Social Modes

Social feedback amplifies emotional language in online video live chats

A growing share of human interactions now occurs online, where the expression and perception of emotions are often amplified and distorted. Yet, the interplay between different emotions and the extent to which they are driven by external stimuli or social feedback remains poorly understood. We calibrate a multivariate Hawkes self-exciting point process to model the temporal expression of six basic emotions in YouTube Live chats. This framework captures both temporal and cross-emotional dependencies while allowing us to disentangle the influence of video content (exogenous) from peer interactions (endogenous). We find that emotional expressions are up to four times more strongly driven by peer interaction than by video content. Positivity is more contagious, spreading three times more readily, whereas negativity is more memorable, lingering nearly twice as long. Moreover, we observe asymmetric cross-excitation, with negative emotions frequently triggering positive ones, a pattern consistent with trolling dynamics, but not the reverse. These findings highlight the central role of social interaction in shaping emotional dynamics online and the risks of emotional manipulation as human-chatbot interactions become increasingly realistic. Applying a multivariate analysis to quantify how emotions spread in YouTube live chats, this study shows that peer interactions drive emotional expression up to four times more than video content, with positivity spreading faster but negativity lasting longer.

Modularity of online social networks acts as a reliable predictor of both whole-network and ego-network characteristics over time

In the digital age, social interactions have increasingly shifted online, necessitating a deeper understanding of the structure and dynamics of online social networks and their societal impacts. This study examines the stability of network modularity on relationship-based social media platforms and its predictive power for both whole-network structures and ego-network characteristics, using a nationally representative longitudinal dataset of Generation Z interactions on a popular social media platform in China. Our findings reveal that network modularity is a stable network attribute over time, which suggests that individuals tend to maintain existing contacts on relationship-based platforms and that the community structures of their online social networks are likely to persist. Notably, the initial level of network modularity significantly correlates with both whole-network and ego-network characteristics in subsequent periods, thus highlighting modularity’s power to predict long-term network characteristics. These insights contribute to social network theory by deepening our understanding of how the existence of smaller communities within network structures influences interpersonal interactions in digital communication, with broader implications for how social networks evolve within the landscape of social media.

What's behind the "depression epidemic"

Can mental illness be contagious? Studies from Scandinavia show that depression, anxiety and eating disorders are more common in social environments.

Social Influence Dynamics in Online Networks

The study of social influence dynamics in online networks examines how information, opinions and behaviours spread through interconnected digital platforms. At its core, this research explores the ...

No 'Hamas' textbooks: Activist urges Texas not to let CAIR influence curriculum

“CAIR is the US arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist anti-American organization bent on using the political system to ...

What Is Reciprocity in Child Development? Social Skills Explained

Spread the love“`html When we think about childhood development, we often picture physical growth, cognitive milestones, and emotional maturation. But one aspect that frequently gets overlooked is the ...

Who will retweet? Employees’ voluntary retweeting behavior of crisis information -A perspective from the group engagement model

Previous research has extensively explored voluntary behavior; however, limited literature specifically addresses employees’ voluntary retweeting behavior in organizational crises. In this study, we sought to investigate employees’ voluntary retweeting behavior using the group engagement model, while exploring its antecedents of respect and prestige. Furthermore, we examined the mediating role of organizational identification and the moderating effects of local orientations and cosmopolitan orientations in these relationships. By collecting data from 321 employees across 13 organizations in China, our results indicate that during organizational crises, respect and prestige exert a direct and significant influence on employees’ organizational identification. Furthermore, organizational identification serves as a crucial mediating mechanism linking respect and prestige to employees’ voluntary retweeting behavior. Importantly, the effects of respect and prestige are contingent on employees’ orientations: the relationship between respect and organizational identification is stronger among employees with local orientations, while the relationship between prestige and organizational identification is more pronounced among employees with cosmopolitan orientations. These intriguing findings have theoretical and practical implications, providing valuable insights for both academic research and practical applications.

The effect of aggressive group norms on young adults’ conformity behavior in WhatsApp chats: a vignette-based experiment

Social networking and messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, have become an essential social environment for adolescents and young adults (AYA). While facilitating connectivity, they also bear hazards, including cyber-aggression. This study investigates the impact of (aggressive) group norms on AYA's propensity to expect cyberaggressive behaviors within different group chats. Based on a vignette scenario, realistically simulated WhatsApp group chats enabled scrutinizing, if and how exemplary reactions (funny, aggressive, friendly) of group members influence AYA's conformity to cyber-aggression (N = 500, aged 16 to 29). Additionally, we examined the effect of chat group type—close friends versus fellow students—on the anticipation of aggressive reactions. Sociodemographic, social, and developmental-psychological factors were evaluated for potential effects. Multilevel logistic regression analyses indicated that aggressive group norms significantly predict cyber-aggression anticipation, while no effect of chat group type was observed. Controlling for the size and vivacity of participant’s friend group, gender, age, and educational status were significant predictors: males, younger participants, and non-university students expected higher levels of cyber-aggression conformity. This study underlines the importance of group dynamics on perceptions of cyber-aggression and hints at individual risk factors for AYA's digital communication behavior.

