Scientists Discover That Strong Social Connections Can Improve Your Health
New research suggests that the time spent with family during the holiday season may have had a positive impact on health. The study investigated the…
Social Networking News
How Your Facebook Friendships Could Impact Your Risk of Premature Death
Better economic connectedness on social media linked with lower rates of premature death. Places with higher rates of economic connectedness—linkages between people of lower and…
Russian Twitter Campaigns During the 2016 Presidential Race Didn’t Change Voting Behavior
Exposure to Russian Twitter campaigns in 2016 presidential race was highly concentrated, largely limited to strongly partisan Republicans. New study shows online push by foreign…
COVID Pandemic Mood: Much Worse Than a Bad Monday
Study uses social media to measure how much sentiment has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has been depressing, demoralizing, and…
MIT Scientists Find Clues to Why Fake News Snowballs on Social Media
A new model shows that the more polarized and hyperconnected a social network is, the more likely misinformation will spread. The spread of misinformation on…
What’s Fueling Political Polarization Across the US? People Unknowingly Grouping Themselves Together Online
As people curate their online news feeds, they may be unwillingly sorting themselves into polarized networks, according to a study led by researchers at Princeton…
Groups of Laypeople Reliably Rate Stories As Effectively as Fact-Checkers
Crowds Can Wise Up To Fake News Experiment with Facebook-flagged content shows groups of laypeople reliably rate stories as effectively as fact-checkers do. In the…
Steer Clear of the Influencers? Surprising Source of Social Influence Discovered in New Research
Want to promote your new product or trigger a shift in thinking? Steer clear of the influencers. Imagine you’re a CEO who wants to promote…
Correcting Online Falsehoods Can Make Matters Worse
A new study shows Twitter users post even more misinformation after other users correct them. So, you thought the problem of false information on social…
MIT Twitter Experiment Shows Clear Self-Selection Into Social Media “Echo Chambers” Due to Political Preferences
It is no secret that U.S. politics is polarized. An experiment conducted by MIT researchers now shows just how deeply political partisanship directly influences people’s…
COVID-19 Warnings Were on Twitter Well Before the Official Outbreak of the Pandemic
New study shows that posts revealing concern for ‘pneumonia’ circulated very early, suggesting social media can be an effective tool for epidemiological surveillance. Even before…
What Russian Interference in U.S. Elections Might Look Like in 2020
What does Vladimir Putin have to gain from meddling? A University of Chicago scholar explains. As the 2020 election approaches, Russia is back in the…
The Hype Machine: Why Social Media Has Changed the World — And How to Fix It
MIT Professor Sinan Aral’s new book, “The Hype Machine,” explores the perils and promise of social media in a time of discord. Are you on…
COVID-19 / 5G Infodemic: A Perfect Storm for Conspiracy Theories
As the global count of COVID-19 infections heads towards the 20M mark, the pandemic has created what the World Health Organization calls an ‘infodemic’, giving…
New Research Shows Candidates Who Use Humor on Twitter May Find the Joke Is on Them
Study finds funny stuff reduces credibility and support. Political candidates’ use of humor on social media could sometimes backfire on them with potential supporters, new…
Web of Psychological Cues – Why People Readily Divulge Private Information Online
While most people will say they are extremely concerned with their online privacy, previous experiments have shown that, in practice, users readily divulge private information…
Healthier and Happier Without Facebook – Reduce Usage to Feel Better All Around
People who reduce the time they spend on Facebook smoke less, are more active, and feel better all around. Two weeks of 20 minutes less…
MIT: How Putting Warning Labels on Fake News Can Backfire
Study finds disclaimers on some false news stories make people more readily believe other false stories. After the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Facebook began putting…
