topics for research about social media

Home » 300+ Social Media Research Topics

300+ Social Media Research Topics

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, and it has transformed the way we communicate, share information, and interact with each other. As social media platforms continue to evolve and gain popularity, they have also become a rich source of data for researchers. Social media research is a rapidly growing field that encompasses a wide range of topics , from understanding the psychological and social effects of social media to analyzing patterns of user behavior and identifying trends in online conversations. In this era of data-driven decision-making, social media research is more important than ever, as it provides insights into how we use and are influenced by social media. In this post, we will explore some of the most fascinating and relevant social media research topics that are shaping our understanding of this powerful medium.

Social Media Research Topics

Social Media Research Topics are as follows:

The effects of social media on mental health
The role of social media in political polarization
The impact of social media on relationships
The use of social media by businesses for marketing
The effects of social media on body image and self-esteem
The influence of social media on consumer behavior
The use of social media for education
The effects of social media on language use and grammar
The impact of social media on news consumption
The role of social media in activism and social change
The use of social media for job seeking and career development
The effects of social media on sleep patterns
The influence of social media on adolescent behavior
The impact of social media on the spread of misinformation
The use of social media for personal branding
The effects of social media on political participation
The influence of social media on fashion trends
The impact of social media on sports fandom
The use of social media for mental health support
The effects of social media on creativity
The role of social media in cultural exchange
The impact of social media on language learning
The use of social media for crisis communication
The effects of social media on privacy and security
The influence of social media on diet and exercise behavior
The impact of social media on travel behavior
The use of social media for citizen journalism
The effects of social media on political accountability
The role of social media in peer pressure
The impact of social media on romantic relationships
The use of social media for community building
The effects of social media on gender identity
The influence of social media on music consumption
The impact of social media on academic performance
The use of social media for social support
The effects of social media on social skills
The role of social media in disaster response
The impact of social media on nostalgia and memory
The use of social media for charity and philanthropy
The effects of social media on political polarization in developing countries
The influence of social media on literary consumption
The impact of social media on family relationships
The use of social media for citizen science
The effects of social media on cultural identity
The role of social media in promoting healthy behaviors
The impact of social media on language diversity
The use of social media for environmental activism
The effects of social media on attention span
The influence of social media on art consumption
The impact of social media on cultural values and norms.
The impact of social media on mental health
The impact of social media on mental health.
The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem.
The use of social media for political activism and social justice movements.
The role of social media in promoting cultural diversity and inclusivity.
The impact of social media on romantic relationships and dating.
The use of social media for customer service and support.
The impact of social media on mental health and well-being among young adults.
The impact of social media on political polarization and partisanship.
The use of social media for health communication and behavior change.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards vaccination.
The impact of social media on political participation and civic engagement.
The impact of social media on political polarization and echo chambers.
The use of social media for political campaigning and the manipulation of public opinion.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards vaccination and public health.
The impact of social media on news consumption and trust in journalism.
The use of social media for promoting sustainable fashion practices and ethical consumption.
The role of social media in influencing beauty standards and body image.
The impact of social media on the music industry and the role of social media influencers.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among healthcare professionals.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards gun violence and gun control policies.
The impact of social media on social activism and advocacy.
The use of social media for promoting cross-cultural communication and intercultural understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards climate change and environmental policies.
The impact of social media on public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and access to financial services for low-income individuals.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards immigration policies and refugee crises.
The impact of social media on political activism and social movements.
The use of social media for promoting digital literacy and technology education in developing countries.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards gender and sexual orientation.
The impact of social media on consumer behavior in the food and beverage industry.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among first responders.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards racial justice and police brutality.
The impact of social media on privacy concerns and data security.
The use of social media for promoting interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards income inequality and economic justice.
The impact of social media on the film and television industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among military personnel.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards privacy and data security.
The impact of social media on the hospitality industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting intergenerational communication and understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards animal welfare and animal rights.
The impact of social media on the gaming industry and gamer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting digital literacy and technology skills among seniors.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards renewable energy and sustainability.
The impact of social media on the advertising industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among children and adolescents.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards online privacy and security.
The impact of social media on the beauty industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting cultural preservation and heritage tourism.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards criminal justice reform.
The impact of social media on the automotive industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among marginalized communities.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards sustainable development goals.
The impact of social media on the fashion industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting intercultural communication in the workplace.
The role of social media in shaping public attitudes towards mental health policies.
The impact of social media on the travel industry and sustainable tourism practices.
The use of social media for health information seeking and patient empowerment.
The role of social media in promoting environmental activism and sustainable practices.
The impact of social media on consumer behavior and brand loyalty.
The use of social media for promoting education and lifelong learning.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards mental health issues.
The impact of social media on the fashion industry and fast fashion practices.
The use of social media for promoting social entrepreneurship and social innovation.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gun control.
The impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of adolescents.
The use of social media for promoting intercultural exchange and understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards climate change.
The impact of social media on political advertising and campaign strategies.
The use of social media for promoting healthy relationships and communication skills.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards police brutality and racial justice.
The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and personal finance management.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights.
The impact of social media on the music industry and fan engagement.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among marginalized populations.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards immigration and border policies.
The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of journalists.
The use of social media for promoting community building and social cohesion.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards healthcare policies.
The impact of social media on the food industry and consumer behavior.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gender equality.
The impact of social media on the sports industry and athlete-fan interactions.
The use of social media for promoting financial inclusion and access to banking services.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards animal welfare.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among college students.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards privacy and data security.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards income inequality and poverty.
The use of social media for promoting digital literacy and technology skills.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards renewable energy.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among elderly populations.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards online privacy and security.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards criminal justice reform.
The impact of social media on online activism and social movements.
The use of social media for business-to-business communication and networking.
The role of social media in promoting civic education and engagement.
The impact of social media on the fashion industry and sustainable fashion practices.
The use of social media for promoting cultural diversity and inclusion.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards police reform.
The impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of frontline healthcare workers.
The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and investment education.
The role of social media in promoting environmental sustainability and conservation.
