The Contribution of SNS to Social Capital in Times of Restricted Physical Contact

Social capital is the collection of social assets and resources that provide value to an individual and on which they can rely in times of need. Social networking sites (SNS) have contributed significantly to the development of social capital. A common classification of social capital is into bridging, bonding and maintained social capital. Often social capital is built and maintained in the online and offline environments together but each environment can foster social capital separately. With the constraints on physical contact and interactivity brought about by Covid-19-related restrictions, the assumption is that there would be greater reliance on SNS to develop and maintain social capital. This research examined whether, in an environment of ongoing restricted physical social contact, the use of SNS contributes positively to the establishment and development of social capital;and whether the use of different SNS exert different influences on the establishment and development of social capital. SNS use was assessed in terms of frequency and intensity of use;and social capital was assessed in terms of bridging, bonding and maintained social capital. Three SNS (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) were studied. A cross-sectional survey of 282 New Zealand residents was used to gather the data, and regression analyses were conducted to analyse the data. Findings indicated that frequency and intensity of use were key contributors to social capital, contributing mostly towards bridging social capital and the least towards bonding social capital. Additionally, intense and frequent use of Instagram contributed most towards bridging and maintained social capital, whereas intense and frequent use of WhatsApp contributed most towards bonding social capital. The research contributes to the theoretical understanding of the role of SNS, particularly with regard to the building and maintenance of social capital but also against a background of restricted physical social contact. It is furthermore of benefit to managers who have - and can - embraced the use of SNS to build and maintain team cultures, especially in terms of Covid-19-related contact restrictions. © The Authors, (2022). All Rights Reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual authors.

A Study On Security and Privacy Risks of Self-Disclosure On Social Networking Sites During COVID-19 Pandemic

Social networking sites (SNSs) contain a large amount of information that has been self-disclosed by users around the world because it provides a platform for millions of users to express their feelings, emotions, and even deepest thoughts. Some of these information are sensitive and private and can be used by hackers to launch social engineering attacks against the user or the company the user works for. Due to the physical restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, more people turned to social media to stay connected with each other and they spent more time on social media and disclosed much more information than the pre-COVID pandemic. The objective of this research is to study the potential security risks and privacy concerns brought by the disclosed information on SNSs during the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed an automated tool to collect and analyze publicly accessible data from Twitter API using some personal keywords such as birthday, anniversary, mental health, suicide etc. to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the disclosed sensitive information. © 2022 IEEE.

Impact of Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic on the Social Networking Sites Usage and Psychological Distress among University Students

The primary aim of this study is to determine the purpose of social networking sites (SNS) usage and the severity of psychological distress among university students after experiencing a prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A total of 112 university students completed the questionnaire adapted from the Social Networking Usage Questionnaire (SNUQ) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 items (DASS-21). Descriptive results showed that the university students use SNS actively for entertainment purposes, followed by academic, social, and information purposes. The students also suffered from immense psychological distress, with anxiety being the highest, followed by depression and stress. The results indicated the potential of integrating SNS in instruction and urgency in resolving the critical psychological distress issue among university students. © ICCE 2022.All rights reserved.

Fake news believability: The effects of political beliefs and espoused cultural values

Fake news has led to a polarized society as evidenced by diametrically opposed perceptions of and reactions to global events such as the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and presidential campaigns. Popular press has linked individuals' political beliefs and cultural values to the extent to which they believe in false content shared on social networking sites (SNS). However, sweeping generalizations run the risk of helping exacerbate divisiveness in already polarized societies. This study examines the effects of individuals' political beliefs and espoused cultural values on fake news believability using a repeated-measures design (that exposes individuals to a variety of fake news scenarios). Results from online questionnaire-based survey data collected from participants in the US and India help confirm that conservative individuals tend to exhibit increasing fake news believability and show that collectivists tend to do the same. This study advances knowledge on characteristics that make individuals more susceptible to lending credence to fake news. In addition, this study explores the influence exerted by control variables (i.e., age, sex, and Internet usage). Findings are used to provide implications for theory as well as actionable insights. © 2022 The Author(s)

Source Credibility and the Information Quality Matter in Public Engagement on Social Networking Sites During the COVID-19 Crisis.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, people use social networking sites (SNSs) to seek social support, ease the move toward the social distance, and communicate and engage with one another. However, there is growing evidence that trustworthiness and quality of information can affect individuals' online engagement behaviors. This study proposes a theoretical model to test people's online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic by applying the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Through a questionnaire survey of 630 SNS users, the study examines whether and how source credibility and information quality affect people's online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The model was tested using structural equation modeling. The findings show that source credibility and information quality have a significantly positive relationship with perceived benefit, while negative and significantly associated with perceived risk. Furthermore, perceived benefit is a stronger predictor of online public engagement than the perceived risk. To improve online public engagement as a crisis response strategy, careful source selection and careful generation of online crisis information should not be overlooked.

