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This study examines the relationship between partisan media consumption and changes in democratic values during the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. By integrating self-reported news consumption data with the partisan slant of news outlets, we explore how different media environments shape voters’ attitudes about democracy. Our analysis of a two-wave panel survey conducted before and after the election reveals significant changes in democratic values among general voters, including both Biden and Trump supporters. The findings also highlight the complex effects of a polarized media ecosystem on political beliefs, demonstrating that partisan media flow influences democratic values beyond the traditional winner-loser dichotomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Citizens are expected to make informed voting decisions. Theoretical approaches suggest that people are most likely to acquire their political knowledge through media. As more people turn to social media as a source of news, the political knowledge gains from using these technologies are called into question. Previous research has shown that rather than increasing objective political knowledge, the use of social media for news only increases people's metacognitive sense of being knowledgeable (subjective knowledge), which in turn increases their political participation. However, it remains to be understood which particular forms of social media use, e.g., incidental or intentional news exposure, are related to which dimension of political knowledge. The present work examines (a) the extent to which different motivational forms of social media news consumption foster subjective knowledge, and (b) whether this metacognition is related not only to political participation as a broad concept, but also to specific democratic outcomes such as voting intentions. Methods and results: Results from a pre-registered, pre-election survey (N = 1,223) of social media users show that intentional news seeking, but not incidental news exposure on social media, is directly related to increased subjective knowledge. Subjective knowledge appears to explain the relationship between social media news use and voting. Discussion: By showing that incidental and intentional social media news use affect subjective knowledge differently, this study provides preliminary and nuanced insights into the ultimate role that social media technologies can play in democratic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An economic model of news contends that the pressures of limited column space and market competition force media actors to be strategic concerning which notable events receive exhaustive coverage, if any at all. Applying this framework to the Supreme Court can explain why coverage of the Justices' decision-making has historically been sensationalized and reserved for decisions sure to have a pronounced effect on public discourse. However, the emergence of social media as a practical alternative for mass media dissemination raises notable questions, chief among them being whether the economic framework fully extends to this newer medium. In this study, I analyze media coverage of the Court's decisions using Twitter and observe important distinctions among environments for news dissemination. I argue that the apparent reduction in the economic costs associated with coverage dissemination and consumption on social media platforms like Twitter requires viewing Supreme Court news in these environments through an amended theoretical framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zoom became a critical part of media consumption in the COVID-19 pandemic's early lockdown months, appearing in everything from education to the nightly news to reality television. How did Zoom produce a new screen world that made everyday life look like TV? This essay examines how Zoom has figured on and as TV, focusing on it as a means to comment upon and also craft one's own mise-en-scène. What might Zoom TV offer to our understanding of participatory media and of the racialized, gendered, and classed features of both television and everyday life? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid adoption of online streaming and over-the-top services has fundamentally changed at-home entertainment media consumption and given rise to new behaviors which are often characterized by a high intensity of watching (e.g., binge-watching). In this paper, we investigate how the watching intensity affects consumers' engagement with media franchises in two areas: personal and interactive engagement. The former involves consumers' adoption and consumption of franchise extensions and the latter concerns consumers' content generation related to a focal media product they watched. Using individual-level data from an online anime (Japanese cartoons) platform, we find inverse U-shaped effects of watching intensity with the largest effects around three to five hours of watching per day on personal engagement and two to four hours a day on interactive engagement. The positive effects of watching intensity are larger for sequels than other types of franchise extensions. For interactive engagement, our results show that conditional on rating submission, higher watching intensity is associated with higher valence of anime ratings, the most prevalent form of UGC on the platform. We interpret this result as evidence that watching intensity can induce liking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online platforms have a wealth of data, run countless experiments, and use industrial-scale algorithms to optimize user experience. Despite this, many users seem to regret the time they spend on these platforms. One possible explanation is that incentives are misaligned: platforms are not optimizing for user happiness. We suggest the problem runs deeper, transcending the specific incentives of any particular platform, and instead stems from a mistaken foundational assumption. To understand what users want, platforms look at what users do. This is a kind of revealed-preference assumption that is ubiquitous in the way user models are built. Yet research has demonstrated, and personal experience affirms, that we often make choices in the moment that are inconsistent with what we actually want. The behavioral economics and psychology literatures suggest, for example, that we can choose mindlessly or that we can be too myopic in our choices, behaviors that feel entirely familiar on online platforms. In this work, we develop a model of media consumption where users have inconsistent preferences. We consider a platform which wants to maximize user utility, but only observes behavioral data in the form of the user's engagement. We show how our model of users' preference inconsistencies produces phenomena that are familiar from everyday experience but difficult to capture in traditional user interaction models. These phenomena include users who have long sessions on a platform but derive very little utility from it, and platform changes that steadily raise user engagement before abruptly causing users to go "cold turkey" and quit. A key ingredient in our model is a formulation for how platforms determine what to show users: they optimize over a large set of potential content (the content manifold) parametrized by underlying features of the content. Whether improving engagement improves user welfare depends on the direction of movement in the content manifold: For certain directions of change, increasing engagement makes users less happy, whereas in other directions on the same manifold, increasing engagement makes users happier. We provide a characterization of the structure of content manifolds for which increasing engagement fails to increase user utility. By linking these effects to abstractions of platform design choices, our model thus creates a theoretical framework and vocabulary in which to explore interactions between design, behavioral science, and social media. This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis. Funding: This work was supported by the Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship and Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative [Grant W911NF-19-0217]. Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.03683. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can linguistic diversity in the media impede state language proficiency? In this paper, we test the extent to which the availability of minority languages in the media affects state language proficiency for ethnic minorities. We take advantage of an exogeneous development: The rapid expansion of Budapest-originating media outside Hungary in the mid-2000s transformed the media landscape in neighbouring states. Using an original survey data of ethnic Hungarians in minority regions in four Central-Eastern European states over two waves, we find (1) the availability of minority language media means minorities are consuming less media in the state language, which in turn induces low levels of state language proficiency – i.e. through an exogeneous exposure mechanism; and (2) minorities with weaker state language proficiency choose to consume minority language media – i.e. through an endogenous selection mechanism. The results suggest a strong relationship between the language of media consumption and linguistic proficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, conducted in Germany and Israel in May 2022, compares German and Israeli news media consumption concerning the Russian–Ukrainian war using a structured online questionnaire. A total of 1,310 and 509 valid questionnaires were completed in Germany and Israel, respectively, examining differences in how news consumers used media to access information. Specifically, objective and subjective proximity to Ukraine and Ukrainians, interest in politics and media perceptions were examined as potential predictors of use patterns of various media. For most variables, Germans and Israelis similarly sought news about the war, especially in mainstream news media. In Israel, objective and subjective proximities to Ukraine were the most significant predictors for consuming mainstream news media, with interest in politics and media trust being less important. In Germany, the latter factors predicted mainstream news media consumption more strongly than ties and subjective proximity, while trust in the mainstream media was not a significant predictor. Finally, the authors found that the lower the trust in mainstream media, the larger the volume of social media consumption about the war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disinformation generates political polarization and affects the quality of democracy, so understanding attitudes towards the regulation of disinformation will help society and its leaders to develop effective and inclusive approaches to combat this phenomenon. The purpose of the research is to determine the perceptions and propensities of Andean Community citizens regarding the regulation of disinformation. Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru have formed a political and economic bloc since 1969, and are subscribers to the Inter-American legal framework. The methodology is quantitative and qualitative, with exploratory and descriptive approaches. The instruments used are a survey, focus groups and expert interviews with experts, which were applied between July 2022 and May 2024, to establish trends and to avoid biases. It was found that 80% of respondents and participants in the focus groups agreed that misinformation alienates people from democratic representation and there was evidence of distrust in elections. A vision of regulation by states persists, through laws, rather than self- or co-regulation. The discussion revolves around the need for a multifaceted approach to combat disinformation, between regulation, media literacy and the responsibility of digital platforms, without compromising freedom of expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, various provisions have been enshrined in law to encourage the implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Comprehensive sexuality Education in Chilean schools. However, it is unknown whether appropriate steps have been taken to advance the right to sex and sexuality education, incorporating the use of ICTs as part of existing plans. The objective of this study was to identify the role that schools and schooling might play in relation to online environments, social networks and pornography as they affect children and adolescents’ sex and sexuality education in Chile. The research took the form of a qualitative study in which 30 education professionals were interviewed to identify needs, challenges and opportunities for incorporating the use of social networks and pornography in sex and sexuality education plans. We found that teachers and school managers rarely intervene in students’ sexualised digital media consumption. While being aware of and concerned about the effects it might have, they broadly delegate responsibility to families. There is a need to create educational communities with a greater knowledge of how to spearhead innovative and participatory internal policies and practices to ensure students’ access to good quality sex and sexuality education in online environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the 2020 presidential election, sustained efforts to overturn outcomes culminated in the invasion of the United States Capitol. While scholars have long investigated the impact of news on support for left-leaning protests, it is critical to understand how political predispositions and news consumption relate to support for anti-democratic movements. Through a survey fielded one week after the invasion, we analyzed how ideology, attitudes about protesting in general, authoritarianism, and media habits relate to people’s support for the movement, perceptions of its disruptiveness, and opinions about police response. Results show that conservative media have a strong unidirectional relationship, increasing support for the movement, while left-leaning or mainstream media impact is moderated by partisanship, which is related to increased support for liberals and decreased support for conservatives. We found authoritarianism related to support for Stop the Steal and perceptions of the police as too severe to suppress it. Evidence suggests elite cues and consumption of conservative media can legitimize insurrectionist movements, even among those who strongly oppose the right to protest overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A relationship has been recognized between social media use and health issues. However, no studies have explored the potential link between social media use and consumption of over-the-counter (OTC) medications. We examined social media use, self-reported anxiety, depression, sleep problems, pain, and OTC medications use among Norwegian university students. The goal was to gain insights that would guide preventive health strategies for this target group. A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted with an online questionnaire distributed to university student Facebook groups in Norway. A total of 132 completed surveys were analyzed. Among the respondents, 28% experienced anxiety, 35% depression, 