The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem among adolescent girls.
The use of social media for promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards immigration policies and refugees.
The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of healthcare professionals.
The use of social media for promoting community resilience and disaster preparedness.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards the Black Lives Matter movement.
The impact of social media on the music industry and artist-fan interactions.
The use of social media for promoting healthy eating habits and nutrition education.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among college students.
The impact of social media on the entertainment industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting workplace diversity and inclusion.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards climate change policies.
The impact of social media on the travel industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among military veterans.
The role of social media in promoting intergenerational dialogue and understanding.
The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of educators.
The use of social media for promoting animal welfare and advocacy.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards reproductive rights.
The impact of social media on the sports industry and fan behavior.
The use of social media for promoting financial inclusion and literacy among underprivileged populations.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among LGBTQ+ populations.
The impact of social media on the food and beverage industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gun ownership.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among caregivers.
The role of social media in promoting sustainable tourism practices.
The impact of social media on the gaming industry and gamer culture.
The use of social media for promoting cultural heritage tourism and preservation.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards public transportation policies.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among homeless populations.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among immigrants and refugees.
The use of social media for promoting financial literacy and entrepreneurship among youth.
The use of social media for political mobilization and participation in authoritarian regimes.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards immigration policies.
The impact of social media on the professional development of teachers and educators.
The use of social media for emergency communication during public health crises.
The role of social media in promoting LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy.
The impact of social media on body positivity and self-acceptance among women.
The use of social media for public diplomacy and international relations.
The impact of social media on the mental health and well-being of marginalized communities.
The use of social media for crisis management and disaster response in the corporate sector.
The role of social media in promoting environmental activism and conservation.
The impact of social media on the professional development and networking of entrepreneurs.
The use of social media for medical education and healthcare communication.
The role of social media in promoting cultural exchange and understanding.
The impact of social media on social capital and civic engagement among young adults.
The use of social media for disaster preparedness and community resilience.
The role of social media in promoting religious pluralism and tolerance.
The use of social media for promoting healthy lifestyles and wellness.
The use of social media for fundraising and philanthropy in the non-profit sector.
The role of social media in promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.
The impact of social media on the travel and tourism industry and consumer behavior.
The use of social media for customer engagement and brand loyalty in the retail sector.
The impact of social media on the political attitudes and behaviors of young adults.
The use of social media for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The use of social media for promoting animal welfare and adoption.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and well-being among the elderly.
The impact of social media on the art industry and artist-fan interactions.
The use of social media for promoting healthy food choices and nutrition.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards income inequality.
The use of social media for promoting political satire and humor.
The role of social media in promoting disability rights and advocacy.
The use of social media for promoting voter registration and participation.
The role of social media in promoting entrepreneurship and small business development.
The use of social media for promoting mental health and well-being among incarcerated populations.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and attitudes towards gun violence prevention.
The use of social media for promoting cultural heritage and preservation.
The impact of social media on mental health and well-being.
The relationship between social media use and academic performance.
The use of social media for emergency communication during natural disasters.
The impact of social media on traditional news media and journalism.
The role of social media in shaping public opinion and discourse.
The use of social media for online learning and education.
The impact of social media on the fashion and beauty industry.
The use of social media for brand awareness and marketing.
The impact of social media on privacy and security.
The use of social media for job searching and recruitment.
The impact of social media on political polarization and extremism.
The use of social media for online harassment and cyberbullying.
The role of social media in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability.
The impact of social media on youth culture and identity formation.
The use of social media for travel and tourism marketing.
The impact of social media on consumer behavior and decision-making.
The role of social media in shaping beauty standards and body positivity.
The use of social media for crisis communication and disaster response.
The impact of social media on the music industry.
The use of social media for fundraising and philanthropy.
The role of social media in promoting healthy lifestyles and wellness.
The impact of social media on sports fandom and fan behavior.
The use of social media for political lobbying and advocacy.
The impact of social media on the entertainment industry.
The use of social media for healthcare communication and patient engagement.
The role of social media in promoting gender equality and feminism.
The impact of social media on the restaurant and food industry.
The use of social media for volunteerism and community service.
The role of social media in promoting religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue.
The impact of social media on the art industry.
The use of social media for political satire and humor.
The role of social media in promoting disability awareness and advocacy.
The impact of social media on the real estate industry.
The use of social media for legal advocacy and justice reform.
The role of social media in promoting intercultural communication and understanding.
The impact of social media on the automotive industry.
The use of social media for pet adoption and animal welfare advocacy.
The role of social media in promoting mental health and wellness for marginalized communities.
The impact of social media on the retail industry.
The use of social media for promoting civic engagement and voter participation.
The impact of social media on the film and television industry.
The use of social media for fashion and style inspiration.
The role of social media in promoting activism for human rights and social issues.
The effectiveness of social media for political campaigns.
The role of social media in promoting fake news and misinformation.
The impact of social media on self-esteem and body image.
The impact of social media on romantic relationships.
The use of social media for online activism and social justice movements.
The impact of social media on traditional news media.
The impact of social media on interpersonal communication skills.
The impact of social media on the fashion industry.
The use of social media for social support and mental health awareness.
The use of social media for political lobbying and activism.
The impact of social media on travel and tourism behavior.
The use of social media for customer feedback and market research.
The impact of social media on the restaurant industry.
The role of social media in political activism
The effect of social media on interpersonal communication
The relationship between social media use and body image concerns
The impact of social media on self-esteem
The role of social media in shaping cultural norms and values
The use of social media by celebrities and its impact on their image
The role of social media in building and maintaining personal relationships
The use of social media for job searching and recruitment
The impact of social media on children and adolescents
The use of social media by political candidates during election campaigns
The role of social media in education
The impact of social media on political polarization
The use of social media for news consumption
The effect of social media on sleep habits
The use of social media by non-profit organizations for fundraising
The role of social media in shaping public opinion
The influence of social media on language and communication patterns
The use of social media in crisis communication and emergency management
The role of social media in promoting environmental awareness
The influence of social media on music preferences
The impact of social media on body positivity movements
The role of social media in shaping beauty standards
The influence of social media on sports fandom
The use of social media for health promotion and education
The impact of social media on political participation
The role of social media in shaping parenting practices
The influence of social media on food preferences and eating habits
The use of social media for peer support and mental health advocacy
The role of social media in shaping religious beliefs and practices
The influence of social media on humor and comedy
The use of social media for online activism and social justice advocacy
The impact of social media on public health awareness campaigns
The role of social media in promoting cultural diversity and inclusion
The influence of social media on travel behavior and decision-making
The use of social media for international diplomacy and relations
The impact of social media on job satisfaction and employee engagement
The role of social media in shaping romantic preferences and dating behavior
The influence of social media on language learning and language use
The use of social media for political satire and humor
The impact of social media on social capital and community building
The role of social media in shaping gender identity and expression
The influence of social media on fashion and beauty advertising.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

