Social media has become a platform for sharing alcohol and other drug (AOD) recovery journeys, with #selflove as a prominent theme. This study explores the association of self- views, positive...Show moreSocial media has become a platform for sharing alcohol and other drug (AOD) recovery journeys, with #selflove as a prominent theme. This study explores the association of self- views, positive emotions, and social connections in the context of social media, particularly regarding #selflove and in AOD recovery. Specifically, social connections are examined as they are considered to be a relevant point of support during the recovery process. Positive emotions are examined, as employing a more positive outlook towards oneself is associated with a more positive self-view and a more sustained recovery process. The dataset comprises 902 posts from Instagram and Twitter in 2019 collected by Ziemer (2022). The present study addresses two research questions: (1) What is the association between positive and negative self-views in social media posts using chi-square analysis to identify a balanced self-view (discussing negative and positive self-views) during the recovery journey, (2) to what extent can positive self-view mentions be predicted through logistic regression, based on expressed connectedness with family/friends, the AOD recovery community, and positive emotions in the posts. Surprisingly, the results challenge the initial hypothesis of predominantly balanced self-views in these posts, as no association was found between mentioning positive and negative self-views within a single post. Contrary to expectations, mentioning positive self- views was not linked to references to connecting with others or positive emotions. Future research should employ more nuanced coding for emotions and social connections. Qualitative measures can help capture potential differences between sharing one's recovery journey online and the actual offline experience.Show less
Right-wing extremism in much of the Western world looks far different than it did even a decade ago. Extremists are getting younger, and radicalization is an increasingly online process. According...Show moreRight-wing extremism in much of the Western world looks far different than it did even a decade ago. Extremists are getting younger, and radicalization is an increasingly online process. According to most contemporary theories of radicalization, personal and political grievances are critical foundations for this process. Despite this, research into the forms these grievances take, especially in this new cohort of younger, more online extremists is rare. This study seeks to address this research gap by asking the question: What kinds of personal and political grievances are most likely to push young people to get involved with right-wing extremist groups online? It answers by performing a process of content analysis on messages sent between users of six large right-wing extremist group chats on the popular instant messaging platform Discord between early 2017 and early 2020 with the goal of identifying individual grievances and larger common themes in this cohort of extremists. Out of an initial dataset of 308,207 messages, over three hundred discrete examples were identified and further classified into 35 different thematic subcategories. Two clusters of especially prevalent interrelated grievances were also identified which tended to appear together, signaling the possibility that more similar clusters exist and reaffirming existing theories about the role of grievances in right-wing extremist radicalization pathways.Show less
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
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
De manier waarop journalisten zich profileren is sinds de komst van sociale media sterk veranderd. Waar zij voorheen geacht werden om afstand tot onderwerpen en verhalen te behouden, is het...Show moreDe manier waarop journalisten zich profileren is sinds de komst van sociale media sterk veranderd. Waar zij voorheen geacht werden om afstand tot onderwerpen en verhalen te behouden, is het tegenwoordig vanzelfsprekend dat journalisten zich geopinieerd uitspreken en persoonlijke informatie delen op sociale platformen als Twitter en Instagram. Dit duidt op een verandering in de traditionele journalistieke waarden. Een verklaring hiervoor is, volgens de literatuur, de normalisatie van een nieuwe medialogica binnen de journalistiek, waaruit de wens ontstaat om een personal brand op te bouwen. Dit zou journalisten namelijk talloze economische, activistische en egocentrische voordelen opleveren, die zij in een tijd van toenemende concurrentie en economische crisis hard nodig hebben. Vooral freelance journalisten zouden hierbij gebaat zijn, omdat zij aan de hand van een succesvol online brand gemakkelijker opdrachten kunnen verkrijgen. Deze scriptie onderzoekt middels kwalitatieve interviews met tien freelance journalisten en een inhoudsanalyse van hun sociale profielen op welke manier zij zich profileren, hoe zij hun keuzes in hun online activiteiten motiveren en hoe zich dit relateert tot traditionele journalistieke waarden als ‘objectiviteit’, ‘transparantie’ en ‘autonomie’. De resultaten van dit onderzoek vormen een uitgebreide typering van het online gedrag van freelance journalisten en hun opvattingen over sociale media. Hieruit kan worden geconcludeerd dat de respondenten de traditionele journalistieke waarden niet zo zeer herdefiniëren, maar dat er onder hen wel duidelijke verschuivingen te zien zijn in de prioritering van de journalistieke waarden. Dit betekent dat waarden als ‘autonomie’ en ‘transparantie’ tegenwoordig belangrijker worden geacht dan waarden als ‘objectiviteit’ of ‘onpartijdigheid’. Met een nieuw paradigma als ‘constructieve journalistiek’ wordt de verschuiving van deze waarden verklaard en gerechtvaardigd. Daarnaast wijzen de respondenten op het vervagen van de conceptuele grenzen van de journalistiek en benadrukken zij het belang van subcategorieën binnen het werkveld. Zo heeft de specifieke journalistieke functie waar een journalist zich mee identificeert belangrijke implicaties voor de hantering van journalistieke normen en waarden. Toch blijkt personal branding voor alle respondenten niet het belangrijkste doel van hun sociaalmediagebruik, waardoor de invloed op de journalistieke waarden beperkt blijft.Show less
