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- Fachgruppe Betriebswirtschaftslehre (15) (remove)
Visual Social Networking Sites (SNSs) enable users to present themselves favorably to gain likes and the attention of others. Especially, Instagram is known for its focus on beauty, fitness, fashion, and dietary topics. Although a large body of research reports negative weight-related outcomes of SNS usage (e.g., body dissatisfaction, body image concerns), studies examining how SNS usage relates to these outcomes are scarce. Based on the visual normalization theory, we argue that SNS content facilitates normalization of so-called thin- and fit-ideals, thereby leading to biased perceptions of the average body weight in society. Therefore, this study tests whether Instagram use is associated with perceiving that the average person weighs less. Responses of 181 survey participants confirm that Instagram use is negatively related to average weight perception of both women and men. These findings contribute to the growing body of research on how SNS use relates to negative weight-related outcomes.
Widespread on social networking sites (SNSs), envy has been linked to an array of detrimental outcomes for users’ well-being. While envy has been considered a status-related emotion and is likely to be experienced in response to perceiving another’s higher status, there is a lack of research exploring how status perceptions influence the emergence of envy on SNSs. This is important because SNSs typically quantify social interactions and reach with metrics that indicate users’ relative rank and status in the network. To understand how status perceptions impact SNS users, we introduce a new form of metric-based digital status rooted in SNS metrics that are available and visible on a platform. Drawing on social comparison theory and status literature, we conducted an online experiment to investigate how different forms of status contribute to the proliferation of envy on SNSs. Our findings shed light on how metric-based digital status influences feelings of envy on SNSs. Specifically, we could show that metric-based digital status impacts envy through increasing perceptions of others’ socioeconomic and sociometric statuses. Our study contributes to the growing discourse on the negative outcomes associated with SNS use and its consequences for users and society.
Online businesses are increasingly relying on targeted advertisements as a revenue stream, which might lead to privacy concerns and hinder product adoption. Therefore, it is crucial for online companies to understand which types of targeted advertisements consumers will accept. In recent years, users have been increasingly targeted by political advertisements, which has caused adverse reactions in media and society. Nonetheless, few studies experimentally investigate user privacy concerns and their role in acceptance decisions in response to targeted political advertisements. To fill this gap, we explore the magnitude of privacy concerns towards targeted political ads compared to “traditional” targeting in the product context. Surprisingly, we find no notable differences in privacy concerns between these data use purposes. In the next step, user preferences over ad types are elicited with the help of a discrete choice experiment in the mobile app adoption context. Our findings suggest that while targeted political advertising is somewhat less desirable than targeted product advertising, the odds of choosing an app are statistically insignificant between two data use purposes. Together, these results contribute to a better understanding of users’ privacy concerns and preferences in the context of targeted political advertising online.
With the surging reliance on videoconferencing tools, users may find themselves staring at their reflections for hours a day. We refer to this phenomenon as self-referential information (SRI) consumption and examine its consequences and the mechanism behind them. Building on self-awareness research and the strength model of self-control, we argue that SRI consumption heightens the state of self-awareness and thereby depletes participants’ mental resources, eventually undermining virtual meeting (VM) outcomes. Our findings from a European employee sample revealed contrary effects of SRI consumption across speaker vs listener roles. Engagement with self-view is positively associated with self-awareness, which, in turn, is negatively related to satisfaction with VM process, perceived productivity, and enjoyment. Looking at the self while listening to others exhibits adverse direct and indirect (via self-awareness) effects on VM outcomes. However, looking at the self when speaking exhibits positive direct effects on satisfaction with VM process and enjoyment.
Since the beginning of the recent global refugee crisis, researchers have been tackling many of its associated aspects, investigating how we can help to alleviate this crisis, in particular, using ICTs capabilities. In our research, we investigated the use of ICT solutions by refugees to foster the social inclusion process in the host community. To tackle this topic, we conducted thirteen interviews with Syrian refugees in Germany. Our findings reveal different ICT usages by refugees and how these contribute to feeling empowered. Moreover, we show the sources of empowerment for refugees that are gained by ICT use. Finally, we identified the two types of social inclusion benefits that were derived from empowerment sources. Our results provide practical implications to different stakeholders and decision-makers on how ICT usage can empower refugees, which can foster the social inclusion of refugees, and what should be considered to support them in their integration effort.