200+ Funny Research Topics

500+ Sports Research Topics

300+ American History Research Paper Topics

500+ Cyber Security Research Topics

500+ Environmental Research Topics

500+ Economics Research Topics

Write my thesis
Thesis writers
Buy thesis papers
Bachelor thesis
Master's thesis
Thesis editing services
Thesis proofreading services
Buy a thesis online
Write my dissertation
Dissertation proposal help
Pay for dissertation
Custom dissertation
Dissertation help online
Buy dissertation online
Cheap dissertation
Dissertation editing services
Write my research paper
Buy research paper online
Pay for research paper
Research paper help
Order research paper
Custom research paper
Cheap research paper
Research papers for sale
Thesis subjects
How It Works

74 Best Social Media Research Paper Topics

Whether in college or high school, you will come across research writing as a student. In most cases, the topic of research is assigned by your teacher/professor. Other times, students have to come up with their topic. Research writing in school is inescapable. It’s a task you are bound to undertake to fulfill your academic requirements. If you are in college, there are several topics for research depending on your discipline. For high school students, the topic is usually given. In this article, we focus on social media and topics about social media.

A social media paper is a research paper about social media that studies social media generally or an aspect of it. To write research papers on social media, you’ll need to conduct thorough research for materials and scholarly materials that’ll assist you. For social media, most of the scholarly works will be media-focused.

Sometimes, Professors or teachers ask students to write an essay or research a topic without narrowing it down. In that case, students will have to develop specific research topics. If you’re writing a paper on social media, we’ve provided you with helpful topics to consider for research.

How to Start a Social Media Research Paper

Social media topics to write about, social media research topics for college students, interesting topics to research for fun, research questions about social media, social media essay topics for high school students, narrow research topic ideas students can consider, research paper on social media marketing, good social topics for research papers, easy social issues to write about, social science research topics for college students, interesting research topics for high school students, comprehensive social networking research papers, final words about social media topics.

Before giving a research writing, Professors and teachers believe students already know how to write one. Not every student knows how to write a research paper in most cases.

Research writing follows a systematic pattern, which applies to research on social media. Below is the pattern of a research paper to use;

Paper title
Introduction
Statement of problem
Research methodology
Research objective
Critical analysis
Results and discussion

Every research follows this basic pattern, and it also applies to your research paper on social media.

Social media has become a powerful tool for engagement of various kinds. Before now, social media was merely apps used for interpersonal affairs. Today, with the modification of digital technology, social media encompasses a lot more. Below are some social media topics to write about.