Tegenwoordig worden ambtenaren geconfronteerd met een intrigerende paradox: enerzijds wordt van hen verwacht dat ze ambtelijke neutraliteit en neutrale bureaucratische competenties bezitten,...Show moreTegenwoordig worden ambtenaren geconfronteerd met een intrigerende paradox: enerzijds wordt van hen verwacht dat ze ambtelijke neutraliteit en neutrale bureaucratische competenties bezitten, anderzijds neemt de druk toe om politiek sensitief en responsief te zijn. Deze paradox weerspiegelt een verschuiving in de rol van ambtenaren, waarbij zij steeds meer dienen als instrument voor de bewindspersoon in diens politieke ambities. De ambtenaar in kwestie balanceert tussen traditionele bureaucratische normen verweven in het ministeriële bestel en de loyale uitvoering van de wil van verkozen politici, waarbij de ambtenaar zich in politieke aangelegenheden mengt. Dit onderzoek richt zich op de ambtenaren die zich bezighouden met overheidscommunicatie via de sociale media van bewindspersonen op Nederlandse ministeries. Er wordt onderzocht in welke mate functionele politisering van hun werkzaamheden plaatsvindt en wat dit veroorzaakt.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
Social Networking Sites (SNS) can be valuable tools to connect people with shared interests worldwide. However, SNS screentime has increased drastically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic....Show moreSocial Networking Sites (SNS) can be valuable tools to connect people with shared interests worldwide. However, SNS screentime has increased drastically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Excessive use of SNS has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in previous studies. Contrary to the majority of studies on SNS, which usually rely on correlations, this study used an experimental approach to examine the relationship between SNS use, depression, and anxiety. Fear of missing out (FOMO) was also investigated as a potential mediating factor. To manipulate SNS screentime a multifaceted intervention was built based on results from previous experimental studies and input from a focus group (N = 3). A convenience sample of first year psychology students (N = 122) had been collected and split into three groups. The intervention group was instructed to follow the smartphone use intervention, while participants in the active-control group received instructions with little expected influence on screentime. Both groups were instructed to reduce their smartphone use as much as possible for two weeks. The waitlist-control group was told their intervention would begin in two weeks. SNS screentime, anxiety, depression and FOMO were assessed pre- and post- intervention. The results show significantly lower post-intervention SNS screentime in both intervention groups but not in the waitlist-control group. Depression scores were significantly lower in the intervention group but not for the active-control or waitlist-control condition. No significant group differences for anxiety were found. The mediation analysis obtained no significant results for FOMO as a potential mediator variable. Overall, the findings suggest participants reduced their smartphone usage regardless of the received set of rules. However, only participants in the intervention group showed fewer depressive symptoms. Limitations and suggestions for future research on SNS use were discussed.Show less
Social Networking Sites (SNS) can be valuable tools to connect people with shared interests worldwide. However, SNS screentime has increased drastically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic....Show moreSocial Networking Sites (SNS) can be valuable tools to connect people with shared interests worldwide. However, SNS screentime has increased drastically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Excessive use of SNS has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in previous studies. Contrary to the majority of studies on SNS, which usually rely on correlations, this study used an experimental approach to examine the relationship between SNS use, depression, and anxiety. Fear of missing out (FOMO) was also investigated as a potential mediating factor. To manipulate SNS screentime a multifaceted intervention was built based on results from previous experimental studies and input from a focus group (N = 3). A convenience sample of first year psychology students (N = 122) had been collected and split into three groups. The intervention group was instructed to follow the smartphone use intervention, while participants in the active-control group received instructions with little expected influence on screentime. Both groups were instructed to reduce their smartphone use as much as possible for two weeks. The waitlist-control group was told their intervention would begin in two weeks. SNS screentime, anxiety, depression and FOMO were assessed pre- and post-intervention. The results show significantly lower post-intervention SNS screentime in both intervention groups but not in the waitlist-control group. Depression scores were significantly lower in the intervention group but not for the active-control or waitlist-control condition. No significant group differences for anxiety were found. The mediation analysis obtained no significant results for FOMO as a potential mediator variable. Overall, the findings suggest participants reduced their smartphone usage regardless of the received set of rules. However, only participants in the intervention group showed fewer depressive symptoms. Limitations and suggestions for future research on SNS use were discussed.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
