11.27
Social Media
How did echo chambers influence the 2020 election?
How did echo chambers influence the 2020 election?
Research from the Annenberg School for Communication shows that people are consuming news from more diverse sources, but many don’t consume any news at all. It’s too soon to tell what role that played in the recent race for president.
How misinformed vaccine beliefs affect policy views
How misinformed vaccine beliefs affect policy views
There is broad support in the U.S. for pro-vaccination policies, but as many as 20% of Americans hold negative views about vaccines. The Annenberg Public Policy Center shows that such misinformed vaccine beliefs are the strongest driver of opposition to pro-vaccination public policies.
How social media is shaping political campaigns
How social media is shaping political campaigns
Wharton’s Pinar Yildirim discusses how social media is changing political competition.
Presidential campaigning during the coronavirus crisis
Presidential campaigning during the coronavirus crisis
From targeted ads on Facebook and Snapchat to Zoom celebrity events and email blasts, the coronavirus pandemic is forcing the Trump and Biden campaigns to get creative as they make their bids for the presidency.
Countering anti-vaccination influences from social media—with conversation
Countering anti-vaccination influences from social media—with conversation
A new study explores to what extent social media messages effect vaccination behavior, and finds individuals exposed to negative online discussions about flu vaccines makes them less likely to get a flu shot.
The dangers of sharing personal information on social media
The dangers of sharing personal information on social media
Joseph Turow, a professor of communication at the Annenberg School for Communication, says hackers may be using your posts against you.
Reddit reveals peaks of public interest in COVID-19 topics
Reddit reveals peaks of public interest in COVID-19 topics
Online forums can be used by public health officials to quickly identify topics of public interest during the COVID-19 pandemic and to quell misinformation.
Sarah J. Jackson, Duncan Watts awarded 2020 Andrew Carnegie Fellowships
Sarah J. Jackson, Duncan Watts awarded 2020 Andrew Carnegie Fellowships
The program supports high-caliber scholarly research in the humanities and social sciences that addresses important and enduring issues confronting our society.
How tweets may influence substance abuse in youth
How tweets may influence substance abuse in youth
While social media provides youth the opportunity to discuss and display substance use-related beliefs and behaviors, little is known about how posting or viewing drug-related content influences the beliefs and behaviors of youth relative to substance use.
Language in tweets offers insight into community-level well-being
Language in tweets offers insight into community-level well-being
In a Q&A, researcher Lyle Ungar discusses why counties that frequently use words like ‘love’ aren’t necessarily happier, plus how techniques from this work led to a real-time COVID-19 wellness map.
In the News
NPR
Facebook keeps data secret, letting conservative bias claims persist
PIK Professor Duncan Watts is working with Facebook to analyze its content for bias. "Mostly it's mainstream content," he said. "If anything, there is a bias in favor of conservative content."
FULL STORY →
Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane (WHYY-FM)
Big Tech: Monopolies, misinformation and election integrity
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center was interviewed about social media and election meddling.
FULL STORY →
Mashable.com
Once again, there is no 'anti-conservative' bias on social media
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center said accusations of systemic bias against conservatives by social media platforms are unfounded, in part because there’s no way to prove it. “From a methodological standpoint, it’s virtually impossible to do,” she said. “You'll never capture the full base of the content in order to start your analysis.”
FULL STORY →
CNN
Online petitions work best when you do more than just sign
Rosemary Clark-Parsons of the Annenberg School for Communication spoke about the efficacy of online petitions. "What critics refer to as 'slacktivism' can actually create an alternative outlet for those who would typically not get involved in any movement at all,” she said.
FULL STORY →
WHYY (Philadelphia)
Social media’s ‘infodemic’
Dominic Sisti and Raina Merchant of the Perelman School of Medicine and Alison Buttenheim of the School of Nursing discussed the role of social media in public health.
FULL STORY →
Business Insider
Influencers are getting paid to promote pregnancy tests on Instagram, and people are applauding it as a way for new moms to make money
Jessa Lingel of the Annenberg School for Communication weighed in on criticisms of influencers announcing their pregnancies with sponsored Instagram posts. “We still have a puritan way of thinking that pregnancy announcements are sacred,” she said. “Everything can be commercialized, but not this.”
FULL STORY →