The impact of social media in promoting interpersonal relationships
A study on how social media is a vital tool for social change
Social media censorship: A new form of restriction on freedom of speech
The constantly growing oversharing nature of social media
Social media is a vital tool for political campaign
The proliferation of social media platforms into a buying space
The juxtaposition of personal engagement and business on social media platforms

There is a wide range of topics to coin from social media for college students because social media is a platform with diverse issues that can form into topics. Here are some research topics about social media to consider.

Breach of Privacy: A study on the ability of the government to monitor personal affairs on social media
A study of the toxicity brewing within social media
The increased cyberbullying perpetrated on social media platforms
The evolution of Twitter into a space for diverse conversations
A study of the emergence and growth of social media over the years
Effects of social media: How social media is breeding laziness amongst children
Social media as a distraction tool for students

If you are searching for interesting topics, there are many interesting research topics on social media. Examples of research paper topics that sound fun to choose from include;

A study on how the emergence of social media and social media advertising has infiltrated its primary purpose
An evaluation of how social media has created employment opportunities for people
Social media influence and its negative impact on society
Advertising on social media: Will influencer businesses take over advertising agencies?
A study on ways to improve advertisement for social media engagement
A look into how social media creates a distorted view of real life
Social media and real-life: Does social media obscure reality?

Research questions are helpful when carrying out research in a particular field. To know more about your thesis on social media, you will need to create research questions on social media to help inform your writing. Some social media research questions to ask are;

Are social media platforms designed to be addictive?
What is a social media Algorithm, and how to navigate it?
To what extent are personal data stored on social app databases protected?
Can social media owners avoid government monitoring?
Should parents allow their children to navigate social media before they are 15?
Have social media jobs come to stay, or are they temporary?
Is social media influencer culture overtaking celebrity culture?
To what extent can social media help to curb racism and homophobia?
Does social media exacerbate or curb discriminatory practices?
Is social media an effective tool for learning?

Everyone has access to social media apps until they’ve reached a certain age. There are several social media essay topics for high school students to write about. Some social media titles for essays include;

How social media affects the academic performance of students
Why the use of social media is prohibited during school hours
Why students are obsessed with Tiktok
Running a profitable social media business while in high school and the challenges
The dangers of overusing editing apps
A critical essay on how editing apps and filters promote an unrealistic idea of beauty
The death of TV: how social media has stolen student’s interest

The challenge students have with their topic ideas for research papers is that they’re broad. A good social media thesis topic should be narrowed down. Narrowing a topic down helps you during research to focus on an issue.

Some narrow social media topics for the research paper include;

A study of how social media is overtaking Television in entertainment
A study of how social media has overtaken traditional journalism
An evaluation of the rise of influencer culture on Instagram
YouTube and how it has created sustainable income for black content creators
A comparative study of social media managers and content creators
A study of the decline of Instagram since the emergence of Tiktok
How Twitter breeds transphobic conversations

There are several areas of social media to focus your research on. If you are looking for some social media marketing topics, below are some social media research paper topics to consider;

Influencer culture and a modified model of mouth-to-mouth marketing
The growth of video marketing on Instagram
Social media managers as an essential part of online marketing
A study on how social media stories are optimized for marketing
An analysis of social media marketing and its impact on customer behavior
An evaluation of target marketing on social media

There are so many topics to choose from in this aspect. Some social issues research paper topics to explore are;

The growth of cyberattacks and cyberstalking in social media
Social media and how it promotes an unrealistic idea of life
Social media and the many impacts it has on users and businesses
Social media detox: Importance of taking scheduled social media breaks
How social media enable conversation on social challenges

Writing a research paper on social issues touches on various areas. Some are challenging, while others are easier to navigate.

Below are some of the easy social issues topics to choose from.

The growing issue of women’s and trans people’s rights
Religious bigotry and how it affects social progress
Sustainable living and why it’s important to the society
The social impact of climate change and global warming

Social science is a broad discipline. If you are looking for social science essay topics, below are some social science topics for research papers to look into;

Consumerism and how it’s perpetrated on social media
How religious beliefs impact social relationships
Inflation and how it affects the economy of a nation
A study of the limited availability of work opportunities for minority groups
A look into the concept of “low wage” jobs

Research writing is not always technical or challenging. Sometimes, it can be fun to write. It all depends on your choice of topic. Below are some topics on social media that are fun to work on;

The importance of social media branding for small businesses
A look into the monetization of Instagram
User engagement and how it can be converted into business leads
The study of emojis and their role in social media engagement
From Instagram to Tiktok: the poaching nature of social media apps

Research writing on social media networking studies social networking and its design and promotion on social media platforms. Some research papers on social media networking are;

The impact of social media networking on business owners
Social media networking and how it impacts influencer culture
Social media and how it’s used to build and develop social relationships
How social media made social networking services easier

Social media research writing is one of the most interesting research to conduct. It cuts across several interesting areas. The writer can handle almost every aspect of the dissertation or thesis statement about social media . But, students who find it challenging should seek professional help. You can reach out to our expert team of writers to help you handle every element of your writing. We have the best on our team who are always ready to give you their best.

