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Social Media
Reaching millennial women ‘where they’re at’—on Instagram
Reaching millennial women ‘where they’re at’—on Instagram
Researchers in the Women’s Health Clinical Research Center at Penn Medicine began experimenting with using Instagram for clinical birth control trial recruitment in 2017, and have since seen a surge in research participants.
Facebook posts better at predicting diabetes, mental health than demographic info
Facebook posts better at predicting diabetes, mental health than demographic info
Analyzing language shows that identifying certain groups of words significantly improves upon predicting some medical conditions in patients.
How self-harm images on Instagram affect viewers
How self-harm images on Instagram affect viewers
A new study at the Annenberg Public Policy Center investigates the relationship between exposure to self-harm on Instagram and subsequent self-harm and suicidal ideations.
User-generated content: The medium impacts the message
User-generated content: The medium impacts the message
Wharton’s Shiri Melumad discusses her research on how user-generated content changes in tone based on the type of device used to create it.
Addressing hate speech and disinformation on a global scale
The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s new transatlantic working group is tackling such big issues while keeping its focus on freedom of expression.
Black feminism 101
Black feminism 101
Author and alum Feminista Jones joined Tanji Gilliam of Africana Studies in a discussion of her new book “Reclaiming Our Space,” examining how Twitter and modern liberation movements are all borne from black women’s words, struggle, and history.
The Knight Commission calls to rebuild trust in democracy with transparency, responsibility
The Knight Commission calls to rebuild trust in democracy with transparency, responsibility
Penn President Amy Gutmann joined 26 other national leaders to consider why the age of Facebook and “fake news” has pushed faith in government and the media to historic low, and how to mend the rift.
The science behind Facebook’s viral #10YearChallenge
The science behind Facebook’s viral #10YearChallenge
Jonah Berger, an associate professor of marketing at The Wharton School, and author of ‘Contagious: Why Things Catch On,’ discusses why people are suddenly eager to talk aging on social media.
Breaking through the medical fake news bubble
Breaking through the medical fake news bubble
In a new perspective piece published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Raina Merchant and David A. Asch provide some guidance for medical professionals and scientists as they wade into online discussions.
Getting science right in the fake news era
Getting science right in the fake news era
Over his career as a science journalist, Carl Zimmer has seen legitimate science reporting denied and illegitimate science news taken as fact. In advance of a talk at Penn, Zimmer discusses the problem of misinformation and offers tips for avoiding being fooled by bogus science stories.
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Cutting social media time can lessen depression and loneliness
Melissa Hunt of the School of Arts and Sciences shared her research on social media and wellness. “The extent to which young people are using social media can interfere with time spent on activities that can more genuinely foster self-esteem, like getting your work done, or true intimacy, like hanging out with your friends in the real world,” said Hunt.
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Wired
Twitter and Instagram unveil new ways to combat hate—again
Jessa Lingel of the Annenberg School for Communication said “we need humans” to help parse what is and isn’t offensive language based on context. “The tech just isn’t there yet.”
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