64% sleep problems, 71% headaches, and 78% musculoskeletal pain. Moreover, 56% reported using OTC analgesics or sleep aids, mostly purchased from community pharmacies. No statistically significant correlation was found between social media use and headache, musculoskeletal pain, sleep disturbances, or consumption of OTC medications among university students in Norway. The findings, however, demonstrated a positive trend, highlighting the need for further research with larger, more diverse samples, and potentially employing a qualitative or longitudinal design. We propose increased awareness of the potential negative effects of social media among university students, the inclusion of social media and health topics in study curricula, and the more proactive engagement of community pharmacists with young clients concerning the consumption of OTC medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing popularity of female-oriented romantic video games (RVGs, also known as otome games) in Asia, research on this topic is scarce. Drawing upon social exchange theory and social cognitive theory, the current study examined the association of RVG involvement and desire for real-life romantic relationships (RLRRs), and tested a SEM path model delineating the possible pathways linking RVG involvement to RLRR desire. A survey method was adopted to collect data from female RVG players on an online otome games forum in China. Results from a valid sample of 353 respondents (aged 18 or older) showed the direct, indirect, and total effects of RVG involvement on players' interest in real-life dating and marriage relationships were all negatively significant. It was found that gamers' avatar identification and parasocial relationships with romantic targets significantly mediated the relationship between RVG involvement and RLRR desire. Adding to a comparatively under-explored line of inquiry on the role of computer games in shaping real-life romance, this study contributes to both game effects and romantic media consumption literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic initiated a great global crisis, during which media influenced society and social interactions affected media use. Researchers from various research fields have studied the pandemic both globally and locally. This study aims to summarize the research on COVID-19 pandemic within communication studies, taking into account 358 articles published in SJR best ranked journals in 2020–2022. Methods: The study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods. Using manual coding and qualitative content analysis, we investigate articles' distribution according to journals, time, accessibility (either open, free or restricted) and methodological approaches. We also provide a qualitative summary of trending research themes. Using quantitative social network analysis (SNA) we present the distribution of institutions and countries in articles' affiliations, and the collaboration network at institutional and country level. Results: Results show an in-time increase of COVID-related publications. Articles were affiliated with 490 institutions from 68 countries, with the USA having the greatest representation. There was an underrepresentation of African and South American countries, which reflects the core-periphery challenge in knowledge production. The network analysis revealed that very few of possible connections were actually achieved. There is an observable trend of using quantitative methods. A growth on the gap between qualitative and quantitative studies was observed each year. More than a half of articles using qualitative methods were published in restricted access. Our qualitative summary of the addressed topics and main findings in articles related to COVID-19, media and society revealed a wide research interest in pandemics impacts on news consumption, media use and journalism, as well as infodemic, conspiracy narratives, science mistrust and discrimination and inequalities increased by the pandemic. Conclusion: To provide a wider perspective on the worldwide impact of pandemic, more studies from underrepresented countries are needed. The collaboration between institutions and countries requires strengthening. Qualitative studies were conducted considerably less than quantitative studies and they were usually published in restricted access, which leads to a methodological gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the analysis of Russian Muslims’ communications in social networks. I show a unique mode of interdependence of online and offline, which takes shape in the special context of the dominant discourse of traditional Islam and the securitization of Islamic activism. The construction of “right” and “wrong” Islam determines the special structure of media consumption of Russian Muslims and the content of the political agenda. In addition to verbalized political agendas, I describe the phenomenon of an “unspoken” political agenda hidden beyond religious messages and identified precisely only through background by actors transmitting it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A body of experimental research has aimed to investigate processes underlying dream formation by examining the effects of a range of pre-sleep stimuli and events on subsequent dream content. Given its ever-growing presence and salience in people's everyday lives, pre-sleep media consumption stands out as a key variable that could influence people's dreams. We conducted a scoping review to evaluate the experimental evidence of the effects of pre-sleep exposure to visual media on dream content. A systematic search on PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science using terms related to moving visual media and dreams yielded 29 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Overall, we found modest yet varied effects of pre-sleep exposure to visual media on dream content, with rates of stimulus-related incorporation ranging from 3% to 43% for REM dream reports, 4% to 30% for NREM sleep mentation reports, and between 11% and 35% for home dream reports. Our review highlights the large methodological heterogeneity and gaps across studies, the general difficulty in influencing dream content using pre-sleep exposure to visual media, and suggests promising venues for future research to advance our understanding of how and why digital media may impact people's dreams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Now over a decade since the influential paper Understanding Social Media Logic by van Dijck and Poell was published, the total number, sheer variety and penetration of social media apps in everyday media consumption and production behaviour has exploded. This poses risks and opportunities for legacy media corporations as well as scholars attempting to make sense of the various affordances each individual social media platform offers to facilitate the production, dissemination and consumption of novel types of news content. Drawing on insights from the articles published in this special issue on the characteristics, constraints and contingencies of social media journalism, we seek to advance scholarship by challenging and expanding existing frameworks. We synthesise the current state of research and propose a research agenda for peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The article analyzes up to what extent the supraordinate identity made up by the classic match, influences fans' consumption intention of media and official merchandise, through a justifiability mediation, while assessing a moderation effect that an identity threat has on the proposed model. Method: The phenomenon was tested through structural