#media use

[sarcasticcynic]

THE STATE OF THE NATION: A 50-STATE COVID-19 SURVEY

Results from a multi-wave large-scale survey conducted in all 50 states and DC. The COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public’s Polic

On July 26, the Covid States Project released a special report on "Social media news consumption and COVID-19 vaccination rates." The Project surveyed over 20,000 Americans from all 50 states, asking questions about their sources of news and their vaccination status. The findings are not surprising:

"Those who are most reliant on Facebook for information have substantially lower vaccination rates than those who rely on other sources. In fact, Facebook news consumers are less likely to be vaccinated than people who get their COVID-19 information from the often vaccine-skeptical Fox News."

Those who get their news primarily from Facebook are less likely to be vaccinated, more likely to say they will never get vaccinated, and more likely to believe debunked myths about the vaccines. Those who get their news exclusively from Facebook, and no other sources, fare even worse.

"The vaccination rates of people who get COVID news from Facebook are substantially lower than the overall population: 61% of users versus 68% of the eligible US population, and 71% for non-Facebook users. ... Among those who received COVID-19 information from Facebook but not from the other sources we asked about, 47% report being vaccinated, while 25% say they do not intend to get vaccinated. ...

"Even after accounting for demographic and other differences, we still find that getting COVID-related news from Facebook − especially exclusively from Facebook − is associated with lower vaccination levels and higher levels of vaccine resistance ... Strikingly, the vaccination odds for those who rely exclusively on Facebook are even lower than those of audience members who rely exclusively on Fox News. Vaccine resistance is also higher among those groups on Facebook compared to Fox News. The only information source that we examine with lower levels of vaccination and higher levels of vaccine resistance is Newsmax ...

"Finally, we examined the relationship between using Facebook (and other news sources) and affirmatively believing in widely circulating misinformation. ... those who rely exclusively on Facebook have relatively high levels of beliefs in misinformation (with 22% believing at least one false claim), below Newsmax (37%), and only slightly ahead of Fox news (21%). Those who relied on multiple sources of information, but not those three, had a far lower level of beliefs in misinformation, at 7%."

The full report is here.

[ithinkmysnorlaxisdepressed]

FOMO, Technology, and Pokémon

Whether it is the Pokégear, PokéNav, PokéNav Plus, Pokétch, Holo Caster, C-Gear or the Pokédex; technology has been intertwined in the Pokémon trainer’s journey. The degree of involvement of technology and connectedness in the Pokémon games and anime certainly started out ahead of the real world, but we have seen an explosion of the ‘internet of things’ and people are living more connected lives than ever before. However, with this advancement some difficulties relating to mental health have emerged.

While it is standard assumption that individuals are spending too much time connected to their various devices, it is important to examine the actual numbers.  According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project (2010), approximately 39% of individuals ages 14-17 are connected online multiple times throughout the day.  The average adolescent owns 3.5 devices (i.e., cell phones, mp3 players, tablets, gaming devices, etc.), whereas the average adult owns just less than 3 devices.  As to what people are doing with these devices, there seems to be a decrease in overall use of blogging by teens though blogging has remained stable in adults. Among teens with internet access, 73% maintain a social media presence, a compared to 47% of adults.  General internet use is at 93% in individuals ages 12 to 29, though in the entire adult population of individuals 18 and older, internet usage is at 74%. The average adolescent is estimated to spend 6.5 hours per day involved with a media-connected device (Feldman, 2011).

There is some suggestion that this level of technological involvement leads to specific problems.  While a degree of the alarm over media usage may be a result of a shift in cultural values from the unconnected world to the connected one, there is research identifying areas where poor integration of these technologies and media are cause for concern.  This research covers a variety of areas of media use; and what follows is only a small section of the data available.

In a world that is always connected, communications and notifications do not need pause for sleep. Unsurprisingly, individuals who spent more time connecting during their typical sleep times and were more likely to check their notifications reported significantly worsened satisfaction with and greater disruption of their sleep (Murdock, Horissian, & Crichlow-Ball, 2017).

Increased connectivity and the near-ubiquity of social networking has brought with it greater opportunities for negative interactions and bullying has emerged as a significant concern in an environment often without adequate monitoring.  Cyberbullying can result in depression, anxiety, peer isolation, and suicide (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).

With regard to specific mental health concerns, there appears to be a correlation between high use of media-enabled devices and mental health symptoms.  As these devices become more involved with our lives, there is evidence to show that removal of said devices from those most often using them can trigger anxiety.  When an individual who maintains a high level of uses of these devices has their device removed from their possession, they tend to experience an escalating pattern of anxiety, even when only deprived of their device for 20 minutes (Cheever, Rosen, Carrier, & Chavez, 2014).  Individuals who experience this sort of anxiety also seem to be at greater risk for specific mental health diagnoses.  A study by Rosen, Whaling, Rab, Carrier, and Cheever (2013), found that Facebook use was associated with bipolar symptoms and a greater presence of symptoms of personality disorders, especially narcissistic personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder.  Overall amount of time online was linked to increased depressive symptoms.  This research did not find any connection with playing video games, using technology for work/education, using messenger services, or using email and specific mental health diagnoses.