234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas

Icon Calendar 18 May 2024
Icon Page 2646 words
Icon Clock 12 min read

Social media research encompasses a broad range of different topics that delve into the ever-evolving digital landscape. People investigate the impact of social platforms on society, exploring subjects, such as online identity formation, self-presentation, the psychology of virtual interactions, and others. Additionally, studies examine the influence of social media on politics, activism, and public opinion, uncovering patterns of information dissemination and polarization. Privacy concerns, cyberbullying, and online safety are also explored in-depth, seeking strategies to mitigate the associated risks. In this article, people can find many social media research topics, ideas, and examples.

Hot Social Media Research Topics

Impacts of Social Media and Internet Algorithms on User Experience
The Rise of TikTok: A Socio-Cultural Analysis
Dealing With Cyberbullying: Strategies and Solutions
Understanding the Phenomenon of Social Media ‘Cancel Culture’
NFTs and Social Media: The Future of Digital Art?
Ethical Concerns in the Era of Influencer Marketing
Social Media’s Role in Accelerating E-Commerce Growth
Impacts of Internet and Social Media on Journalism and News Reporting
Understanding the Psychology of Viral Challenges on Social Platforms
Cryptocurrency and Social Media: The Intersection
Mitigating Misinformation and ‘Fake News’ on Social Media
Augmented Reality (AR) in Social Media: A Game Changer?
Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Political Campaigns
Social Media’s Influence on Fashion and Beauty Trends
Privacy, Safety, and Security Concerns in the Age of Social Networking
Roles of Free Access and Social Media in Promoting Sustainable Practices
Implications of Social Media Addiction on Mental Health
Examining Social Media’s Role in Crisis Communication
The Power of User-Generated Content in Branding
Influence of Social Media on Food Culture and Dining Trends

Easy Social Media Research Topics

Impacts of Online Videos and Social Media on Mental Health
Influencer Marketing: Efficacy and Ethical Concerns
Evolution of Privacy Policies Across Social Platforms
Understanding Virality: What Makes Content Shareable?
Cyberbullying: Prevalence and Prevention Strategies
Social Media and Political Polarization: An In-Depth Study
Role of Social Media in Modern Business Strategies
Effect of Social Media on Interpersonal Relationships
Social Platforms as Tools for Social Change
Navigating Online Hate Speech: A Legal Perspective
Emerging Trends in Social Media Advertising
Online Identity Construction and Self-Presentation
The Psychology of Social Media Addiction
Social Media’s Role in Crisis Management and Communication
Sentiment Analysis in Social Media and Its Implications
Social Media Algorithms: Bias and Implications
The Phenomenon of Cancel Culture on Social Platforms
Cybersecurity Threats in the Era of Social Media
Analyzing Adverse Impacts of Social Media on Consumer Behavior

Interesting Social Media Research Topics

Evaluating the Effects of Social Media on Language and Communication
Roles of Social Media in Fostering Political Engagement
Misinformation and Propaganda Spread Through Social Platforms
Analyzing the Shift From Traditional Media to Social Media
Dark Patterns in Social Media: Hidden Manipulative Tactics
Social Media and Digital Activism: Revolutionizing Advocacy
Augmented Reality (AR) and Its Impact on Social Networking
Exploring Cybersecurity Issues in Social Media Platforms
Roles and Effects of Social Media and News in Mental Health Promotion
Strategies for Effective Social Media Crisis Management
The Power of Live Streaming for Brands and Influencers
Using Social Media to Enhance Classroom Learning
Analyzing the Influence of Memes on Internet Culture
Impacts of Social Media Algorithms on User Behavior
Assessing the Correlation Between Social Media and Loneliness
Geotagging and Its Implications for Personal Privacy
Social Media and E-commerce: A Cross-Industry Study
The Ethics of Digital Advertising on Social Platforms
Understanding the Psychology of Social Media Trolls
The Cultural Shift Caused by Social Media Localization

Social Media Research Paper Topics for High School

The Phenomenon of Cyberbullying: Prevention and Strategies
How Does Social Media Influence Teen Body Image?
Evaluating the Educational Potential of Social Media Platforms
Impacts of Social Media on Adolescents’ Self-Esteem
Roles of Free Connection and Social Media in Modern Political Activism
Exploring the Concept of ‘Digital Citizenship’ Among Teenagers
The Ethics of Social Media Privacy: User Rights and Responsibilities
Social Media Addiction: Understanding Its Causes and Effects
Influence of Social Media on Modern Communication Styles
Analyzing Positive Roles of Social Media in Promoting Reading Culture
Social Media and Mental Health: Correlation or Causation?
The Role of Social Media in Global Environmental Awareness
Examining Social Media’s Impact on Real-Life Social Skills
Social Media Platforms: Tools for Personal Branding or Narcissism?
Influence of Social Media Trends on Youth Fashion Choices
Impacts of Social Media on Teenagers’ Sleep Patterns
Online Safety: The Role of Parents and Schools in Social Media Usage
How Does Social Media Influence Teenagers’ Views on Relationships?
Social Media and Empathy: Does Online Interaction Decrease Compassion?