equation modeling on a 439 fanbase sample. Participants are fans from both of the clubs who play the Classic match of their league and were randomly allocated into a threat circumstance or a control situation in order to test the identity threat moderation effect. Results: Findings suggest that this supraordinate identity has a positive impact on media and merchandise consumption intentions, while legitimacy and permeability forecast its existence. These results argue that fans from both teams experience an identity threat either when their club is under menace and when their rival is. Conclusion: This is the first article examining a supraordinate identity fabricated by salient rivalries, which is counterintuitive, and how these individuals experience an identity threat when their rival is at risk. The Classic denotes an important marketing instrument, where leagues and clubs can develop stories and rivalries to attract broader audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data collected in the seventh wave of the World Values Survey, this article examines how traditional and new media consumption have had very different effects on attitudes towards homosexuality in Taiwan and China. It further explores how such differences reflect each society's media democracy. A historical analysis of the democratic movements and their relations to media freedom in Taiwan and China is presented, which provides the research background and theoretical foundation for our assumptions as part of the literature review. The ensuing statistical analysis verifies these assumptions in depth. Our findings show that the effect of new media is generally positive in both societies, whereas that of traditional media varies: it is very negative in China yet statistically insignificant in Taiwan. Based on these results, we argue that the more democratised the media space, the more likely it is to promote tolerance of homosexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a long time in Russia, women's glossy magazines have had a significant impact on the socialization of women, shaping their lifestyle and gender identity. They not only met the needs of women, but also defined them. The study examines and evaluates the changing trends in the behavior of media consumers in the digital age. The main focus is on analyzing the reasons why young women prefer websites and blogs to traditional magazines. Because of this we need some changes in media educational activities. The article tests the hypothesis that nowadays modern women's magazines, whose models were created abroad, do not take into account the real interests of the local audience, which affects the media consumption of such press by young women. Also the critical thinking skills of young women were checked. This article will examine the change in young women’s attitudes towards gender-oriented periodicals and mass media, and the transformation of their priorities in choosing women's magazines and websites. Methods of media consumption are changing, but the level of media literacy is still low – the young women prefer the entertainment content and some of them think that such information is important. Creating media literacy courses and course about women’s press (it’s studied by journalism students) we need to pay attention to this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media consumption by young people has traditionally been receiving much attention within Russian science. However, scholars rarely analyze various aspects of political dimension of media practices widely spread among young people. In this regard, the purpose of the study was to analyze the influence exerted by media consumption on the nature of modern youth political socialization. The article presents a brief overview of the latest research on media practices of modern Russian youth, highlights the features and trends of media consumption by the “digital” generation, i.e. personalization of consumed content, priority of online forms of information dissemination, “situationality” and ritualization of news consumption, a high level of technical literacy, an increase in the scale of digital escapism, multi-screen communication, etc. The main attention is paid to the importance of media consumption by young people during their political socialization. Distinctive properties of media and cyber socialization are highlighted, and their role in shaping the attitude of young people to events occurring within the country and abroad is shown. Specific practical recommendations are formulated on the possibilities of correcting media practices and transforming media consumption by young people in order to form more balanced and objective assessments of political reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two decades, the widespread adoption of social media has fundamentally transformed our media consumption habits. This study examines the role of the latest influential network, TikTok, in this transformation. In recent years, TikTok has become a trendsetter in the social media market, which means that the platform significantly influences the direction of development in this sector. Therefore, it is worthwhile to study the platform’s operation in detail to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the future trajectory of social networks. The text discusses four key aspects: the new forms of social media sites and the operational principles of the For You algorithm; the widespread adoption of the short video format; the use of social media platforms as search engines; and the changes observed in news consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals are increasingly sharing their consumption activities on social media platforms. However, the inferences people draw from consumption posts are understudied. Three studies showed that observers infer more self‐presentational motives and less self‐expressive motives when they see others post their luxury (vs. nonluxury) consumption on social media. The attributions of more self‐presentational motives and less self‐expressive motives lead observers to perceive the poster as inauthentic and undermine the observers' interpersonal interest in the poster. The negative effects of posting luxury consumption are attenuated when the post content emphasizes competencies (vs. wealth). This work contributes theoretically to the research on self, signaling, and social inferences. The current findings have practical implications for social media users and marketers of luxury products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasocial relationships (PSRs), defined as one-sided relationships with media personas have grown in prevalence within the K-pop fandom in recent years, particularly for adolescents. This study utilizes an explanatory sequential mixed methods model to investigate the psychological impact of PSRs on adolescent K-pop fans. Adapting existing frameworks of PSR measurement, quantitative data was collected through an online survey sent to high school students aged 14-18, while qualitative data was collected through narrative interviews. the key findings revealed that PSRs developed by adolescent K-pop fans often lead to unhealthy emotional attachment and unre- alistic perceptions of beauty and interpersonal relationships, with social media acting as a mediator. Major psychological impacts identified include behavioral modifications, appearance insecurities, and emotional codependency, caused by extended exposure to misleading marketing techniques in K-pop. The study highlights the need for wider investigation of unhealthy standards perpetuated by the K-pop industry and the development of positive media consumption habits.