This is not to say that this connectivity is an altogether bad thing:  there are benefits from this degree of connectivity.  Just as the various technological devices Pokémon trainers have utilized work to make themselves better trainers; the use of social media, the internet, and connectedness can help people in significant ways.  This high degree of connectivity can lead to more frequent communication and better socialization.  Access to the internet makes available opportunities for learning beyond what is taught in the classroom.  While the quality of information on the internet can be suspect, the internet can provide a breadth of knowledge otherwise unobtainable without significant expense.  Health information that an individual might feel uncomfortable discussing with others, even their primary care physician, can be obtained (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).

Having a higher number of Facebook friends is associated with decreased depressive symptoms.  It is believed that this may be to do with the ability of social media connect people that can then be used as social support when individuals experience depression.  In other words, people who are depressed and have a high number of Facebook friends will always have someone to talk to when they feel low (Rosen, Whaling, Rab, Carrier, & Cheever, 2013).

As real life catches up to its Pokémon counterpart, there’s a chance that we will also develop the wisdom to integrate technology in our lives in a way that allows us to live better, more meaningful ways; and without the mental health pitfalls that currently intertwine with technology/media use.  In the world of Pokémon, technology is used alongside getting out into the world, connecting with other people, and gaining new information.  Based upon the above-research, it is important to note that some of the negative effects of device/media use can be avoided and the positive effects increased.  As such, those living in the modern world would benefit from protecting their sleep from digital intrusions, using social media to build friendships, applying connectivity to knowledge development, and working to maintain moderate-to-low usage habits.

Works Cited:

Cheever, N. A., Rosen, L. D., Carrier, L. M., & Chavez, A. (2014).  Out of sight is not out of mind: The impact of restricting wireless mobile device use on anxiety levels among low, moderate and high users.  Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 290-297.

Feldman, R. S. (2011). Child Development (Sixth Edition) Prentice Hall.  New York.

Murdock, K. K., Horissian, M., & Crichlow-Ball, C. (2017).  Emerging adults’ text message use and sleep characteristics: A multimethod, naturalistic study.  Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 15, 228-241.

O'Keeffe, G. S. & Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011).  Clinical report – The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families.  Pediatrics, 127, 800-804.

Pew Internet & American Life Project (2010).  Social media & mobile internet use among teens and young adults.  Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media/Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Social_Media_and_Young_Adults_Report_Final_with_toplines.pdf

Rosen, L. D., Whaling, K., Rab, S., Carrier, L. M., & Cheever, N. A. (2013).  Is Facebook creating ‘‘iDisorders’’? The link between clinical symptoms of psychiatric disorders and technology use, attitudes and anxiety. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 1243-1254.

[oaresearchpaper]

With the growing demand of communities to be well-informed, this research study determines the information seeking practices, technology awareness of key stakeholders in fishing and farming activities. Specifically, this study provides relevant results along socio-economic characteristics of the participants, their awareness of technology to boost productivity and efficiency, their access and use of media and information as well as their information-seeking practices. The descriptive-survey research design was employed in the study. Findings revealed that most of the participants take a balance in fishing and farming activities based on their socio-economic characteristics. Their access to information relies on available sources of information in their location and available media at home. Their information-seeking practices are dependent on the information needs and preferences of media in the area. Results of the study provides insights to redefining information dissemination practices and strategies catering to the immediate, relevant, and reliable information to fishers, farmers, gatherers, and processors. It is hoped that the study offers opportunity to communicating the different relevant information to the stakeholders. Particularly in this study, it is hoped that the sustained management and upscaling of the MangngalApp, boosts the productivity, cost-efficiency, and faster turnaround. The results are limited at the responses elicited thru questionnaire and focus-group discussions to a coastal community in Northern Cagayan, Philippines.

[arquitecturas-digitalesedu30]

The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens, 2021

See on Scoop.it - Arquitecturas digitales del aprendizaje para una educación 3.0

Media use for tweens and teens has grown faster since the start of the pandemic than it has over the previous four years. Our new report uncovers the content behind all this media use, and the media activities they enjoy most.

Oskar Almazan's insight:

Our latest research report confirms it. But you probably already knew that from watching your kid's device use. Here are some other quick facts from our research: More than 60% of tweens and teens watch online videos every day, and say they enjoy watching "a lot." And YouTube is the platform they can't live without. The number of tweens using social media—before they're technically old enough to do so—is growing. Here's the thing: It's nearly impossible to keep kids from screens. So why not make the best of your family's media use? A healthy relationship with screens is possible, and it starts with balancing media use with other activities like sleep, connecting with loved ones, and exercising.

