Slang is a nonstandard informal vocabulary peculiar to a group. In this digital age, the reproduction and evolution of slang words has become faster due to the digital platforms that they are often...Show moreSlang is a nonstandard informal vocabulary peculiar to a group. In this digital age, the reproduction and evolution of slang words has become faster due to the digital platforms that they are often used in. Research has been done on the lexical aspects of slang and slang in general (Sornig (1981); Metcalf (2002)), and on forms of digital slang (McCulloch (2019)), but none view slang as a mode of translation and applied it to to other types of text besides messages on social media. This thesis will address where digital slang terms come from, and if their origins can help explain how likely they are to be understood by someone who speaks regular English. To do so I will annotate a slang translation of Harry Potter, and research the etymological origins of the slang to try to discover - using Metcalf’s (2002) FUDGE theory - which slang terms are more likely to be understood. I expect to find that the slang terms that more closely resemble regular English words are more likely to be understood.Show less
Within this thesis, the morality of the objectification of women within social media is explored. First of all, the theoretical perspectives on objectification are examined through a feminist lens....Show moreWithin this thesis, the morality of the objectification of women within social media is explored. First of all, the theoretical perspectives on objectification are examined through a feminist lens. It is found that there is a considerable debate within the scholars. Some are of the opinion that objectification is always morally wrong, and others believe that it is dependent on the context in which it occurs. Next, the criteria necessary for the context are developed and analyzed through some examples. Finally, these criteria are applied to social media, and it is discovered that not all criteria are met. This indicates that a negative form of objectification has occurred which can be harmful. The conclusion is drawn that the objectification of women within social media is morally unacceptable.Show less
This research explores the interplay between social media usage, offline and online interactions, perceived social support, and depression levels among university students. Analyzing data from 430...Show moreThis research explores the interplay between social media usage, offline and online interactions, perceived social support, and depression levels among university students. Analyzing data from 430 participants, this cross-sectional study leverages the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depression symptoms and employs both multivariate and univariate linear regression analyses, as well as MANOVA and ANOVA tests, to understand the connections between online/offline social interactions, perceived social support, and depression. Key findings indicate a significant relationship between the level of perceived social support (β = -0.49, p < .001) and frequency of online interactions (β = 0.43, p < .05) with depression levels. Notably, individuals reporting higher levels of perceived social support tend to exhibit lower depression levels, while those with frequent online interactions often show higher depression levels. The study also identifies marked gender differences in social media use and depression, with females showing greater susceptibility. These results underscore a nuanced relationship between active/passive social media engagement, gender, and mental health. The research emphasizes the need for mental health strategies that consider individual differences, particularly focusing on the quality of social support and patterns of online engagement, to effectively address mental health concerns in young adults.Show less
Popular science literature on self-love frequently portrays individuals as self-sufficient entities. This furthers a neoliberal narrative of self-optimization and stigmatization of help-seeking....Show morePopular science literature on self-love frequently portrays individuals as self-sufficient entities. This furthers a neoliberal narrative of self-optimization and stigmatization of help-seeking. Drawing on social media discourse among people within alcohol and other drug (AOD) recovery, this study aims to explore an alternative narrative of self-love that involves the other instead of centering around the self. The paper extends a larger project assessing lay beliefs of self-love in 902 #selflove and AOD recovery Instagram and Twitter posts from 2019 by focusing on one aspect of self-love: self-care strategies. This study examines the relationship between other-focused (e.g., seeking or offering help) as opposed to self-centered self-care strategies (e.g., cognitive reframing). Additionally, the mention of three common self-care strategies—namely expressing gratitude, reframing, and taking responsibility—to predict other-focused self-care in a post is assessed. Results from a chi-square analysis indicate no significant association between self-centered and other-focused self-care. Further, our regression model did not significantly predict other-focused self-care, calling for further exploration. Future research calls for a refined conceptualization and associated detection criteria of self- and other-focused care. This study provides a first step toward exploring a narrative of self-love rooted in solidarity and cooperation. As such, it adds to a growing body of work clarifying for those in recovery, practitioners, and researchers how self-love can be implemented in behavioral treatment and recovery interventions and promote AOD prevention.Show less
