Sociality Today

A blog about how social media is changing society and civic engagement. We welcome contributions from others.

[socialitytoday]

Parisians Take to Social Media to Continue Celebrating Life

Using the hashtag #JeSuisEnTerrasse

[socialitytoday]

How to handle social media threats like ones made toward Michigan punter Blake O'Neill

University of Michigan punter Blake O'Neill has had plenty of support, not just abuse, since his fumbled snap allowed archrival Michigan State to return the ball for a last-second touchdown that beat the Wolverines on the last play of their showdown Saturday. But neither O'Neill nor...

Good post on how to deal with online threats, abusers and trolls 

[socialitytoday]

WASHINGTON — A relatively small number of citizens can grab a member of Congress's attention through social media, says a report released Wednesday.

[socialitytoday]

Hack My Mood Turns Social Media Postings Into A Mental Wellness Tool

People with mood disorders like depression or anxiety are encouraged to record their emotions in a notebook or app. But logging your feelings throughout the..

[socialitytoday]

Is it time to deal with the side effects of social media?

Another day and another headline about social media disrupting our health and well being .  

A study of students in Wales has found that when asked how often they wake at night to use social media, 22% of year 8 pupils, and 23% of year 10s, said “almost always”. A further 14% of the younger group and 15% of the older said they did so at least once a week.

In many ways social media is great, we know this, but it has happened to us so fast that, as a society, or as a human race, we haven’t had chance to think about how we use it, when we use it, how to take time out and what are the general rules of behaviour.  We haven’t thought about the new etiquette of 24/7 social communications, we just seem to be muddling on. 

Maybe it is time to step back and teach the people we care about how they should and should not be using social media in their lives (not just children but grown ups too). We could adopt a new set of norms to help us live in this brave new world of non-stop social engagement.

For starters, how about it becoming normal to switch off our social networks, maybe for an hour a day or two? Like we are told to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day, we should be told to go offline for at least a few hours a day. Or maybe something more drastic like it being considered rude to message someone after 11.00 pm on a school/work night! There are probably many more, better, suggestions. 

[socialitytoday]

Health Professionals Using Social Media in Europe’s 'Slow-Moving Disaster'

For many Syrian refugees seeking safe haven - food, water, clothing, diapers top their list of needs - and increasingly, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp

[socialitytoday]

Most say social media time as good as real life

Most people believe that the time they spend with "friends" on social media is as valuable as the time spent in person, according to a report by Deloitte.

[socialitytoday]

Frequent Use of Social Networking Sites Is Associated with Poor Psychological Functioning Among Children and Adolescents

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking

[socialitytoday]

‘Before Trump’ and ‘After Trump’: Social Media and the 2016 Campaign…So Far

Before the candidates have even taken the stage to debate each other for the first time, the 2016 presidential campaign has already gone through two eras: "Before Trump" and "After Trump." It's still a long way off from November 2016, but social media has been abuzz as more and...

[socialitytoday]

Far-right extremists in Germany turn to social media to spread their ideas | Germany | DW.COM | 20.07.2015

Neo-Nazis and far-right groups are rebranding themselves to appeal to a digital generation of potential sympathizers. @dwnews explores how extreme ideas are being shared via memes, hashtags and even online cooking shows.

[socialitytoday]

Donald Trump is dominating the social-media primary

Trump has 3.26 million Twitter followers and more than 26,000 tweets — each one more provocative than the last.

[socialitytoday]

We live in a very open transparent world where your ability to contain communications is de minimis now.

Christopher Rodrigues, the former chief executive of Visa International and Thomas Cook  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f33fa5ae-23ff-11e5-bd83-71cb60e8f08c.html#axzz3flZgcwhL 

[socialitytoday]

Social Media Is Fueling Rise In China's Divorce Rate, Lawyer Says

China’s opening up in the post-Mao era has been one of the most important trends in the global economy in the past 30 years. Yet with prosperity has come social problems. The divorce rate in the world’s most populous nation has risen along with the country’s new wealth. The government [...]

[socialitytoday]

by JULIE POUCHER HARBIN, EDITOR, ISLAMiCommentary — Q & A with REBECCA STEIN: Digital Militarism: Israel’s Occupation in the Social …

Ordinary tools of social networking have become indispensable instruments of warfare and violent conflict.”

[socialitytoday]

Expert talks psychology behind social media addiction

JACKSON, Tenn. -- If you own a smartphone, social media is probably part of your daily routine — but is it too consuming?Reports say social networking eats up at least three hours a day for the average American user.

[socialitytoday]

For many, it's a fear of missing out or "FOMO" and it's causing digital anxiety.

Are you suffering from FOMO? Here’s the cure. Put your phone down.

[socialitytoday]

ISIS expert Michael Weiss analyzes the social media behavior of ISIS in the wake of increased security alerts in the U.S. tied to the terrorist group's use of twitter.