Perception and determinants of Social Networking Sites (SNS) on spreading awareness and panic during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented and unique fallout worldwide and creates colossal disruption in human survival. During the pandemic, social networking sites (SNS) played a significant role in disseminating news related to the pandemic. Methods: This research is based on primary data collected from 400 successful respondents via online Google Form. Bivariate Pearson's Chi-square and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis were performed to determine the impact of the explanatory variables on the study variables. Results: This study reveals that most respondents (n = 360, 90 %) use SNS to get up-to-date news, and 72.5 % (n = 290) read health-related information. The highest number of participants (n = 386, 96.5 %) were Facebook users. Multivariate binary logistic regression reveals that "reading news on SNS" and "sharing information related to COVID-19 on social media" significantly influence the spread of awareness of COVID-19. "Unauthentic news sources" and "stop using social media to stay away from panic" also have a substantial impact on the spread of panic during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: SNS has become an inevitable medium of information carrier nowadays. Social media users are found significantly aware of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this study might assist the concerned persons in taking the necessary steps to propagate authentic news and regulate appropriate policies to prevent spreading misinformation.

The Relationship between Intimate Partner Violence and Online Help-Seeking: A Moderated Mediation Model of Emotion Dysregulation and Perceived Anonymity.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns and isolation have limited the availability of face-to-face support services for victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Despite the growing need for online help in supporting IPV victims, far less is known about the underlying mechanisms between IPV and online help-seeking. We studied the mediating role of emotion dysregulation (ED) and the moderating role of perceived anonymity (PA) on the internet to explain IPV victims' willingness of online help-seeking (WOHS). Through a PROCESS analysis of the questionnaire data (n = 510, 318 female, 192 male, Mage = 22.41 years), the results demonstrate that: (1) ED has been linked with the experience of IPV, and IPV significantly induces ED. (2) When IPV victims realize the symptoms of ED, they have a strong willingness to seek external intervention to support themselves. ED mediates the relationship between IPV and online help-seeking. (3) For youth growing up in the era of social networking sites (SNS), personal privacy protection is an important factor when seeking online help. The anonymity of the internet has a positive effect on victims who experience IPV and ED, and it increases WOHS. This study introduces a new perspective on the psychological mechanism behind IPV victims' help-seeking behaviors, and it suggests that the improvement of anonymity in online support can be an effective strategy for assisting IPV victims.

Demystifying social media usage for insurance-related purchase intentions among senior users in the pandemic period

Due to the pandemic, there has been an increasing demand and awareness for health insurance policies, particularly by the senior population. Towards preparedness, social media has risen to prominence as the most effective means of disseminating health and insurance-related information. The research investigates the factors impacting older users' motivation to use mobile social networking sites (MSNS) to promote health-related insurance. The online questionnaire was administered to 201 participants in the age group of 60 plus years. PLS-SEM was used to test the hypotheses based on constructs derived from the protection motivation theory (PMT). The findings exhibited the associations between different dimensions like fear of COVID, usefulness, social efficacy with protection motivation. Protection motivation positively impacts the intention to purchase insurance products among senior's social media users. The study offers implications for insurance companies to further capitalise on the potential of senior social networking users. Copyright © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Perceptions of Chilean older people regarding the use of digital social networks and their relationship with subjective well-being, in the context of the SARS CoV-2 pandemic

Examining the digital divide is an important topic in the information systems literature. In this line of action, through a qualitative study, it was proposed to understand the perceptions of elderly Chilean people, regarding the use of digital social networks and perceived subjective well-being. The information was collected through semi-structured telephone interviews and a group discussion online. The phenomenon, is explained from a postpositivist paradigm, using the content analysis. Access to and use of social digital networks make it possible to play an active role in promoting the development of older people. Subjective well-being can be increased using these tools, facilitating meaningful bonding experiences, providing a perception of self-efficacy and promoting personal growth by developing their interests. It is concluded that there is a favorable perception of the use of social platforms, perceived as a contribution to quality of life and well-being which is accentuated in the current pandemic situation. © 2022, Associacao Iberica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informacao. All rights reserved.