In recent years, Automated Influence, understood as “the use of artificial intelligence to collect, integrate and analyse people’s data, and to deliver targeted interventions based on this analysis...Show moreIn recent years, Automated Influence, understood as “the use of artificial intelligence to collect, integrate and analyse people’s data, and to deliver targeted interventions based on this analysis, intended to shape their behaviour” (familiarly referred to as ‘algorithms’) has stirred up many debates among the public, as well as within academia (Benn & Lazar 2022, 127). While much of the discussion has focused primarily on issues of privacy in the light of Big Data, this thesis seeks to analyze how Automated Influence impacts the deliberative, discursive, and fundamentally social space on which society depends on, in particular for collective decision-making/politics. I argue that Automated Influence deployed on social media platforms violates people’s fundamental interest in social agency, which is defined as the ability of a person to act and reflect on her own motives all the while taking part in the fundamentally social process of forming, defending, and adapting the reasons according to which she acts. Moreover, it undermines people’s autonomy and social trust, which both serve as preconditions for their exercise social agency. After reviewing contemporary EU regulation seeking to address some of the problematic aspects related to Automated Influence, I explain why there cannot be a purely top-down approach to mitigating the harms emanating from Automated Influence, which results in my conclusion that only through educating people about its potential harms could mitigate the problem in the long run.Show less
The relationship between social media use and depression has been extensively studied but the current empirical evidence remains inconclusive. The present study aimed to explore how user specific...Show moreThe relationship between social media use and depression has been extensively studied but the current empirical evidence remains inconclusive. The present study aimed to explore how user specific characteristics, such as neuroticism, extraversion, and gender, are interconnected with social media use and symptoms of depression in a group-level cross-sectional network based on a student sample of young adults (18 to 30 years old). Participants (N = 430) filled in an online questionnaire measuring symptoms of depression, loneliness, social media use, neuroticism, extraversion, and stress. Regularized partial correlation networks were estimated to produce an aggregate network, and separate networks for men and women. The male and female network (n = 66 each) were compared in terms of structure and overall connectivity. Results showed that symptoms of depression and social media use were sparsely connected and if so, weakly positively related, but the relationship was not directly affected by either neuroticism or extraversion. No statistical differences were found between the male and female network. In sum, we found no evidence for personality and gender affecting the relationship between symptoms of depression and social media use. Future research could use temporal networks to discover potential causal relationships, specifically focusing on idiographic networks to reveal individual differences that would otherwise remain obscured.Show less
Although social media has revolutionized how we learn, form opinions, and have conversations, it also has the potential to undermine democracy. Due to the rise of social media and digital media,...Show moreAlthough social media has revolutionized how we learn, form opinions, and have conversations, it also has the potential to undermine democracy. Due to the rise of social media and digital media, political polarization online has sharply increased, with even elected officials and members of the political elite class also engaging in divisive propaganda and false information. This study, through a Twitter analysis, explores the impact of political polarization on citizens' beliefs in their democratic institutions, electoral systems, and government. This research applies relevant but underappreciated theories like the legitimacy theory and the homophily theory to understand how democracy and the internet interact.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Together with the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, something else started spreading just as fast as the novel coronavirus: misinformation and disinformation. An infodemic was born, and groups...Show moreTogether with the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, something else started spreading just as fast as the novel coronavirus: misinformation and disinformation. An infodemic was born, and groups and pages focused on Covid-19 related conspiracy theories started popping up all over the internet. In this digital ethnography, I examine the online community of Dutch-speaking truth seekers, who claim that the corona restrictions are a first step towards a dystopian, global, totalitarian regime. The resulting thesis consists of an ethnographic video essay and a written text. Through the combination of a reflexive voiceover, screen recordings, interview fragments, found footage and screenshots, the film explores both the thoughts and experiences of my research participants being part of this community, as well as those of me doing this research. Focusing on the themes of truth, community and freedom, the written part examines the individual and social dynamics behind the rapid growth of this community. My findings are in line with earlier research on conspiracy belief and suggest that the appeal of the Dutch-speaking truth seeker community is threefold. It answers a desire to reduce the complexity of a chaotic reality, it provides social support in a world where many experience a lack of a sense of community, and it gives a sense of control in uncertain times.Show less
