism risk perception became ideologically based in 2014 and 2017, and the decrease in terrorism was explained by the deepening of political polarization. Overall, the findings reflect the evolution of risk perception over time depending on values, attitudes and goals, here linked to political ideology. These findings help us to deepen our understanding of the significance of recent political movements and emerging parties affecting not only political systems but also the realignment of traditional parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to map the information-seeking habits of population groups in a digital economy. The growing use of technologies in the modern online era has increased the availability of information regarding services and items through user-generated content and applications. However, the potential for leverage through ICTs may not be evenly distributed across different consumer segments. We use population-level survey data used as the basis for the official statistics in Finland to find differences according to gender, age cohort, education, income and residential area. The results show that Finns are active in using different channels of information acquisition. We found significant differences in how information is obtained between population groups. Men and younger cohorts are more accustomed to using a variety of services and sources for seeking out information. The results also highlighted educational differences that have been rooted in the Finnish information society. Using a nationally representative data, the article points out digital inequalities linked to potential differences in consumer benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Fear is one of the negative outcomes of terrorist attacks. Currently, there is a need to understand how societal fear and fear of terrorism might be shaped and induced by social-media discussions. This study analyzed how exposure to cyberhate was associated with perceived societal fear after the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. Demographically balanced data sets were collected from France, Spain, Finland, Norway, and the United States four weeks after the attacks. Cyberhate exposure was associated with higher perceived societal fear in all countries studied even when adjusting for confounding factors. This was particularly evident in the case of cyberhate related to terrorism. Hateful online communication after disruptive events may contribute to a social climate of fear and escalate societal uncertainty. There are, however, indications that social trust may bolster against perceived societal fear, hence enhancing resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Web 2.0 era, consumers of media are no longer mere recipients of digital content, but rather active commentators and cocreators online. However, the Internet rule predicts that 90% of users are passive 'lurkers', 9% edit content, and 1% actually create content. This study investigates Finns' social media activities that apply to content creation, as well as the level of content engagement and sharing. The data come from Statistics Finland and are representative of the Finnish population between the ages of 16 and 74. The results show that Finnish users perceive themselves predominantly as occasional commentators of social media posts. Dissecting the social media activities users engage in, commenting posts is the most popular activity. Gender, age, and education best explain the differences between the types of social media activities investigated. Overall, the study shows that Finns actively engage in different types of online activities as well as the pervasiveness of sociodemographic variables in Finland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mathematical difficulties have been distinguished as mathematics learning disability (MLD) and persistent low achievement (LA). Based on 1,880 Finnish children who were followed from kindergarten (age 6) to fourth grade, this study examined the early risk factors for MLD and LA. Distinct groups of MLD (6.0% of the sample) and LA (25.7%) children were identified on the basis of their mathematics performance between first and fourth grades with latent class growth modeling. Impairment in the same set of cognitive skills, including language, spatial, and counting skills, was found to underlie MLD and LA. The finding highlights the importance of monitoring mathematical development across the early grades and identifying early cognitive precursors of MLD and LA for screening and intervention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political party member perceptions of risk continue to attract a great deal of attention in current public discourse and media coverage, yet little research exists in terms of a comparative analysis of Finnish political parties' views on the issue. Party members are in many ways a highly significant social group, one that exercises a great deal of decision-making power in modern civil societies. This article provides a novel and up-to-date look into the key areas of perceived risk held by the members of Finland's political parties, in addition to a comparison of inter-party differences and similarities. The analysis is based on a unique survey data-set of the members of Finland's six major political parties (N = 12,427). Included are the Finns Party, Centre Party, Left Alliance, Social Democratic Party, Green League and National Coalition Party. Together, these represent the political spectrum in Finland. Risk factors included primary categories dealing with various national, institutional, cultural and economic issues. Also included in the analysis was a look into whether length of party membership affects risk concern for the included issues. Findings showed that national and external risks were more of a concern for the Finns Party, while the Left and the Social Democrats considered economic issues a greater risk than did others. Furthermore, economic risk was most concerning to the left while external risks were generally viewed in line with the current centre-right administration. Some notable differences between old and new party members were also found. Findings emphasize the importance of understanding how political party members differ in their views of various societal risks while providing new points of comparison between those parties toward improved clarity of the national political landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]