With the development and advancement of new technology and the increasing penetration of digital media, traditional media outlets such as TV, radio, and newspapers are not the only platforms for sports audiences to watch major events such as the Olympic Games. In this study, we explored how Chinese Olympic audiences embraced different media platforms to consume the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Through a survey of 383 Chinese participants, results revealed that social media, TV, and digital media were the most popular platforms on which to watch the 2020 Olympic Games. There were generational differences in media behaviors, motivations, and preferences between Generations X, Y, and Z. In addition, findings revealed that traditionally popular sports in China, such as badminton and table tennis, were still the most popular across different generations. Theoretical and practical implications for Chinese viewers are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Audiovisual content, including movies, series, and social networking videos, play a crucial role in the personal and social development of college students, underscoring the importance of understanding their impact on student well-being. This study aimed to identify trends that contribute to the development of educational strategies and guidelines that improve the psychological health of the student community. A sample of 601 students, aged 16 to 27 years, was analyzed using self-esteem and audiovisual media consumption questionnaires. The results reveal that moderate and selective consumption of content, especially movies, is associated with higher self-esteem. On the contrary, excessive consumption and preference for certain contents, such as series, are associated with lower self-esteem. These results underscore the importance of conscious media consumption, urging students to select content that promotes their emotional heal [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heroism serves as the banner showcasing the sublime spirit of the Chinese nation, and constructing a societal identity rooted in heroism is a crucial reference for the successful continuation of heroism in the new era. Moreover, media consumption plays a pivotal role in influencing public identification with heroism. From the perspective of cultivation theory, this study surveyed 511 respondents nationwide, utilizing quantitative measurements and empirical analysis through linear regression equations. The results indicate that there is a significant positive correlation between the media usage of the Chinese public and their social identification with heroism, impacting cognitive, emotional, and behavioral dimensions differently. Additionally, traditional media is the main force in shaping this identification. Concurrently, there are evident generational differences in the public's heroic social identity, with the memory of heroes in the new media era showing a trend of "intergenerational decline." Future research should explore how to effectively use media to transmit the spirit of heroism and promote value integration. This includes optimizing media content, formats, and communication strategies to meet the needs of different audiences and enhancing the public's deep understanding and recognition of heroism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors quantify the relative importance of beliefs-based suspense and surprise measures in the entertainment preferences of viewers of Twitch, the largest online video game streaming platform. Using detailed viewership and game statistics data from broadcasts of tournaments of a popular video game, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the authors compute measures of suspense and surprise for a rational viewer. They then develop and estimate a stylized utility model that underlies viewers' decisions to both join and leave a game stream. The method used enables the authors to causally identify the direct effect of suspense and surprise on viewers' utilities, separating it from other sources of entertainment value (e.g., team skill) and from indirect/supply-side effects (e.g., word of mouth, advertising). The authors show that suspense enters a viewer's utility but find little evidence of the effect of surprise. The magnitudes imply that a one-standard-deviation increase in round-level suspense decreases the probability of leaving a stream by.27 percentage points. The authors find no detectable effect of suspense and surprise on the decision to join a stream, ruling out indirect effects. Variation in suspense levels explains 9.2% of the observed range of the evolution of a stream's viewership. The authors use these estimates to evaluate counterfactual game and platform designs. They show that historical updates to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive game rules have increased tournament viewership by 4.1%, that rules can be further modified to increase viewership, and that alternative platform designs that inform joining users of games' scores will additionally increase overall viewership by 1.3%. Together, these results illustrate the value of the authors' method as a general tool that content producers and platforms can use to evaluate and design media products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyses media consumption trends in Ukraine in 2022-2024, a hugely difficult time for the nation during the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine. During this time, both the consumers and the media had to adapt to new media conditions. The article analyzes the dynamics of media consumption in Ukraine during the last two years of the war in order to understand how extreme conditions in society affect the information environment, behavior, and psychological state of consumers. In the future, this will make it possible to develop effective strategies for media educational institutions and psychologists in shaping the conscious consumption of information and providing quality support to the individual in conditions of psychological crisis and emotional decline after contact with the media. The study’s results show that for the second year in a row, Ukrainians choose social networks and online media to receive news information. Telegram channels are leading. Moreover, conscious media consumption of Ukrainian and patriotic content is growing. The author emphasizes that the constant flow of news about war, shelling, misinformation, and propaganda exerts emotional pressure on consumers. Despite information overload, Ukrainians need quality and interesting content. In 2023, the consumption of entertainment programs, podcasts, and other formats that offer emotional enrichment to the consumer has increased significantly. Therefore, there is a growing need for psychological support and media programs to help consumers navigate the information space and support them with content in difficult times. Another important trend is the growing popularity of the concept of «ecological media consumption,» which involves conscious information selection, critical thinking, and minimizing the negative impact of media on the consumer’s mental health.

