literature review
5
Research Question
1. How does social media impact college students' views of American society?
Potential Theory
This paper will apply the cultivation theory in analyzing the impacts of social media on college students. College students tend to be susceptible to disinformation as, most times, they are the target of digital marketing, political adverts, and many other adverts. The cultivation theory investigates the long-term effects of prolonged television exposure on viewers' perceptions of the world around them. Cultivation evaluation was first carried out as a component of George Gerbner's Cultural Indicators Project, which was established in the late 1960s. The central hypothesis of the theory states individuals who consume more television are much more inclined to perceive the actual world in ways that are most frequently represented in television messages when compared to individuals who watch less television but are otherwise similar in important demographic features.
Research Methodology
The research will use a qualitative research design primarily employing secondary research from previously done works that are peer-reviewed. The study will also employ interviews where an ideal sample of students will be interviewed based on the research questions. According to Rahman (2016), the qualitative research methodology yields a dense (detailed) description of the respondents' emotions, thoughts, and perspectives, in addition to interpreting the meanings of the respondents' actions. In addition, the qualitative methodology identifies patterns in the respondents' behaviors. Second, certain experts believe that the qualitative method of study is the only method that can fully understand the totality of human experiences within the parameters of a particular setting. Data are collected through qualitative methods the vast majority of the time. Some qualitative research methods include respondent observations, direct observation, unstructured interviews, and description of records. During the data collection process, one of the instances in which the research teams collect data is by directly interacting with the participants. This is the case when the data is collected through interviews. Because of this, data collection is characterized by high subjectivity and specificity. In the study that Rumsey, Thiessen, Buchan, and Daly (2016) carried out, they collected data by conducting interviews over the phone in addition to conducting interviews in person. In conclusion, qualitative research provides researchers with the opportunity to learn about the participants' internal experiences and examine the approaches in which concepts are founded both within and through culture.
Social significance of the research
The world is ushering in the fourth industrial revolution, which will usher in the machine learning age. This will be a period that data will heavily dominate, and one of the most common places that companies source their data is social media. According to Tajudeen, Jaafar, and Ainin (2018), the perceived benefits that its usage is anticipated to continue providing are a significant factor in determining the extent to which a company adopts social platforms. These advantages include the ease of acquiring and inputting data and whether it helps shape or improve business relationships and connections. In a similar vein, the choice to adopt social media is determined by a variety of factors, including its compatibility with preexisting technology, values, culture, and employment policies; the amount of user interaction, or the scope towards which social media permits two-way interaction; as well as systemic pressures from external factors, such as customers and competitors. This demonstrates the extent to which social media influences society and, in turn, the driving forces behind social media adoption. Most organizations target teenagers and the youth in their data mining quest, which sees college and university students caught up in the crosshairs. However, for this to happen, students need to be heavy users of social media, which begs the question, how does social media affect these students?
Reference
Rahman, M. S. (2016, November 10). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches and Methods in Language “Testing and Assessment” Research: A Literature Review. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(1), 102. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v6n1p102
Rumsey, M., Thiessen, J., Buchan, J., & Daly, J. (2016). The consequences of English language testing for international health professionals and students: An Australian case study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 54, 95-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2015.06.001
Tajudeen, F. P., Jaafar, N. I., & Ainin, S. (2018). Understanding the impact of social media usage among organizations. Information & Management, 55(3), 308-321.