Search Results (584)

In an era where digitalization shapes economic and social landscapes, the intersection of digital skills, ethics, and integrity plays a crucial role in understanding the vulnerability of youth classified as NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). This study explores how risky internet use and digital skill gaps contribute to socio-economic exclusion, integrating a multivariate and spatial approach to assess regional disparities in Europe. This study adopts a systems thinking perspective to explore digital exclusion as an emergent outcome of multiple interrelated subsystems. The research employs logistic regression, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Promax rotation, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to examine the impact of digital behaviors on NEET status. Using Eurostat data aggregated at the country level for the period (2000–2023) across 28 European countries, this study evaluates 24 digital indicators covering social media usage, instant messaging, daily internet access, data protection awareness, and digital literacy levels. The findings reveal that low digital skills significantly increase the likelihood of being NEET, while excessive social media and internet use show mixed effects depending on socio-economic context. A strong negative correlation between digital security practices and NEET status suggests that youths with a higher awareness of online risks are less prone to socio-economic exclusion. The GIS analysis highlights regional disparities, where countries with limited digital access and lower literacy levels exhibit higher NEET rates. Digital exclusion is not merely a technological issue but a multidimensional socio-economic challenge. To reduce the NEET rate, policies must focus on enhancing digital skills, fostering online security awareness, and addressing regional disparities. Integrating GIS methods allows for the identification of territorial clusters with heightened digital vulnerabilities, guiding targeted interventions for improving youth employability in the digital economy. Full article

This research examines how influencer information spreads and is accepted by consumers, focusing on a Tunisian sample of social media users, and how these effects percolate into consumers’ perception of the quality of cosmetic products. Drawing on the Information Adoption Model (IAM), this study develops a conceptual framework adapted to the social media landscape, particularly the TikTok platform. To test this framework, we conducted a survey targeting 285 consumers using a non-random sampling frame, primarily through Facebook and Instagram. The findings suggest that consumers perceive influencer information as useful when they believe it is credible and of high quality. Interestingly, while high-quality information tends to lead to influencer information adoption, credibility alone does not guarantee adoption. Additionally, our study emphasizes the role of influencer information usefulness in driving its adoption. One notable discovery is the link between influencer information adoption and consumers’ perceptions of the quality of cosmetic products. However, this correlation does not hold equally for both genders, thus suggesting a moderation effect between gender and influencer information processing in this context. Full article

In recent studies, public health has been considered a key stakeholder in climate mitigation and adaptation in cities since they are more exposed to the impact of climate change. Nurses represent a vast majority of public health professionals, playing a key role in health promotion that allows them to influence individuals, families, and communities in adopting healthier behaviours and decarbonized lifestyles. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to map the existing evidence on nursing interventions, which are being led or implemented to reduce the health risks related to climate change in urban areas. The present review follows the JBI methodological framework, including a search on PubMed, MEDLINE complete, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), and RCAAP. Hand searched references were also considered, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies between January 2014 and October 2024, for a more contemporary perspective. A three-step search strategy and data extraction tool were used by two independent reviewers. Twenty-seven studies in English and Portuguese were eligible for inclusion, all targeting a population of professionals with nursing-related roles: two case studies, one Delphi panel, one descriptive study, one historical research paper, two using a methodological design format, four narrative reviews, one observational study, nine review articles, three scoping reviews, and three systematic reviews. Eight categories of nursing interventions that contribute to decarbonized lifestyles, reducing health risks in relation to climate change, were acknowledged. Nurses play a key role in empowering individuals, families, and communities, promoting climate awareness and literacy, supporting health policy change, advocating for the most vulnerable and engaging in environmental activism, using evidence-based research, and taking advantage of marketing strategies and social media. Full article

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing and social media is gaining scholarly interest. While AI technologies offer significant potential for enhancing customer engagement (CE), their effectiveness depends on an industry’s level of digital and AI readiness. This is especially relevant for people-centric sectors such as tourism and hospitality, where digital maturity remains relatively low. This study aims to understand how AI supports CE and social media marketing (SMM), and to identify the key antecedents and consequences of its use. Using the PRISMA approach, we conduct a systematic review of 55 peer-reviewed empirical studies on AI-based CE and SMM. Our analysis identifies the main contributing theories and AI technologies in the field, and uncovers four central themes: (1) AI in customer service and user experience design, (2) AI-based customer relationships with brands, (3) AI-driven development of customer trust, and (4) cultural differences and varying levels of AI readiness. We also develop a conceptual framework that outlines the determinants and outcomes of AI-based CE, including relevant moderators and mediators. The study concludes with directions for future research and provides theoretical and managerial implications, particularly for the tourism and hospitality industries. Full article