Background. The media environment offers not only reference images of the quality of life, but also numerous ways to achieve them. Currently, the media space is considered as a significant factor in psychological health and well-being, with body image being subject to the maximum degree of “pressure” from media ideals of appearance. This creates conditions for certain behaviour patterns of self-transformation, including the help of modern methods of aesthetic medicine. Objectives. The aim is to study the influence of the stereotype of ideal appearance, broadcast by the media, on the desire and readiness to change one’s appearance in an aesthetic medicine clinic. Methods. Methods specially developed for this study were used: “Media preferences and attitudes towards appearance” and “Choice of aesthetic medicine procedures”. Study Participants. The main group consisted of 144 women (M = 22.5; SD = 4.4, from 18 to 30 years old) who sought medical help at the Institute of Plastic Surgery and Cosmetology; control group involved 164 women (M = 21.15; SD = 3.8, from 18 to 30 years old) who did not contact the medical network with complaints about dissatisfaction with their own appearance. Results. Patients of the aesthetic medicine clinic are characterized by regular consumption of media on fashion and beauty topics, and are also prone to comparison and imitation of media ideals of appearance. Girls who spend a lot of time watching media on fashion and beauty want to devote even more time to this and note that the media influences the intensification of their needs related to changing their appearance. Conclusions. Macrosocial pressure to develop an “ideal self” evokes young women to compare themselves to and imitate ideals of appearance, which increases the desire to change their appearance. women focused on long-term consumption of media stereotypes of ideal appearance show willingness to use more and a wider range of medical interventions to correct their appearance, despite their risks and severity.

The results of the examination of six Russian TV channels (Channel One, Rossiya 1, NTV, STS, TNT, Friday!) are presented, the peculiarities of their work with social media VKontakte and Odnoklassniki are revealed. An attempt was made to identify the changed digital content strategies of TV channels in turbulent conditions. The effectiveness of TV accounts in social media during four weeks of 2022 and 2023 has been studied. The following parameters were analysed: number of posts, user comments, views and likes. Based on audience and channel activity, the Engagement Rate of users in the published content was determined. The most popular publications among the audience were identified, their formats and thematic focus were reviewed. The return of interest to the Odnoklassniki resource was noted. The tendency of the past years when TV channels duplicated content in their accounts of various social networks was also recorded. During the period of changes in the media landscape and social turbulence, the audience demand for news agenda, on the one hand, and entertainment, or rather “distracting” content, on the other hand, was noted.