Járványszótár: A világjárványhoz köthető szavak és kifejezések

A témájában, műfajában és nyelvezetében is egyedi alkotás a koronavírus-járvány első hullámának ideje alatt készült. A szerző kutatói alkotásának elméleti háttere kiválóan illeszkedik a Patyi-féle „egyetemi háromszög” modellhez, mely alapvetően az egyetemi működést egy hármas tevékenységrendszerben illusztrálja (kutatás–oktatás–tananyagkészítés), illetve Paavola és Hakkarainen (2005) trialogikus modelljéhez, amely az együttműködés kompetenciájával lehetőséget teremt a tanulók kreativitásának fejlesztésére, motivációjának magas szinten tartására, a munkaerőpiac által megfogalmazott kompetenciák fejlesztésére, és az élményalapú tanítás-tanulás kivitelezésére. A szerző a korpuszalapú szótárkészítés módszerével zárt és nyitott kérdéseket tartalmazó kérdőíves adatfelvételt alkalmazott a Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem Rendészettudományi Kar rendészeti szaknyelvet tanuló hallgatóinak körében. Emellett a Facebook közösségi oldalon regisztrált ismerősi körére is kiterjesztette a kutatást. Az említett elméleti háttérre épülő szó- és kifejezésgyűjtemény 96 oldal terjedelmű, 403 koronavírus-járvánnyal és karanténhelyzettel kapcsolatos, az első hullám ideje alatt leggyakrabban előforduló angol nyelvű szót, szószerkezetet, kifejezést és neologizmust, valamint azok meghatározásait tartalmazza.Alternate : The unique work in its subject matter, genre and language has been prepared during the first wave of the coronavirus epidemic. The theoretical background of the author’s research work is perfectly adjusted to Patyi’s „university triangle” model, which basically illustrates the operation of the university in a triple system of the activities (research–education–curriculum development) and Paavola and Hakkarainen’s trialogical model (2005), which creates an opportunity with the competence of cooperation to develop students’ creativity, to keep their motivation at a high level, the competencies demanded by the labour market, and to provide experiential teaching-learning. Using corpusbased dictionary method a questionnaire survey was used with closed and open questions among the students who have been learning English for law enforcement at the University of Public Service, Faculty of Law Enforcement. The author’s acquaintances registered on Facebook social media platform were also involved in the research. The 96-page collection of words and phrases collection based on the theoretical background we have introduced before involves 403 English words, word phrases, neologisms and their definitions related to the coronavirus epidemic and COVID-19 situation during the first wave.

Adverse consequences of emotional support seeking through social network sites in coping with stress from a global pandemic.

This study explores how using social networking sites (SNSs) to cope with stressors induced by a global pandemic (in this case, COVID-19) can have negative consequences. The pandemic has imposed particular stressors on individuals, such as the threats of contracting the virus and of unemployment. Owing to the lockdowns and confinements implemented to limit the spread of the pandemic, SNS use has surged worldwide. Drawing on Lazarus and Folkman's theory of stress and coping, we consider COVID-19 obsession to be an adverse emotional response to the stressors brought about by the pandemic and emotional support seeking through SNS as a coping strategy. Furthermore, we identify SNS exhaustion as an adverse outcome of this form of coping. Finally, we analyze the intention to reduce SNS use as a corrective behavioral outcome to mitigate the negative effect of SNS-mediated coping. The findings indicate that: 1) the threat of the COVID-19 disease and the threat of unemployment drive COVID-19 obsession; 2) COVID-19 obsession contributes to emotional support seeking through SNS; 3) emotional support seeking through SNS exerts a positive effect on SNS exhaustion; 4) SNS exhaustion contributes to the intention to reduce SNS use. Our results advance Information Systems (IS) research by focusing on the use of Information Technology (IT) to cope with stressors that are essentially not IT-related; such research is largely absent from previous literature. Furthermore, our paper contributes to the increasing amount of literature on IT-mediated coping with stressors and reduced social media use.