The Harry Potter fandom community around the world prefers a universe of wizards and witches that includes all people, but also has concerns about the author’s perspective regarding gender identity. This disjunction paralyzes the cultural reader with moral confusion, which is a danger to their emotional investment in the text. Although scholars have analyzed this phenomenon using fragmented prisms, such as social media activism, cognitive engagement, translation, pedagogy, and fan creativity, there is no unifying model that can be used to understand why reading pleasure endures. This article aims to fill this gap by examining these strands of research in a divergent manner, adopting a convergent mixed-methods study approach. Based on neurocognitive (EEG) values, cross-cultural focus groups, social media analysis, and corpus linguistics, we outline the terrain of reader coping mechanisms. We identify separate fan fractions and examine the corresponding practices. The results are summarized by proposing a model called the MDRL (Moral dissonance repair loop) which is a theoretical model that shows how translation smoothing, pedagogical reframing and fan-based re-moralization interact with one another in creating a system that enables the reader to be collectively able to obtain their relations with the text back to a manageable point and continue being engaged. This model makes a theoretical contribution to new areas in the study of fans, moral psychology, and cognitive literature. Full article

This study examines the role of AI tools in improving public communication via social media analysis. It reviews five of the top platforms—Google Cloud Natural Language, IBM Watson NLU, Hootsuite Insights, Talkwalker Analytics, and Sprout Social—to determine their accuracy in detecting sentiment, predicting trends, optimally timing content, and enhancing messaging engagement. Adopting a structured model approach and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SMART PLS, this research uses 500 influencer posts from five Arab countries. The results demonstrate the impactful relationships between AI tool functions and communication outcomes: the utilization of text analysis tools significantly improved public engagement (β = 0.62, p = 0.001), trend forecasting tools improved strategic planning decisions (β = 0.74, p < 0.001), and timing optimization tools enhanced message efficacy (β = 0.59, p = 0.004). Beyond the technical dimensions, the study addresses urgent ethical considerations by outlining a five-principle ethical governance model that encourages transparency, fairness, privacy, human oversee of technologies, and institutional accountability considering data bias, algorithmic opacity, and over-reliance on automated solutions. The research adds a multidimensional framework for propelling AI into digital public communication in culturally sensitive and linguistically diverse environments and provides a blueprint for improving AI integration. Full article

Recent research in digital migration studies analyzes both refugee populations’ social media use and so-called integration outcomes. Against the backdrop of digitalization, we argue for understanding belonging as part of an ongoing process in physical, virtual and hybrid continuities, where material aspects cannot be divorced from imagined constructions. We take the case of Ukrainian women arriving in the Netherlands following the Russian aggression against Ukraine, in 15 semi-structured interviews from 2023. Adopting an intersectional lens, our research asks the following questions: How does social media use mediate or inform a sense of belonging? How do observations correspond to or differ from previous studies on refugees and social media, given this population’s temporary protection (TP) status? As participants leverage digital platforms differently in evolving situations, they navigate connectedness to the new community; we argue this may be linked to distinct TP status and other characteristics of difference, including educational levels and digital literacy. Conclusions indicate that an intersectional lens could be applied in understanding Ukrainian perspectives in other Member States—or beneficiaries of differing origin—to better account for how intersectional dimensions like legal status can be mutually constitutive of virtual connectedness versus material, physical rootedness or vulnerability. Full article

Workplace violence (WPV) is a prevailing global concern among healthcare providers (HCPs). Pharmacists may be more vulnerable to WPV than other HCPs due to being the most trusted, approachable, and accessible healthcare workers. However, in Saudi Arabia, there is little research on violence in the workplace among pharmacists working in different sectors. This is a cross-sectional survey study. An online survey was adopted from previous studies and distributed to a convenience sample of pharmacists by email and social media using a link to a web-based survey platform in QuestionPro. SPSS 28 was used for analysis. Logistic regression was employed to assess the association between WPV exposure and the participants’ characteristics. Three hundred and nineteen pharmacists participated in the study. A total of 156 (48.9%) reported exposure to workplace violence. Most participants had experienced verbal abuse (39.7%). Most offenders were male (84.6%), and aged 21–45 years (66.7%). Common causes included lack of a penalty (13.3%), and absence of reporting systems (11.4%). Seventy-eight percent of participants reported that the violence affected them negatively, leading to hopelessness (19.7%), and decreased work performance and productivity (15.1%). Logistic regression indicated that working as a staff (OR: 3.165; 95% CI 1.118–8.96, p = 0.030), working evening or night shift (OR: 2.4456; 95% CI 1.340–4.503, p = 0.004), and lacking procedure for reporting the violence (OR: 0.412; 95% CI 0.236–0.717, p = 0.002) were more likely to be victim of workplace violence than their counterparts. In Saudi Arabia, the risk of WPV events occurrence among pharmacists is high. The findings can guide the creation of appropriate policies, actions, and safety procedures to prevent and address WPV against pharmacists. Full article