Abstract Background There is inconclusive evidence for the effects of various leisure activities on attention performance in children. The literature reports inconsistent associations between activities such as physical activities or media use. To date, no study has thoroughly examined the various factors influencing attentional performance in a larger cohort of healthy children. This study aims to close this research gap. Methods From 2018 to 2019, the Leipzig School Nutrition Study collected data from 1215 children and their families. The children report their dietary behavior (using CoCu- Questionnaire), especially their participation in school lunch and their breakfast habits, through a paper questionnaire. Furthermore, attention performance was assessed using a validated test (FAIR-2) at school. Data on physical activity, media consumption, family eating habits and socio-economic status (SES) were collected from parents using questionnaires. Associations between attention and influencing factors were estimated using hierarchical linear regression. Analyses were adjusted for age, SES, and school type. Results Attending upper secondary schools (ßadj= 23.6, p

Background: There is inconclusive evidence for the effects of various leisure activities on attention performance in children. The literature reports inconsistent associations between activities such as physical activities or media use. To date, no study has thoroughly examined the various factors influencing attentional performance in a larger cohort of healthy children. This study aims to close this research gap. Methods: From 2018 to 2019, the Leipzig School Nutrition Study collected data from 1215 children and their families. The children report their dietary behavior (using CoCu- Questionnaire), especially their participation in school lunch and their breakfast habits, through a paper questionnaire. Furthermore, attention performance was assessed using a validated test (FAIR-2) at school. Data on physical activity, media consumption, family eating habits and socio-economic status (SES) were collected from parents using questionnaires. Associations between attention and influencing factors were estimated using hierarchical linear regression. Analyses were adjusted for age, SES, and school type. Results: Attending upper secondary schools (ßadj= 23.6, p < 0.001) and having a higher SES (ß= 1.28, p < 0.001) was associated with higher attention performance. Children doing leisure-time sports (ßadj= 4.18, p = 0.046) or reading books for at least one hour/weekday showed better attention performance (ßadj= 3.8, p = 0.040). Attention performance was also better in children having no electronic devices in the bedroom (ßadj= 13.0, p = 0.005) and in children whose parents limited their children's Internet access (ßadj= 5.2, p = 0.012). We did not find any association between nutritional habits and attention performance. Conclusions: We found that fostering modifiable habits such as reading and physical activity could enhance attention performance. These findings have substantial implications for the development of prevention and intervention programs that aim to improve attention in schoolchildren. It is important to note, however, that social status as a hardly modifiable factor also impacts attention performance. Therefore, interventions should address personal habits in a systemic approach considering the child's social status. Trial registration: The study is retrospectively registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00017317, registration: 05-29-2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited research has been conducted on the regulation of light quality on heterotrophy in in vitro-grown potato plantlets. Here, we investigated the effect of light quality on photosynthetic and heterotrophic abilities as well as microtuber formation and growth of potato plantlets (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Shepody). Potato plantlets pre-cultivated under white light for 30 days were then transferred to grow under blue (B), green (G), red (R), yellow (Y), and white (W) lights, and parameters including dry weight, photosynthetic pigment, medium solute consumption, δ13C value, root activity, and sucrose transport (SUT) gene expression of these plantlets were measured. The results showed that B, G, and W were conducive to the rapid induction of microtubers, while R, and especially Y, delayed microtuber formation. Higher photosynthetic ability was observed in the W treatment, whereas the opposite effect was seen in the monochromatic light treatments. Microtuber growth was primarily dependent on heterotrophy, and B was conducive to microtuber growth. The delay in microtuber formation was related to the high expression of StSUT4 in the root, and better microtuber growth was associated with higher root activity, more medium solute consumption, and a higher expression level of StSUT1 in the roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most online media consumption is not driven by a desire to seek out news and politics. However, the public may still encounter politics because it arises organically in communities devoted to non-political subjects. This study examines the potential of popular reality television online discussion forums to serve as online third spaces and stimulate political discussion due to the natural connections that audiences make between the cast members and "real life" in reality-based programming. Based on a quantitative analysis of political comments made to reality television subreddits and a survey of visitors to a popular subreddit focused on The Bachelor television show, the findings not only demonstrate the ability of entertainment-focused online communities to expose a broad segment of the public to political talk, but also point to the obstacles in promoting political discussion that is simultaneously enjoyable, informative, and tolerant of diverse viewpoints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid widespread skepticism about news media actors and journalistic practices, questions about citizens' use of and dependency upon mainstream news media remain ripe for investigation. This research is designed to deepen an understanding of the concept of Perceived News Media Importance (PNMI) and consider it as a factor undergirding contemporary newspaper use. To this end, this study draws on the frameworks of uses and gratifications (U&G) and media system dependency theory for orienting an understanding of PNMI and its role in motivating newspaper use. Furthermore, based on the theoretical assumption that individuals' various needs bear a capacity to shape their perceptions of media, Need for Evidence, and Need for Orientation were modeled herein as antecedents to PNMI. Analyses of data from two surveys—the first conducted in 2019 (Study 1: N = 1,077) and, the second, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (Study 2: N = 546)—confirm that PNMI not only positively predicts newspaper use but also mediates the effects of its hypothesized antecedents on newspaper use. The findings of the study highlight the utility of PNMI and related concepts for understanding citizens' media consumption behaviors in a rapidly changing and uncertain media environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differential media treatment of climate change, including conservative media's tendency to reject the anthropogenic climate change scientific consensus, has reinforced polarized perceptions of climate change. Studies