How Social Media Affects Social or Psychological Norms/Behavior

Annotated Bibliography: How Social Media Affects Social or Psychological Norms/Behavior
NET ID
INF 100 -Summer 2017
How Social Media Affects Social or Psychological Norms/Behavior
Introduction
While social media platforms have made increasing contributions to socioeconomic and political developments, a recognized cluster of norms are yet to catch up with the speed in which the public has adopted the networking sites (Liggett & Ueberall, 2016). This has resulted in ambiguity regarding what can be perceived as appropriate while using these sites. It is therefore important to appreciate the unique features of the platforms and their direct impact in the creation of social or psychological norms/behaviors. Social media involve large networks and extensive sharing, and it is central for users to keep track of a number of complex behaviors that can be regarded as acceptable across networking groups. Social media also facilitates intricate communication style that increases a focus on self-interest, thus making it challenging to take the views of others.
The increasing access to social media as a strategy for emotional release has made the society to be more sensitive to events that fail to go as planned, thus leading to impulsive behaviors and frustrations. According to Ramasubbu (2015), an important issue with social media is that communication has become largely disjointed, an aspect that has made it easier for users to divert attention from others. This problem is further aggravated by the lack of face-to-face communication, which inhibits users the ability to physically recognize other people’s distress and the capacity to empathize with others in the society (Liggett & Ueberall, 2016).
The perceived anonymity of social networking sites creates a sense of deindividuation and diffusion of responsibility. This is particularly impactful as it increases conformity to detrimental views and a decline in critical thinking and the capacity to report any harmful content sourced from the platforms. This paper seeks to explore the unique features of social media and how it impacts the creation of social or psychological norms/behavior.
Key words used: “social media”, “psychological behavior”, “social networking sites”, “social media” AND “psychological norms”, “effects of social media” OR “social media effects, “Facebook AND psychological effects”, “social networks and society”
Databases used:
1 PsycINFO (ProQuest)
2 ScienceDirect (Elsevier)
3 Communication Abstracts (EBSCOhost)
Annotated Bibliography
Books
Qualman, E. (2011). Socialnomics: how social media transforms the way we live and do business. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons
“Socialnomics: how social media transforms the way we live and do business” is a textbook by Erik Qualman published in 2011. The book offers invaluable insights into major changes in the behaviors, macro trends and constructs resulting from the use of social media. The author provides examples and case studies that are relevant to individual readers or organizations that have all been impacted by the emergence of social networking sites. Divided into ten chapters, Qualman begins the introductory section by exploring the importance of social media and delves further to examine the behaviors that emerge among the public in this social media age. The use of social media during the U.S. presidential campaigns and the success that it derived is discussed in the fourth chapter. Chapter seven of the book covers the benefits and demerits social media users are likely to experience. This book will be invaluable in assessing the role of social media in influencing the behavior of its users. From companies to learning institutions, social media continues to be recognized as a tool of change as it potently works to influence the masses.
Walsh-Childers, K. (2016). Mass Media and Health: Examining Media Impact on Individuals and the Health Environment. New York: Taylor & Francis
Kim Walsh-Childers published a book entitled “Mass Media and Health: Examining Media Impact on Individuals and the Health Environment,” and it examines how mass media impacts on people’s health. The author argues that social networking sites influence people’s behaviors, either the health behavior of an individual, or through the development of a health policy. This book will be instrumental in conducting an analysis on how social media impacts on social norms, particularly on people’s health. This book tends to examine how mass media impacts on health change, particularly through advocacy and influencing the coverage of health. Studies have shown that policy making is usually supported by legislations as well as health communication and health policy development. The book also focuses on the unintended impacts effects on mass media on people’s health and the individual behavior of people. A healthier behavior is an important issue when it comes determining how people live and the policies that they maintain a healthy body. This book addresses the messages that are transferred through mass media and this includes health promotion campaigns, such as anti-smoking.
Journal Articles
Contractor, N., S., & DeChurch, L., A., (2014), Integrating social networks and human social motives to achieves to achieve social influence at scale. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,111(4)13650-13657
In this article, “Integrating social networks and human social motives to achieves to achieve social influence at scale” Noshir S. Contractor & Leslie A DeChurch illustrate the relationship between social relations structure and the social motives of individuals and how they can impact the community. This explains how the outcome of this affects the social influence scientific communication. The basis of all this is from a background of social science. The article indicates clearly that there is a relationship between social networks and the changes in behaviors and attitudes. With regard to psychology, the motives have been highlighted to demonstrate their impact on changes in behavior and human attitudes. Social networks seek to identify who to influence as the communication takes place. The paper explains the need for affiliation through the social networks. The article is credible in the sense that the authors are renowned scholars in the department of industrial engineering and management science, communication studies and management and organizations from Northwestern University. There ought to be an understanding of the networks involved in terms of who was influenced by whom and how were they influenced. The strategies involved in the communication process are based on the social motives of the opinion leaders.
Young, S. D., & Jordan, A. H. (2013). The Influence of Social Networking Photos on Social Norm...