This thesis examines the role of social media in the Paro Nacional movement in Colombia in 2019-2020. Through a study of relevant literature, news articles, and a quantitative and qualitative...Show moreThis thesis examines the role of social media in the Paro Nacional movement in Colombia in 2019-2020. Through a study of relevant literature, news articles, and a quantitative and qualitative investigation of social media use, this analysis of social movement structures and the Paro Nacional movement leads to the identification of three functions of social media.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
WeChat is one of the most used social media in China. While few Dutch people use it, the app remains popular among the many Chinese students in the Netherlands. This popularity abroad evokes the...Show moreWeChat is one of the most used social media in China. While few Dutch people use it, the app remains popular among the many Chinese students in the Netherlands. This popularity abroad evokes the question what this platform has to offer for people living in a different country and how it relates to a sense of ‘home’. Within social media research, a call is made to study social media using a non-media centric approach, focusing on the context in which it is used. Within this research, I study WeChat as used by three international Chinese students, and how they use WeChat to create a sense of home. Through digital observation and film, I examined how participants use WeChat, how they create a feeling of home while studying in the Netherlands, and the connection between these two. Overall, this study found that for a sense of home, relations, materiality, and a sense of security are important, for participants to both adjust to the Netherlands and recreate a sense of the ‘former home’. Their use of WeChat provides a tool to realise these different aspects.Show less
Micro-targeting is a tool to create personalized advertisements for individuals, especially for those who use social media. Even though the current debate indicates that micro-targeting is a...Show moreMicro-targeting is a tool to create personalized advertisements for individuals, especially for those who use social media. Even though the current debate indicates that micro-targeting is a privacy-invasive exercise, social media users equally make use of this tool for their own preferences. This produces a paradox, being, the micro-targeting paradox. While individuals seek privacy, they also willingly provide their valuable information in order to make use of the services that digital platforms offer. An eminent example of this is Facebook where advertisements are densely visible to the user. Therefore, this thesis explores the micro-targeting paradox through the Facebook- Cambridge Analytica scandal. The paper finds evidence that the reason for ongoing user engagement despite and even after the scandal is due to the micro-targeting paradox.Show less
Master thesis | Crisis and Security Management (MSc)
open access
Increasingly, law enforcement focuses on the prevention of crime. In this approach, the role of information is important. Especially combined with the technological advancements of Internet and...Show moreIncreasingly, law enforcement focuses on the prevention of crime. In this approach, the role of information is important. Especially combined with the technological advancements of Internet and social media make that using publicly accessible information is inevitable. Whether this implies that such “open-source information” is freely accessible to law enforcement officers tasked with intelligence-led policing and creating intelligence remains to be the question. By means of a literary analysis, document analysis, interviews with practitioners and a single case study this research aimed to find out how intelligence officers can make use of this vast and valuable amount of information whilst adhering to security principles of surveillance and entrapment. This study found that there is no judicial framework built around creating intelligence as is the case with ongoing criminal investigations and surveillance is only partially possible. Article 3 of the Police Directive functions as the basis of officer’s functioning and any privacy breach that is more than necessary needs to be carefully considered under principles of proportionality and necessity. The assessment of these is thus vital, especially when applied to issues of national security – e.g. right-wing extremism – where these two principles have the opportunity of clashing. The study also found that a clear distinction between tasks of the public prosecutor and the municipality is of importance in order for intelligence officers to engage in effective intelligence-led policing. Finally, the attitude towards information as merely “nice-to-have” within intelligence-led policing needs to shift towards “need-to-have” to properly assess necessity and proportionality.Show less