have found differences in coverage patterns and in perceptions among those relying more heavily on conservative rather than liberal or moderate media. This scholarship has been limited by narrow measurements of media exposure, climate-related outcomes, and the mechanism of effects. We analyzed nationally representative US data (N = 1,181) using measures that included not only reported use of mainstream print, cable, and social media captured in past research, but also science programming, as well as far-right, alternative-health, and Christian media. On average, participants relied more heavily on centrist and liberal media, followed by Fox News and social media. The results corroborate findings associating exposure to centrist media with pro-climate attitudes, and conservative media, including Fox News with the opposite views. Use of far-right outlets was associated with the lowest levels of belief in anthropogenic climate change, perceptions of personal threat, and support for climate-friendly policy. Reliance on science media was associated with pro-climate views. Most associations were mediated via perceptions of science and scientists (using the Factors Associated with Self-Presentation of Science, FASS scale). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the dynamics of ideological party competition within the context of the 2023 Turkish elections. Focusing on the role and appeal of ideology, it provides insights into the changing landscape of ideological competition during this pivotal electoral period. The study examines whether ideology operates as a guiding principle for Turkish voters grappling with intricate economic and social issues. Despite acknowledging that economic concerns may not singularly determine ideological positions, the paper highlights the enduring significance of ideology in shaping perceptions. The transformative nature of the 2023 elections, marked by the emergence of new parties and electoral alliances, further underscores the relevance of ideology. Additionally, the article assesses the appeal of ideological competition by investigating voters who cannot position parties or themselves on the ideology scale. This analysis reveals that factors such as media consumption, education, gender, and political efficacy significantly influence the ideological appeal in the 2023 elections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper employs digital ethnographic methods to explore the Facebook fan group for the popular podcast My Favorite Murder. We argue that the My Favorite Murder podcast and Facebook group, while providing a potentially unique feminist online space for its members in its early days, quickly devolved into a toxic space rife with conflict and ultimately destroyed by white-centred feminism and white supremacy. We explore failed gatekeeping practices in relation to other Facebook podcast fan groups that have met a similar demise. Finally, we question whether truly inclusive anti-racist feminist spaces can exist in capitalistic models of media production and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Party identification is an important predictor of voting preference, but because a growing percentage of voters do not express any party identification, alternative ways to anticipate voting preferences are required. Partisan slants in voters' media consumption might offer a relevant proxy. With method triangulation, the current study explores whether media consumption prior to elections can predict voting preferences among independents. Depending on the media outlets adopted by voters and their partisan skew, as detected by Bert machine learning models, the authors calculate an overall partisan slant for each voter's political information consumption. Data from a nationwide panel survey conducted in Taiwan affirm that their media diet "color" in 2019 can predict independent voters' choices in 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genre of reincarnation isekai anime, wherein a protagonist dies in their original world only to be reborn in a fantastical one, has grown significantly in global appeal. Yet, this genre's expansion also normalizes controversial themes such as mental health issues, sexual and violent content, and the sexualisation of virtual minors. This article employs a data-driven approach, analysing user-generated coding of themes and properties from English-speaking fan sites, to critically examine three emergent and interconnected dimensions: the success of series deemed 'trashy', the complexities surrounding sexual themes, and the rising appeal of the 'zero-to-hero' motif in a post-pandemic world. The findings reveal a paradoxical allure of 'trashy' but popular content, complex ethical dilemmas surrounding sexual themes, and an increased resonance of empowerment motifs resulting from the pandemic. These discoveries provoke renewed discussions on anime's role in shaping and reflecting societal values and raise questions about regulatory challenges in a globalized media setting. The study confirms the need for more nuanced understandings of the genre's growing global influence, particularly outside of Japan, and calls for continued research to delve deeper into its complexities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YouTube, one of the prominent online video-sharing platforms, plays a pivotal role in modern media consumption, making it crucial to understand and predict the view-count dynamics of its videos. The viewership of YouTube videos can be influenced by three distinct sources: subscribers, word-of-mouth, and recommendation systems. This paper presents a comprehensive modelling framework that takes into account the view-count obtained through these three sources, assuming that a single view-count can only be attributed to one of these sources at any given time. We investigate the interplay among these sources in shaping YouTube video view-count dynamics, proposing a novel approach to model and analyse their impact on video popularity. Additionally, the VIKOR multi-criteria decision-making method is employed to validate and rank our proposed models. This study's findings deepen our understanding of the intricate mechanisms within the YouTube ecosystem, offering insights for predicting and managing video viewership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The media has become a central aspect of everyday life, providing information and entertainment, and serving as a basis for citizen consumption. The content that appears on the internet today is the result of numerous experiences accumulated throughout the history of media, particularly in the last four decades of technological and social development. The following text analyses how the hybridisation of analogue and digital technologies affects audience consumption patterns and expectations, leading to a more flexible relationship with the media. This study employed a theoretical examination of documentary sources, including texts, articles, and digital materials. The findings indicate a shift from simple, vertical, and linear communication systems to networks that enable horizontal and personalised consumption. The conclusion drawn is that technology has redefined structures and concepts, with the smartphone serving as the focal point of media consumption. Living culture is shaped by technology, because the message, more than the specific content, is the meaning, recognition, and exchange of a world that needs to be re-thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]