Due to the rise of the internet and social media in the 21st century, we are seeing a shift in behaviours from the offline to the online world. This has both positive and negative consequences. One...Show moreDue to the rise of the internet and social media in the 21st century, we are seeing a shift in behaviours from the offline to the online world. This has both positive and negative consequences. One of these consequences is a rise in cyberbullying cases, which could lead to negative effects for victims. Therefore, it is important to research ways to prevent cyberbullying. The goal of this research paper was to investigate the relationship between social media use and perpetration of cyberbullying and what role gender plays in this relationship, thereby possibly identifying gender and social media use as possible risk factors for perpetration of cyberbullying. The study assessed self-reported social media use including sexting and cyberbullying experiences and behaviours in a sample of 120 young adults between the ages of 18 to 24 years old (N = 38 males, Mean age = 21.94). Data was analysed with a multiple regression analysis. Results showed that, for women, there was a positive relationship between social media use and the perpetration of cyberbullying. For men no such relationship was found. Our findings are in line with evolutionary and gender socialization theories that suggest women are more inclined to use indirect forms of aggression whereas men are more inclined to use direct forms. These results have implications for future research into risk factors for cyberbullying and for identifying risk factors to prevent perpetration in practice. The focus in research and in practice should not only lie in identifying individual risk factors, but also consider the importance of gender effects.Show less
To examine the relationship between alexithymia and digital problem behaviour, a systematic review was conducted. Problematic internet use, problematic use of social media and problematic gaming...Show moreTo examine the relationship between alexithymia and digital problem behaviour, a systematic review was conducted. Problematic internet use, problematic use of social media and problematic gaming behaviour are included as types of digital problem behaviour. The main research question is: How is alexithymia related to problematic use of internet, social media and videogames? To examine the relationship, a systematic research was conducted. After having executed the research 266 articles were selected. However, after excluding all of the identical articles only 167 were left. Out of the 167 studied, 23 studies were included. Studies were excluded if they were not labelled as empirical, written in another language than English or Dutch; and lastly, if they had a clinical sample besides alexithymia. The selected studies were double coded on the methodological features: chosen study design, sample size, and used research instruments. Combining all 23 studies a total of 41.274 participants was established. The median of all these studies was 429 participants. From the 23 studies, 14 were about problematic internet use, 3 about problematic use of social media and 6 about problematic gaming behaviour. 20 of the 23 studies found a positive significant relationship between alexithymia and problematic internet use, problematic use of social media and problematic gaming behaviour. However, the reliability of the results is questionable. Due to the fact that the cross-sectional design and sample size of all studies do not allow to draw strong conclusions. Furthermore, the use of only self-report does not contribute to the quality of the studies. Follow-up research of better quality will be necessary to draw valid conclusions about the relationship between alexithymia and digital problem behaviour.Show less
Why do many women feel the constant need to enhance their looks? How do they navigate their way in the beauty regime around them? With the help of interviews and a review of postcolonial feminist...Show moreWhy do many women feel the constant need to enhance their looks? How do they navigate their way in the beauty regime around them? With the help of interviews and a review of postcolonial feminist theories, this Master thesis explores the influences of the patriarchal, modern/colonial, and capitalist regimes on women's body image in Lebanon. Many women in Lebanon use beauty to get ahead since other ways of advancement are limited. The legacy of civil war, economic situation, and the state regime keep gender oppression institutionalized. Beautification is a short-term panacea helping individual women to rise to the top within the existing system, yet fails to address the roots of structural gender-based oppressions.Show less
The introduction of biometric SIM card registration in January 2020 requiring proof of citizenship or legal status highlighted the critical importance of mobile telephony to the livelihoods of...Show moreThe introduction of biometric SIM card registration in January 2020 requiring proof of citizenship or legal status highlighted the critical importance of mobile telephony to the livelihoods of refugees in Dar-es-Salaam. Under the Tanzanian asylum regime, legally registered refugees are neither allowed to leave their camps nor work formally. On the other hand, urban refugees with no legal status depend on mobile connectivity for creating a livelihood informally. With formal employment opportunities limited even for Tanzanian citizens, new forms of mobility in the digital era and translocal connections become lifelines for new opportunities. This thesis explores the ways in which youth in Dar-es-Salaam, both refugees and citizens, creatively use and appropriate mobile phones and social media to navigate their livelihoods. Based on interviews, focus group discussions, and digital observations during three months of research in Dar-es-Salaam, this thesis identifies three common ways of using mobile phone and social media for income generation outside of secure employment: digitally mediated communication with financial supporters, intermediation in sales transactions, and commerce via social media. The findings suggest that the interplay of both online and offline and local and translocal networks allows urban youth to capitalize on their social ties successfully. While this inventive appropriation of mobile technology enables youth to overcome the challenges of urban life, this thesis also highlights the limitations of digital mobility in resolving structural inequalities.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