[introductory-post]

Response to Ted Talk “Clay Shirky”

Throughout the 15 minute Ted Talk that was narrated by Clay Shirky, I was able to take a lot of great information in. I think Clay had a lot great examples of media use and how media has expanded throughout the past 200 years. My favorite story he told was the final one, Clay was talking about how President Obama’s team came out with a big media push, at the time it was the most searched website “BarackObama.com” it was very interesting to here that the fact that they did not control any of their visitors, and kept the website open to the public and easy to access. This was a big factor on why this webpage did so great and was a very important tool for former president on his election bid in 2008. I picked this example because I learned the most from it, Overall I enjoyed listening to Clay talk about Media use,  it was a very interesting lecture.  

[name204act]

Cougar MARS 120 Gaming Desk Review

New Post has been published on https://videogaming.newonline.help/cougar-mars-120-gaming-desk-review/

Cougar MARS 120 Gaming Desk Review

Cougar Mars 120: Introduction

If you have a computer, you’ll most likely need a desk for it and if you are a gamer with a flashy PC you may want a desk that pairs well with that! Up for review today is the Cougar MARS 120, a more budget friendly and compact version of the MARS gaming desk.

These gamer-centric desks feature carbon fiber textured desk tops, RGB addressable diffused lighting on the sides, hubs with USB, Audio, and RGB controls, and metal legs with adjustable rubber feet. The RGB lighting can be controlled by 5V addressable motherboards, devices, or the RGB Control Button on the hub. The RGB cable also has a second male pin for the option of adding another RGB device. The desk is built with solid steel legs and a cross member for increased rigidity and thus stability.

    Cougar Mars 120: Closer Look

One of the best tests for any product is seeing how it holds up after a rough shipment, and in this case the package corners were folded in and there were some partial puncture wounds. The packaging has the make and model on most sides. The bottom is plain, and the sides are repetitive save for one. One side translates the features in five different languages, and includes the specifications.

Opening the box reveals layers of styrofoam, starting with a sheet, and then a main formed piece with chambers for all the bits, then the desk top on top of another sheet of foam. The packaging seems to have protected the contents adequately, but we’ll take a closer look in a bit. The form fitted styrofoam worked perfectly to keep the contents in their designated locations. The accessories inside a hardware bag include four cable managers with double-sided tape and holes for screws, an expansion slot plate to connect the RGB cabling to your PC, a combined input and output RGB cable for controlling and expanding the 5V ARGB lighting, and various screws necessary for assembly.

  The user guide is more than adequate, using pictures to show how assembly works. It also lists features and package contents. On the other side is information regarding the hub cabling, installation, and all of the RGB lighting and control options. Follow along as we roughly go through all the assembly steps, with a few tips and tricks thrown in.

  The legs are very sturdy, and the welds are all hidden so you can’t see them except from a nearly perpendicular angle. The top of the metal feet are covered with a sheet that is wider than the tube steel, so the leg is very slender in comparison. The first step is to install the four adjustable rubber feet into the metal legs. I recommend screwing them in fully and then adjusting them after you’ve finished assembly and placed the desk where you want it. Then you can adjust each one to level it out. After that is complete we can move onto the next step.

  Next you have to get the cross member ready, along with the eight short bolts. Stickers tell you which side goes up. Cougar includes two hex wrench tools — one with a Phillips head on the long end. For these stages we need the proper hex wrench. The bolts have grooves in their heads to help lock them into place when torque’d. The legs tuck into the cross member and will mostly hold steady on their own; I recommend getting a bolt started on each side, then getting them finger tight. Then install the bolts on the opposite sides finger tight, and keep going across until you have all eight finger tight. You can tighten them up afterwards, alternating screws each time to help keep things evenly loaded until everything is nice and tight. Once that is finished, we are ready for the desk top.

  The desk top is protected by a plastic bag and styrofoam, with the top being shielded towards the center of the packaging. The only damage I could find on the Cougar MARS 120 is underneath the back right corner, which is just a light flaking of the surface coating and wouldn’t be visible normally. It will be completely hidden when the RGB sides go on anyways. Twelve hex-drive insert nuts allow you to bolt the desk top to the cross member. The leading edges of the desk are beveled dramatically for user comfort, with the carbon fiber texture wrapping around perfectly.

I recommend starting with lining up one bolt hole; set it up but don’t tighten it down, and then pivot the top to align the other holes. You will want to wait until you get all bolts in place before tightening them all in. The insert nuts have clean threads so the bolts should go in easily. If you meet strong resistance you are likely cross threading, but don’t worry — you can easily use this desk with only 11 bolts in the worst case scenario.