Since the beginning of the recent global refugee crisis, researchers have been tackling many of its associated aspects, investigating how we can help to alleviate this crisis, in particular, using ICTs capabilities. In our research, we investigated the use of ICT solutions by refugees to foster the social inclusion process in the host community. To tackle this topic, we conducted thirteen interviews with Syrian refugees in Germany. Our findings reveal different ICT usages by refugees and how these contribute to feeling empowered. Moreover, we show the sources of empowerment for refugees that are gained by ICT use. Finally, we identified the two types of social inclusion benefits that were derived from empowerment sources. Our results provide practical implications to different stakeholders and decision-makers on how ICT usage can empower refugees, which can foster the social inclusion of refugees, and what should be considered to support them in their integration effort.
The rapid emergence of online targeted political advertising has raised concerns over data privacy and what the government's response should be. This paper tested and confirmed the hypothesis that public attitudes toward stricter regulation of online targeted political advertising are partially motivated by partisan self-interest. We conducted an experiment using an online survey of 1549 Americans who identify as either Democrats or Republicans. Our findings show that Democrats and Republicans believe that online targeted political advertising benefits the opposing party. This belief is based on their conviction that their political opponents are more likely to be mobilized by online targeted political advertising than are supporters of their own party. We exogenously manipulated partisan self-interest considerations of a random subset of participants by truthfully informing them that, in the past, online targeted political advertising has benefited Republicans. Our findings show that Republicans informed about this had less favorable attitudes toward regulation than did their uninformed co-partisans. This suggests that Republicans' attitudes regarding stricter regulation are based not solely on concerns about privacy violations, but also, in part, are caused by beliefs about partisan advantage. The results imply that people are willing to accept violations of their privacy if their preferred party benefits from the use of online targeted political advertising.
Missing out on life
(2020)
Mobile devices have become an integral part of everyday life due to
their portability. As literature shows, technology use is not only beneficial but also has dark sides, such as addiction. Parents face the need to balance perceived benefits and risks of children’s exposure to mobile technologies. However, no study has uncovered what kind of benefits and concerns parents consider when implementing technology-related rules. We built on qualitative responses of 300
parents of children aged two to thirteen to explore concerns about, and perceived benefits of children’s smartphone and tablet usage, as well as the rules parents have developed regarding technology use. Findings point to concerns regarding children’s development, as well as benefits for both children and parents, and ultimately to new insights about mobile technology mediation. These results provide practical guidance for parents, physicians and mobile industry
stakeholders, trying to ensure that children are acting responsibly with mobile technology.
Living in a world of plenty?
(2020)
Inequality in the distribution of economic wealth within populations has been rising steadily over the past century, having reached unprecedented highs in many Western societies. However, this development is not reflected in people’s perceptions of wealth inequality, as the public tends to underestimate it. Research suggests that inequality estimates are derived from personal reference groups, which, as we propose, are expanded by social network site (SNS) use. As content on SNSs frequently revolves around events of consumption, signaling enhanced overall population wealth, this study tests the hypothesis that SNS use distorts inequality perceptions downward, i.e., increases the perception of societal equality. Responses of 534 survey participants in the United States confirm that SNS use negatively predicts perceived inequality. The relationship is stronger the more SNS users perceive the content they encounter online as real, supporting the assumption that observing other people’s behavior online lowers estimates of nationwide wealth inequality. These findings provide novel insights on inequality misperceptions by suggesting individuals’ SNS use as a new predictor of perceived wealth inequality.
How messy is your news feed
(2020)
Social Networking Sites (SNSs) are pervasive in our daily lives. However, emerging reports suggest that people are increasingly dissatisfied with their experience of SNSs News Feeds. Motivated by the cognitive load theory, the paper postulates that arrangement and presentation of information are important constituents of one’s Facebook News Feed experience. Integrating these factors into the novel concept of ‘perceived disorder’, this paper hypothesizes that the perception of disorder elicited by the Facebook News Feed plays an important role in causing discontinuance intentions. Drawing on the Stressor-Strain-Outcome Model, we suggest that perceived disorder leads to SNS discontinuance intention and is partially mediated by SNS fatigue. The paper uses the responses of 268 Facebook users to investigate these relationships and introduces perceived disorder as a novel stressor. Besides adding to the existing body of literature, these insights are of relevance to internet service providers, policy makers and SNS users.