Focused Discussion (Asynchronous - Online Only)
Facebook and Twitter - the Rise and Risks of Moderating African Leaders View Digital Media
Focused Discussion Kirubel Tadesse Ayetenfisu
Since violent protests erupted at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, social media companies have aggressively censored politicians, including in Africa. Facebook removed a post by the Ethiopian prime minister for "inciting and supporting violence," while Twitter deleted the Nigerian president's tweet for "abusive behavior." These decisions highlight the shift from the hands-off policy the leading social media companies have long approached political leaders with. As a response, African leaders, who have long targeted the platforms, are looking for ways to circumvent the constraints, including blocking citizens' access to the platforms. Nigeria presents a rare case of an African government successfully compelling a major social media company to establish a local presence. Nigeria's apparent success could inspire copycats across the region. What are the possible benefits and risks of emulating the Nigerian approach to have American tech companies agree to establish a legal presence, open offices, and name country representatives? Potential benefits include the companies paying taxes to local governments, creating much-needed employment opportunities, and appreciating local values and context when making content moderation policies and decisions. However, with this arrangement, there is a risk of spreading "collateral" or "delegated" censorship that would undermine democratic transitions in the region. Existing draconian laws could also be used to silence dissidents and further oppress marginalized groups. This paper examines the intensified tension between private ordering and government actors in the issue of content moderation and brings attention to the topic and the region which did not receive enough scholarly attention.
How do Parasocial Relationships with Instagram Influencers Influence Consumer Habits of Female Saudi Followers with Special Reference to Luxury Brands View Digital Media
Focused Discussion Shahla Mohammed A Geoffrey
This research provides insight into the complex dynamics of parasocial relationships between Instagram influencers (Instafamous) and consumers of luxury brands on social media. In so doing, it seeks to examine how these virtual relationships mediate the consumer habits of Saudi female with respect to luxury brands. Building on the convergence between theories of Social Influence and Parasocial Relationship, this research seeks to interrogate the social psychology of parasocial relationships between Instagram influencers and consumers to examine the positionality of influence in reconfiguring attitudes towards the marketplace and luxury goods employing qualitative methodology. This research is one of the few studies that focuses on parasocial relationships, Instafamous and consumer engagements with luxury brands in a Saudi Arabian context. Marketing practitioners can benefit from the findings of this research in improving customer engagements with luxury brands through hiring Instafamous who are more likely to develop parasocial relationships their followers to promote their brands.
Online on the Frontline: A Longitudinal Social Media Analysis of UK Healthcare Workers’ Attitudes to COVID-19 Vaccines Using the 5C Framework View Digital Media
Focused Discussion Noémie Déom
During the pandemic, we observed new forms of social organisation for Healthcare Workers (HCWs) on social media. Little is known about how HCWs employ social media to share their experiences and attitudes about COVID-19 vaccines, including related misinformation. Through social media analysis using Twitter data, we assessed HCW perceptions and views about the administration and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in the UK. We were also interested in exploring HCWs’ personal experiences and attitudes towards taking the COVID-19 vaccines themselves. First, we collected Twitter data using the media monitoring and analysis softwares Meltwater™ and Pulsar™. Next, we ran an advanced Boolean search to identify and collect posts from users who identified as HCWs and mentioned the delivery, administration, or personal experience of COVID-19 vaccines over a period of two years. We then evaluated Tweets according to the ‘5C framework’ of Confidence, Complacency, Constraints, Calculation, and Collective responsibility to capture relevant predictors of vaccination behaviours among HCWs. Through our analysis, we draw upon sociology, ethics, communication studies, and use research methods concentrating on social media and media analysis. We therefore chose to use theories that would help us understand the positionality of the authors – rather than, for instance, the impact their messages might have on other users’ positions regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. Our overarching aim is to document the social media discussions by HCWs about vaccination, particularly in relation to views and experiences with COVID-19 vaccines and reflection about the related public health policies, with implications for future vaccine rollouts and vaccine policies.