Social Media Research Paper Topics for College Students

Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
The Influence of Social Media on Voting Patterns Among Young Adults
Social Media as a Valid Tool for Social Change: A Case Study Approach
Unveiling the Psychology of Social Media Addiction
Social Media’s Role in Modern Journalism: Opportunities and Challenges
Privacy Implications of Data Collection on Social Media Platforms
Cyberbullying in the Age of Social Media: Scope and Solutions
The Ethical Aspects of Social Media Influencer Marketing
Roles and Effects of Social Media in Crisis Communication and Management
Social Media and Its Effects on Interpersonal Communication Skills
Analyzing Social Media Strategies of Successful Businesses
Impacts of Internet Use and Social Media on Mental Health Among College Students
The Roles That Social Media Has in Modern Political Campaigns
Understanding the Social Media Algorithm: Bias and Implications
Social Media and Consumer Behavior: The Power of Influencer Marketing
Fake News, Authors, and Disinformation Spread Through Social Media Platforms
Exploring Direct Links Between Social Media Use and Academic Performance
Social Media’s Role in Promoting Sustainable Lifestyle Choices
Regulation of Hate Speech and Offensive Content on Social Media
The Power and Peril of Virality in the Age of Social Media

Social Media Research Paper Topics for University

The Effect That Social Media Has on Global Politics
The Ethics of Data Mining in Social Media
Roles of Social Media in Business Marketing Strategies
Social Media, Internet Use, and Their Impacts on Mental Health: A Systematic Review
Algorithmic Bias in Social Media Platforms: Causes and Consequences
The Influence of Colors and Social Media on Consumer Behavior
Exploring Possible Relationships Between Social Media Use and Academic Performance
Privacy, Morality, and Security Concerns in the Age of Social Media
Social Media as a Platform for Digital Activism
Impacts of Social Media on Interpersonal Communication and Relationships
Cyberbullying on Social Media: Scope, Impact, and Preventive Measures
The Role of Social Media in Spreading Health-Related Misinformation
Analyzing the Effect of Social Media on Journalism Practices
Understanding the Influence of Social Media on Body Image Perceptions
Social Media’s Role in Crisis Management: Case Studies
The Power and Effectiveness of Influencer Marketing on Social Media
Fake News and Disinformation in the Social Media Age
Regulatory Approaches to Hate Speech on Social Media Platforms
The Economic Implications of Social Media: From Startups to Giants

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Masters

Advanced Algorithms and Their Role in Shaping Social Media Interactions
Evaluating the Impact of Social Media on Democratic Processes Globally
The Intersection of Privacy, Data Mining, and Ethics in Social Media
Quantitative Analysis of Social Media’s Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior
Cybersecurity Threats in Social Media: Mitigation and Prevention Strategies
Analyzing the Psychological Implications of Social Media Addiction
Using Social Media Data to Predict Market Trends: An Econometric Approach
Role of Social Media in Crisis Management: A Comparative Study
The Sociolinguistic Impact of Social Media on Communication
Machine Learning and AI in Social Media: An Examination of Emerging Trends
Social Media as a Valid Tool for Public Health: Opportunities and Challenges
Social Media’s Influence on Modern Journalism: A Critical Analysis
Mapping Social Networks: A Graph Theory Approach
Evaluating the Efficacy of Social Media Campaigns in Social Change Movements
Analyzing the Role of Social Media in Corporate Reputation Management
Data Privacy Laws and Social Media: A Comparative Study
The Use of Small and Big Data Analytics in Social Media Marketing
Social Media and Its Role in Strengthening Democracy: A Deep Dive
The Impact of Social Media on Cultural Assimilation and Identity
Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Social Media Content Moderation

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Ph.D.

Analyzing the Impact of Social Media Algorithms on User Behavior and Perceptions
Deciphering the Influence of Social Media on Political Campaign Strategies
Examining the Role of Social Media in Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives
Social Media and Mental Health: A Comprehensive Analysis of Recent Studies
Effects of Social Media and Internet Use on Consumer Buying Behavior: An Econometric Approach
Social Media and Digital Diplomacy: A Critical Analysis
Ethical Implications of Data Mining Techniques in Social Media Platforms
Unpacking the Psychological Mechanisms of Social Media Addiction
Role of Social Media in Contemporary Journalism: Opportunities and Challenges
Social Media and Privacy: A Comparative Study of Data Protection Laws
Machine Learning and AI in Social Media: Identifying Future Trends
Social Media’s Possible Influence on People, Body Image, and Self-Esteem: A Meta-Analysis
Analyzing the Role of Social Media in Crisis Management and Communication
Impacts of Social Media on Different Language and Communication Styles
Cybersecurity in Social Media: An Analysis of Current Threats and Mitigation Strategies
Social Media as a Good Tool for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Effects of Social Media on Children and Their Parents: Social Skills and Interpersonal Relationships
Roles of Social Media in Promoting Gender Equality and Women’s Rights
Social Media and its Influence on Cultural Assimilation and Identity Formation