Geographic information systems (GISs) have shown considerable promise in enhancing textual semantic analysis. Current textual semantic analysis methods face significant limitations in accurately delineating semantic boundaries, identifying semantic clustering patterns, and representing knowledge evolution. To address these issues, this study proposes a framework that innovatively introduces GIS methods into textual semantic analysis and aligns them with the conceptual foundation of geographical metaphor theory. Specifically, word embedding models are employed to endow semantic primitives with comprehensive, high-dimensional semantic representations. GIS methods and geographical metaphors are subsequently utilized to project both semantic primitives and their relationships into a low-dimensional geospatial analog, thereby constructing a semantic space model that facilitates accurate delineation of semantic boundaries. On the basis of this model, spatial correlation measurements are adopted to reveal underlying semantic patterns, while knowledge evolution is represented using ArcGIS 10.7-based visualization techniques. Experiments on social media data validate the effectiveness of the framework in semantic boundary delineation and clustering pattern identification. Moreover, the framework supports dynamic three-dimensional visualization of topic evolution. Importantly, by employing specialized visualization methods, the proposed framework enables the intuitive representation of semantic symmetry and asymmetry within semantic spaces. Full article

This study examines whether China’s rapid spread of internet and mobile information technologies has translated into greater household support for government air-quality programs. Using nationally representative data from the Chinese General Social Survey (2018), this study estimates the causal impact of digital media use on residents’ willing to pay (WTP) each month for one additional “good-air” day. Ordinary least squares shows that individuals who rely primarily on the internet or mobile push services are willing to contribute CNY 1.9–2.7 more—about 43 percent above the sample mean of CNY 4.41. To address potential endogeneity, we instrumented digital media adoption using provincial computer penetration; two-stage least squares yielded roughly CNY 10.5, confirming a causal effect. Mechanism tests showed that digital access lowers complacency about local air quality, strengthens anthropogenic attribution of pollution, and heightens the moral norm that economic sacrifice is legitimate, jointly mediating the rise in WTP. Heterogeneity analyses revealed stronger effects among high-income households and renters, while extended tests showed that (i) the impact intensifies when the promised environmental gain rises from one to three or five clean-air days, (ii) attention to international news can crowd out local WTP, and (iii) digital media raise not only the likelihood of paying but also the amount paid among existing contributors. The findings suggest that targeted digital outreach—especially messages with concrete, locally salient goals—can substantially enlarge the fiscal base for air-quality initiatives, helping China advance its ecological-civilization and dual-carbon objectives. Full article

Metaverse is reshaping how brands approach marketing, providing alternative and innovative methods for marketers to redefine their brands and reinvent the customer experience. Different sectors are still exploring the possibilities of the metaverse and are now adopting a test-and-learning mindset. This study explores consumer acceptance of metaverse marketing for branding and pre-purchase activities, comparing its effectiveness with social media platforms. Using a survey of 197 participants (45% experiencing a metaverse space on Spatial.io, 55% using Instagram), we investigated factors influencing intention to use and purchase intention through a closed-ended questionnaire. The results show that perceived usefulness is the primary driver of use intention in the metaverse (β = 0.573, p < 0.001), while habit significantly influences platform preference, particularly for social media (β = 0.767, p < 0.001). These findings provide marketers with actionable insights to leverage interactive virtual environments, enhancing branding and pre-purchase experiences by prioritizing usability and familiarity. Full article

This study examines how social media platforms influence tourism marketing strategies, consumer perceptions, and travel behaviors, addressing their sustainability implications. It aims to evaluate the current state of research on social media in tourism marketing, identify dominant trends, assess empirical evidence of impact, and critically highlight research gaps. The analysis focuses on three core marketing outcomes: destination image, travel intention, and user engagement—and includes a section examining sustainability considerations across environmental, sociocultural, and economic dimensions. The study uses a systematic critical review of 147 peer-reviewed academic articles published between 2015 and 2025, combined with a meta-analysis of 38 quantitative studies that report statistical effect sizes. The meta-analysis uses a random-effects model to compare the influence of different platforms and study contexts. Moderator variables include geographic region, platform type, and methodological design. Findings show that social media marketing has a statistically significant positive effect on destination image (Cohen’s d = 0.61), travel intention (d = 0.54), and user engagement (d = 0.43). The analysis also reveals geographic bias, limited research on emerging platforms, and a lack of longitudinal and ethical inquiry. Findings suggest that tourism researchers and marketers may have to adopt more context-sensitive, interdisciplinary, and ethical approaches. Critical sustainability concerns emerge, including “overtourism”, cultural commodification, digital inequities, and algorithmic biases. Further studies may focus on specific platform-related behaviors, long-term impacts, and integrated online strategies appropriate for global tourism diversity. Lastly, this paper advocates for context-sensitive, interdisciplinary, and ethically grounded approaches to ensure sustainable digital tourism marketing strategies. Full article