When the last bolt I started to torque decided to cross thread, I stopped immediately, backed it out allowing the insert nut to follow. I allowed it to back out until it bottomed out against the cross member, and then I was able to keep driving the bolt out. The hex wrench fits through the bolt hole to tighten the insert nut back up — be gentle so you don’t damage the desk! The first thread on the bolt was chewed up a bit but it hadn’t jumped teeth, so I started it again, making sure I was lined up and perpendicular again. After getting it started I turned the wrench back and forth, slowly driving the bolt in and out a bit and slowly working deeper. After only a turn or so it moved freely, and was able to tighten up perfectly. When in doubt, back it out! If you try to drive a cross threaded bolt through you will be miserable. Assembly is nearly finished!

  The RGB sides are held on by two bolts that are stored in a plastic bag. The RGB lighting cable uses a three-pin quick disconnector. Plastic tape protects the Cougar logos on both pieces. Installation is as simple as pressing the sides on, sliding them back or forth to line up the bolt holes with the threaded inserts. After the hub is installed, you can then connect the RGB cables.

  The hub of the Cougar MARS 120 has USB 2.0, USB 3.0, audio and microphone jacks, two RGB connectors — a short one for the right side and a long one for the left, and a miniature Molex cable for hooking the RGB up to a PC motherboard for control. A plastic sheet protects the face of the hub until you’ve finished installing it. Four Phillips head screws secure it to the desk top. You will want to take advantage of the four cable management devices, otherwise the cables will be messy.

  The colors are very vivid and shine nicely against the carbon fiber texture! The built-in control switch is simple, but provides a lot of options for those that can’t or don’t want to use their motherboards for RGB control. The white color is very cool-white, but a nice clean white versus the purplish white that some RGB LEDs produce when trying to simulate white. If you like RGB, this isn’t really distracting once you get past the mesmerizing RGB effects. In actual gaming or media use, it was more like the new trend of screen backlighting, it didn’t really negatively affect my experience at all. It could help those with keyboards that are not backlit too. The RGB side bars also have a practical use in keeping things from sliding off the sides of your desk.

  The desk has plenty of room for large mouse pads, and is very welcoming to sit at with the large beveled leading edge. The Cougar Mars 120 is large enough to fit large UltraWide screens easily. I believe it would have been smarter to mount the hub on the left side of the desk, but it isn’t necessarily a critical problem. I was able to use the monitor base to route a headset out of the way of the mouse, which is the main potential issue with the hub being mounted on the right side of the desk in my opinion. The desk looks futuristic and fun with the RGB lighting, I just wish it had a strip underneath, but I could add that myself easily. The desk is a great height, I would love to see a model with electric height adjustment!

  Cougar Mars 120: Specifications

Model COUGAR MARS 120 Gaming Desk Product size (WxHxD) 1250 x 810 x 740 mm / 49.2 x 31.9 x 29.1 in

Right I/O control box RGB button x 1 / USB2.0 x 1 / USB3.0 x 1 / 3.5mm Audio jack x 1 / 3.5mm Microphone jack x 1 Weight tolerance 150 kg / 330 lb Net Weight 31.3 kg / 69 lb RGB

RGB Control: Button, or 5V Addressable RGB Header. Press the Control button for three seconds to initialize external control, one second for Button control. Can be used with Compatible ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, or ASRock Motherboards. Second port to expand other devices.

Information Courtesy of Cougar @ https://cougargaming.com/us/products/desks/mars-120/

  Cougar Mars 120: Conclusion

The Cougar MARS 120 is a very solid, spacious, stunning gaming desk! With the side lighting using a solid color it can be very Tron-esque, while multiple RGB modes provide plenty of technicolor illumination. The hub is very useful, although I wish it was mounted on the left side for improved convenience. Adding external RGB control through motherboards is a very nifty feature, and the included expansion bracket provides a convenient option that is easily removable.

The legs are very sleek, and look nice against the sharpness of the glossy carbon fiber textured desk top. The desk has a weight tolerance of up to 330 lb, more than enough for a big heavy computer, monitor, and the peripherals. The MARS 120 is the perfect size, big enough for most jobs while being small enough for most spaces, and I certainly was not left wanting for more space. With monitors under 40 inches you will have room for desktop speakers, but over 40 inches you may not — although in that case you will oftentimes want to wall mount them instead.

The Cougar MARS 120 is a sleek and beautiful futuristic RGB gaming desk!

Source link neoseeker.com

[annaliesegrant]

My name is Annaliese Grant and I am a researcher at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, doing research on media use in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are at least 18 years old and live in the United States, I would love your response to the online survey below! The survey should only take about 15 minutes to complete and all questions are totally voluntary. Feel free to message, email, or text me if you have any questions, and feel free to share!

Contact me: [email protected], [phone]

Click here to take the survey: https://uwmadison.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5aoM30r9YRIDipD