Social Media Research Topics for Argumentative Papers

Impacts of Social Media on Social and Political Discourses: Enhancing or Hindering Democratic Engagement?
Social Media and Mental Health: Exploring the Association Between Excessive Usage and Psychological Well-Being
Fostering Online Activism and Social Movements: The Role of Social Media
Balancing Personal Information Sharing and Data Protection: Social Media and Privacy
Exploring the Effects of Social Media on Body Image and Self-Esteem
Social Media and Political Polarization: Reinforcing Echo Chambers or Encouraging Diverse Perspectives?
Youth Culture and Identity Formation: The Influence of Social Media
Fake News and Misinformation: Combating Inaccurate Information in the Era of Social Media
Social Media and Cyberbullying: Examining the Impact on Mental Health and Well-Being
The Ethics of Social Media Research: Privacy, Informed Consent, and Ethical Considerations
Relationships in the Digital Age: Exploring the Influence of Social Media Use
The Influence of Internet, Technology, and Social Media on Consumer Behavior and Buying Decisions
Analyzing the Role of Online Platforms in Elections: Social Media and Political Campaigns
Social Media in Education: Exploring the Benefits and Challenges of Integration in the Classroom
Impacts of Social Media and Interface on News Consumption and Journalism Practices
Body Politics in the Digital Space: Examining Representations of Gender, Race, and Body Image on Social Media
Addressing Ethical and Security Concerns in the Digital Age: Social Media and Cybersecurity
Shaping Consumer Behavior and Brand Perception: The Role of Social Media Influencers
Civic Engagement in the Digital Era: Assessing the Role of Social Media Platforms
The Influence of Social Media Algorithms on Information Consumption and Personalization

Social Media Research Topics for Persuasive Papers

The Power of Social Media in Driving Social and Political Change
Promoting Digital Literacy: Empowering Users to Navigate the Complexities of Social Media
Social Media as a Catalyst for Social Justice Movements: Amplifying Marginalized Voices
Countering Fake News and Misinformation on Social Media: Strategies for Critical Thinking
Harnessing the Influence of Social Media for Environmental Activism and Sustainability
The Dark Side of Social Media: Addressing Online Harassment and Cyberbullying
Influencer Marketing: Ethical Considerations and Consumer Protection in the Digital Age
Leveraging Social Media for Public Health Campaigns: Increasing Awareness and Behavioral Change
Social Media and Mental Health: Promoting Well-Being in a Hyperconnected World
Navigating the Privacy Paradox: Balancing Convenience and Personal Data Protection on Social Media
Roles of Social Media and Internet in Fostering Civic Engagement and Democratic Participation
Promoting Positive Body Image on Social Media: Redefining Beauty Standards and Empowering Individuals
Enhancing Online Safety: Developing Policies and Regulations for Social Media Platforms
Social Media and the Spread of Disinformation: Combating the Infodemic
Roles of Social Media and Technology in Building and Sustaining Relationships: Connecting in a Digital Era
Influencer Culture and Materialism: Examining the Impact on Consumer Behavior
Social Media and Education: Maximizing Learning Opportunities and Bridging the Digital Divide
The Power of Viral Hashtags: Exploring Social Movements and Online Activism
Social Media and Political Polarization: Bridging Divides and Encouraging Constructive Dialogue

Social Media Topics for Pros and Cons Research Papers

Examining the Social Effects of Digital Connectivity: Pros and Cons of Using Social Media
Balancing Privacy Concerns in the Digital Age: Evaluating the Cons and Risks of Social Media Use
Information Sharing in the Digital Era: Uncovering the Advantages of Social Media Platforms
Building Online Communities: Analyzing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Social Media Interaction
Navigating Political Discourse in the Digital Age: The Disadvantages of Social Media Engagement
Mental Health in the Digital Sphere: Understanding the Benefits and Drawbacks of Social Media
Combating Cyberbullying: Addressing the Negative Side of Online Social Interactions
Personal Branding in the Digital Landscape: Empowerment vs. Self-Objectification on Social Media
Establishing Meaningful Connections: Exploring the Pros and Cons of Social Media Relationships
Leveraging the Educational Potential of Digital Platforms: Examining the Benefits of Social Media in Learning
Body Image and Self-Esteem in the Age of Social Media: Weighing the Positives and Negatives
From Digital Activism to Political Change: Assessing the Opportunities and Limitations of Social Media
Unraveling the Influence: Social Media and Consumer Behavior in the Digital Marketplace
Misinformation in the Digital Landscape: The Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Spread of Disinformation
Crisis Communication in the Digital Age: Navigating the Benefits and Challenges of Social Media
Tackling Fake News: Navigating Misinformation in the Era of Social Media
Maximizing Business Opportunities: Evaluating the Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Marketing
The Psychology of Social Media: Analyzing the Upsides and Downsides of Digital Engagement
Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Socialization: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Implications
Online Activism: The Power and Limitations of Social Media Movements