Facial authentication has gained widespread adoption as a biometric authentication method, offering a convenient alternative to traditional password-based systems, particularly on mobile devices equipped with front-facing cameras. While this technology enhances usability and security by eliminating password management, it remains highly susceptible to spoofing attacks. Adversaries can exploit facial recognition systems using pre-recorded photos, videos, or even sophisticated 3D models of victims’ faces to bypass authentication mechanisms. The increasing availability of personal images on social media further amplifies this risk, making robust anti-spoofing mechanisms essential for secure facial authentication. To address these challenges, we introduce FaceCloseup, a novel liveness detection technique that strengthens facial authentication by leveraging perspective distortion inherent in close-up shots of real, 3D faces. Instead of relying on additional sensors or user-interactive gestures, FaceCloseup passively analyzes facial distortions in video frames captured by a mobile device’s camera, improving security without compromising user experience. FaceCloseup effectively distinguishes live faces from spoofed attacks by identifying perspective-based distortions across different facial regions. The system achieves a 99.48% accuracy in detecting common spoofing methods—including photo, video, and 3D model-based attacks—and demonstrates 98.44% accuracy in differentiating between individual users. By operating entirely on-device, FaceCloseup eliminates the need for cloud-based processing, reducing privacy concerns and potential latency in authentication. Its reliance on natural device movement ensures a seamless authentication experience while maintaining robust security. Full article

Social media platforms have been recognized as significant contributors to the dissemination of polarizing content, the spread of disinformation, and the proliferation of far-right populist discourse. While certain political actors deliberately seek to disseminate disinformation, a more nuanced understanding is necessary to elucidate why users consume and accept this biased content. Using data from over 120,000 participants across five European and Spanish surveys, we empirically examined the relationships between social media use, disinformation, false news, users’ digital agency, far-right ideology, and far-right voting. We postulated that a lack of users’ digital agency is a significant contributor to this phenomenon and found a significant association between users’ low digital agency and the adoption of far-right ideologies (odds ratio [OR] = 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08–1.23). This association remained after controlling for trust in social media news, psychological and social factors, sociodemographic variables, and response bias. Full article

As urbanization has accelerated, rail transit has evolved from being a mere means of transportation to a public area that houses the city’s cultural memory and serves as a crucial portal for the public to understand the culture of the city. As an urban public space with huge passenger flow, the metro (or subway) cultural space has also become a public cultural space, serving communal welfare and representing the image of the city. It is currently attracting more and more attention from the academic community. Wuhan, located in central China, has many subway lines and its engineering construction has set several national firsts, which is a typical sample of urban subway development in China. In this study, we use Python 3.13.0 crawler technology to capture the public’s comments on cultural space of Wuhan metro in social media and adopt SnowNLP sentiment score and LDA thematic clustering analysis to explore the overall quality, distinct characteristics, and deficiencies of Wuhan metro cultural space construction, and propose targeted design optimization strategies based on this study. The main findings are as follows: (1) The metro cultural space is an important window for the public to perceive the city culture, and the public in general shows positive perception of emotions: among the 16,316 data samples, 47.7% are positive comments, 17.8% are neutral comments, and 34.5% are negative comments. (2) Based on the frequency of content in the sample data for metro station exit and entrance space, metro train space, metro concourse and platform space, they are ranked as weak cultural spaces (18%), medium cultural spaces (33%), and strong cultural spaces (49%) in terms of the public’s perception of urban culture. (3) At present, there are certain deficiencies in Wuhan metro cultural space: the circulation paths in concourses and platforms are overly dominant, leaving little space for rest or interaction; the cultural symbols of metro train space are fragmented; the way of articulation between cultural and functional space in the metro station exit and entrance space is weak, and the space is single in form. (4) Wuhan metro cultural space needs to be based on locality landscape expression, functional zoning reorganization, innovative scene creation to optimize the visual symbol system and behavioral symbol system in the space, to establish a good image of the space, and to strengthen the public’s cultural identity and emotional resonance. Full article