Social Media Explorer: 2019 Social Media Trend Predictions. “The negative aspects of social media are hard to ignore, but on the flipside, what about the positive impact of social? Social media networks give users an opportunity to connect with others personally and professionally across the globe, catalogue and share life’s important moments, mobilize and fundraise for important causes and simply be entertained. Businesses have an opportunity to engage and service their customers more efficiently in an increasingly connected and digital world. So, what does 2019 hold for social media? How will user behavior change in light of these issues and opportunities? Here are my social media predictions for 2019.”
Research & Opinion
Carnegie Mellon University: Savvy Use of Data, Technology Tells the Planet’s Story
Carnegie Mellon University: Savvy Use of Data, Technology Tells the Planet’s Story. “The story of EarthTime begins on Mars. EarthTime today is a technological platform that helps people comprehend massive amounts of data about our planet and come to grips with our biggest global challenges. But 15 years ago, people just wanted to see what the Red Planet looked like.”
MIT Technology Review: Giving algorithms a sense of uncertainty could make them more ethical
MIT Technology Review: Giving algorithms a sense of uncertainty could make them more ethical. “Algorithms are increasingly being used to make ethical decisions. Perhaps the best example of this is a high-tech take on the ethical dilemma known as the trolley problem: if a self-driving car cannot stop itself from killing one of two pedestrians, how should the car’s control software choose who live and who dies?”
Poll: Majority of Millennials Do Not Like Trump, Twitter (University of Massachusetts Lowell)
University of Massachusetts Lowell: Poll: Majority of Millennials Do Not Like Trump, Twitter. “President Donald Trump, his Twitter habit and Twitter in general are not popular with millennials, according to the results of a new national poll released today. Sixty-two percent of all millennials – Americans ages 18 to 37 – surveyed by the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion said they disapprove of Trump’s job performance and only 37 percent said they view the president favorably. The independent, nonpartisan poll of 1,000 adults, which has a margin of error of 3.4 percent, was conducted prior to the government shutdown.”
Twitter after high-profile events: how language impacts message engagement (Nevada Today)
Nevada Today: Twitter after high-profile events: how language impacts message engagement . “Using real-world Twitter and experimental data based on high-profile events, researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno; Tulane University, and the University of Texas at Austin, found that heightened causal uncertainty increases individuals’ liking and sharing of messages that consist of more abstract (versus concrete) language.”
Project Sidewalk: A Web-based Crowdsourcing Tool for Collecting Sidewalk Accessibility Data at Scale (University of Washington)
University of Washington (also a PDF file): Project Sidewalk: A Web-based Crowdsourcing Tool for Collecting Sidewalk Accessibility Data at Scale. “We introduce Project Sidewalk, a new web-based tool that enables online crowd workers to remotely label pedestrian related accessibility problems by virtually walking through city streets in Google Street View. To train, engage, and sustain users, we apply basic game design principles such as interactive onboarding, mission-based tasks, and progress dashboards. In an 18-month deployment study, 797 online users contributed 205,385 labels and audited 2,941 miles of Washington DC streets. “
The Register: Three quarters of US Facebook users unaware their online behavior gets tracked
The Register: Three quarters of US Facebook users unaware their online behavior gets tracked. “Most Facebook users have no idea that the ad biz compiles data profiles of their online activities and interests, according to research conducted by the non-profit Pew Research Center.”