The impact of hyperrealistic virtual humans on cultural heritage dissemination

In this study, the transformative potential of hyperrealistic virtual humans in cultural heritage dissemination has been investigated through an empirical examination of five key design elements (character, styling, dynamic, sound, scene) grounded in affordance and situated cognition theories. Using a two-stage experimental approach that combined user testing and surveys on Douyin (China’s TikTok), the research reveals significant disparities in user satisfaction. Specifically, while styling, scene, and sound design exhibited strong performances, character and dynamic design revealed notable deficiencies, particularly in demographic trait accuracy and mouth synchronization. These findings demonstrate that optimizing dynamic realism and character depth, while maintaining existing strengths in visual and auditory fidelity, can significantly enhance hyperrealistic virtual humans’ effectiveness as cultural mediators. The study provides actionable design strategies for achieving this balance, advancing both theoretical frameworks and practical applications in digital heritage preservation by addressing critical gaps between technological innovation and cultural authenticity requirements.

Virtual social interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic: the effect of interpersonal motor synchrony on social interactions in the virtual space

Although the link between motor synchrony and emotional alignment has been extensively studied during face-to-face interaction, the question of whether this association also exists in virtual settings has remained unanswered. Here, we examined whether this link exists during virtual social interactions and whether pro-social effects will be induced during those interactions. To this end, two strangers shared difficulties they have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic during a virtual social interaction that included both audio and video. The findings revealed that motor synchrony and emotional alignment can arise spontaneously during a virtual social interaction between two strangers. Moreover, this interaction yielded a decrease in negative affect and an increase in positive affect, as well as an increase in feelings of trust, liking, cohesion, self-other overlap, and similarity between the strangers. Finally, a higher level of synchrony during the virtual interaction was specifically associated with increased positive emotional alignment and liking. It can thus be presumed that virtual social interactions may share similar characteristics and social effects as face-to-face interactions. Considering the tremendous changes the COVID-19 pandemic has caused regarding social communication, these findings may provide grounds for developing new intervention protocols aimed at dealing with the consequences of social distancing.

NYC works with civic engagement groups to refine public meetings

New York City is working to improve public meetings through a new effort aimed at making community board meetings more ...

Community-engaged digital safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage: a review of methods and challenges

This review, guided by the Technology-Community Synergy Framework (TCSF), synthesizes 79 studies (2010–2025) on digital intangible cultural heritage (ICH) safeguarding. Effective preservation requires synergizing digital methods with community participation to enhance ICH’s liveness; technology-focused but community-shallow projects risk digital fossilization. Key challenges like the digital divide are examined. The TCSF operationalizes UNESCO’s people-centered ethos for equitable, sustainable ICH safeguarding in the digital age.

Breaking the silence: leveraging social interaction data to identify high-risk suicide users online using network analysis and machine learning

Suicidal thought and behavior (STB) is highly stigmatized and taboo. Prone to censorship, yet pervasive online, STB risk detection may be improved through development of uniquely insightful digital markers. Focusing on Sanctioned Suicide, an online pro-choice suicide forum, this work derived 17 egocentric network features to capture dynamics of social interaction and engagement within this uniquely uncensored community. Using network data generated from over 3.2 million unique interactions of N = 192 individuals, n = 48 of which were determined to be highest risk users (HRUs), a machine learning classification model was trained, validated, and tested to predict HRU status. Model prediction dynamics were analyzed using introspection techniques to uncover patterns in feature influence and highlight social phenomena. The model achieved a test AUC = 0.73 ([0.61, 0.85], 95% CI), suggesting that network-based socio-behavioral patterns of online interaction can signal for heightened suicide risk. Transitivity, density, and in-degree centrality were among the most important features driving this performance. Moreover, predicted HRUs tended to be targets of social exchanges with lesser frequency and possessed egocentric networks with “small world” network properties. Through the implementation of an underutilized method on an unlikely data source, findings support future incorporation of network-based social interaction features in descriptive, predictive, and preventative STB research.

What works best to support virtual teamwork? Study shows two sides

For virtual teamwork to be effective, workplaces need to foster interdependence in some areas and avoid it in others, according to a newly published study of virtual teams. Researcher Dr. Florian ...

UK considers forcing social media firms to prioritize trusted news

LONDON, United Kingdom - Britain is considering forcing social media companies to prioritize what the government called ...

Starmer to force social media giants to prioritise BBC and other public service content

Sir Keir Starmer wants to force social networks and video platforms to make BBC content more prominent. Under plans to ...

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy answers YOUR questions on social media ban

Jenny quizzes UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy on the PM's resignation and a social media ban. Find out what she said here.

UK considers forcing social media firms to prioritise trusted news

LONDON, June 22 (Reuters) - Britain is considering forcing social media companies to prioritise what the government called ...

In the Social Ban Era, Where Will Gen Alpha Spend Time Online?

Australia, the UK, and the UAE have now all banned social media access for under-16s. But experts say the ban’s impact is likely overstated. Gen Alpha is finding new ways to socialize online and making culture conversational again.

Pickleball, tennis, soccer: How social sports keep you mentally and physically young

Social activities like pickleball, tennis, and swimming can improve mental health and help people live longer.Playing sports ...