This study explores the foundations of young women’s agency in processes of social change in urban Uganda. Through the lens of the concept of ‘sisterhood,’ this research examines the strategies,...Show moreThis study explores the foundations of young women’s agency in processes of social change in urban Uganda. Through the lens of the concept of ‘sisterhood,’ this research examines the strategies, struggles, and successes of young feminists challenging systemic inequality and advancing women’s rights in the country. It follows the trajectory of the women’s movement in the country and the trends of African feminist theorisation and organising across the continent. This investigation was carried out in Kampala over three months, especially in the headquarters of Akina Mama wa Afrika, a Pan-Africanist, feminist organisation. From the personal to the collective, this quest brings to the forefront the experiences and views of young Ugandan women who are involved in the feminist movement. It is argued that the idea and practice of sisterhood, understood as political solidarity amongst women, enhance their capacity to promote social transformation in Uganda. Addressing the different manifestations of this idea in context, this research analyses the role of social media and the feminist discourse facilitating this endeavour. While navigating through alternative ways of generating change, this journey explores the complexities of agency and structure in urban Africa in the 21st century, and contributes to the study of the contemporary wave of feminism in the continent.Show less
This thesis investigates the topic of nationalism in Weibo posts that discuss the detention of Meng Wanzhou, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Huawei. After the arrest, Weibo users quickly connected...Show moreThis thesis investigates the topic of nationalism in Weibo posts that discuss the detention of Meng Wanzhou, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Huawei. After the arrest, Weibo users quickly connected this case with broader nationalist topics, resulting in different types of nationalist reactions. This study describes how these reactions reflect, create or shape a nationalist discourse. This was done in three parts: first of all, I examined how the countries of Canada, the US and China are described. The analysis reveals that the comments describe the US as the active culprit and Canada as a more passive, docile country. Secondly, the question was formulated as to how Meng was described, as a person, as CFO of Huawei, and as a Chinese, in order to gain more insight into how these different layers of her identity coincide or contrast. This part concludes that most commenters express their support for Meng, but that her wealth and unclarity regarding her citizenship can result in a decrease of support. Finally, I investigated the ways in which nationalism can be converted into action. It became clear how consumption and nationalism can be linked: many Weibo users suggested to initiate a boycott, mainly against Apple. Simultaneously, others also reflected on the efficacy of such measures.Show less
The advent of new technologies is continually changing the dynamics of political communication, making social media (especially Twitter) a direct linkage between politicians and the public,...Show moreThe advent of new technologies is continually changing the dynamics of political communication, making social media (especially Twitter) a direct linkage between politicians and the public, different from, for instance, TV interviews. Thus, it is generally believed that parties can take advantage of these new channels to spread their messages, and populist Eurosceptic parties are particularly expected to utilize them as a way to expand their support and visibility within the political field. Given this, further considerations could be raised on how these parties use social media. While some may argue that social media acts only as a complementary platform to maximize the reach of proposals, many scholars have pointed out that these parties use social media to make their discourse even more colloquial, mobilizing and radical. The research question to be addressed is: what is the discursive strategy of populist Eurosceptic parties on Twitter compared to the one on TV interviews?Show less
In recent years, the terms ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ have entered into common parlance. The prevalence of social media has done much to aid the spread of conspiracy theories and false or hateful...Show moreIn recent years, the terms ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ have entered into common parlance. The prevalence of social media has done much to aid the spread of conspiracy theories and false or hateful information online. Historian Sophia Rosenfeld has argued that social media platforms have created a ‘wild west climate’ in which fact and fiction are muddled and popularity rather than reliability dictates the type of information that is presented to users. The primary focus of this thesis is on the role archivists can play in preserving problematic and false information that has been created and spread on social media. This paper will focus on one particular case study of false and controversial information shared on social media: the so-called ‘Irish slaves myth’ or ‘Irish slaves meme’. One of the central questions of this paper is whether this content merits a place in an archive based on its importance as a historical record. Proceeding from this question, the paper will then consider the issues that an archival institution must address if it were to create such an archive.There are many special issues that an archival institution would have to consider when creating this archive, such as appraisal (determining the archival value of the material), preservation, arrangement, description, and ethics. This paper will study these issues as they apply to the creation of a hypothetical archive of the Irish slaves meme and it will attempt to offer some solutions.Show less