Social Media Topics for Cause and Effect Research Papers

Enhancing Political Activism: Exploring the Relationship Between Social Media and Civic Engagement
The Psychological Effects of Digital Connectivity: Investigating the Relationship Between Mental Health of People and Social Media Use
Political Polarization in the Online Sphere: Understanding the Impact of Digital Networks
Disrupted Sleep Patterns in the Digital Era: Exploring the Role of Online Platforms
Digital Distractions and Academic Performance: Analyzing the Effects of Online Engagement
Navigating Online Relationships: Understanding the Impacts of Digital Interactions
The Digital Marketplace: Exploring Consumer Behavior in the Age of Online Platforms
The Loneliness Epidemic: Investigating the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Social Isolation
Redefining Political Participation: The Influence of Digital Networks on Democracy
Unmasking Digital Identities: The Psychological Effects of Social Media Use
News Consumption in the Digital Era: Exploring the Impacts of Online Platforms
Cyberbullying in the Virtual World: Analyzing the Effects of Online Interactions
The Digital Campaign Trail: Investigating the Influence of Online Platforms on Voter Behavior
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) in the Digital Age: Exploring the Psychological Consequences
Body Dissatisfaction in the Digital Sphere: Understanding the Impacts of Online Presence
Information Overload: Coping With the Digital Deluge in the Information Age
Privacy Concerns in the Online Landscape: Analyzing the Implications of Digital Footprints
Unveiling the Dark Side: Exploring the Relationship Between Online Activities and Substance Abuse
Bridging the Political Divide: The Impact of Digital Networks on Sociopolitical Polarization

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

431 Music Essay Topics & Ideas

Icon Calendar 24 May 2023
Icon Page 4272 words

Essay on My Escape From North Korea

Icon Calendar 25 April 2023
Icon Page 713 words

Services Paper editing services Paper proofreading Business papers Philosophy papers Write my paper Term papers for sale Term paper help Academic term papers Buy research papers College writing services Paper writing help Student papers Original term papers Research paper help Nursing papers for sale Psychology papers Economics papers Medical papers Blog

193 Great Social Media Research Topics For Successful Paper

Social media sites are those that facilitate the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks or communities. Social media is internet-based and gives users effective electronic communication of content. On social media sites, you can send messages, images, documents, videos, or other forms of data. The various large social media networks include; Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

Characteristics of a Good Social Media Research Paper

To write a good social media research paper, follow this procedure:

Check The Instructions: Check the instructions on what is required. You also need to consult the professor to know what is expected. This will help you to choose the right topic that will lead to a proper research paper. You can check whether the essay needs to be persuasive, engaging, or argumentative.
Choose A Topic: Choose a topic that is not too complex. Additionally, it should be something that you are passionate about. Browse various sample papers online to know the best topic to use.
Research Well: Once you choose a topic and seek approval from your professor, you now need to do proper research. You can use scholarly articles, documentaries, films, and other data to find the relevant needed information.
Draft It Out: Write out the key points and know how the introduction body and conclusion will be. If doing a project, thesis, or dissertation, write a great abstract. The draft should contain all the relevant information. Remember to write titles that correspond to the main points.
Write The Final Paper: Once you are done, write the final paper and proofread to ensure that everything you’ve written is as it should be.

Social Media Research Topics

Social media is a great place to interact with friends, colleagues, family, bloggers, and even celebrities. They make the world seem a bit smaller with the amount of information you can get from it.

The factors that lead to the growth of social media sites.
Evaluate how social media fuels rebellion among teenagers.
How are social network websites used for political affairs?
The best ways to deal with children’s addiction in social sites.
How can social media sites be used during certain country disasters?
Evaluate how data protection is done on social media sites.
In your own opinion, do you think there should be an age restriction on the use of social networks?
Evaluate the various reasons that companies are opting to advertise more on Facebook.
The major factors that lead to the popularity of social media sites like Instagram.
Evaluate the growth of social media in the past 10 years – what has changed?
Is there a relationship between social media and mental problems?
Discuss how the major changes that have occurred in communication are due to social media sites.
Evaluate the evolution of Twitter from its inception to date.
The best tactics to build a strong social media presence.

Social Media Research Questions

Did you know that social media sites can play with the psychology of a teen? They will see society differently than they were used to.

Which are the best ways to monitor children’s access to social media platforms?
Among all the social media platforms, which is the best to use when starting a business?
Which are the positive and negative effects of using social media sites?
How do social networks make people commit suicide?
Which are the negative effects of children using social media sites?
How can addiction to social media occur? The best methods to use to curb it.
Which are the advantages and disadvantages of parents monitoring their children’s social media presence?
How do social media networks help whenever there is a disaster?
How effective is Twitter when providing some information globally?
Do you think that social media connects and disconnects people equally?
How do social media networks facilitate kidnapping and assaults?
How effective is the social media network when providing good PR?
How effective is data protection on the internet?
Is it safe to do a job on any of the social media platforms?

Research Papers On Social Media

Have you ever come across a social media political campaign? Well, yes, there are social media politics. A couple of politicians have gained popularity through social media exposure.

Evaluate the changes that have occurred in human values after social media prevalence.
Should there be a restriction on social media activities for both adults and children?
Does social media enhance or prevent stereotyping?
The best way to recognize valid advertisements and spam.
The best way social media can help to stop racism.
The effects of online games.
The negative effects of social media on crime cases.
The best way to manage social media pressure among celebrities globally.
How do social media sites boost personal branding?
The positive effects of social media on improving the corporate image.
How does influence marketing help in boosting businesses?
The influence of chatbots in boosting communication in companies.
The best strategies to use to create a strong online presence.
Evaluate the evolution of social media.

Interesting Social Media Research Topic

There is a close relationship between social media and relationships. This is because it plays a major role in how people relate. This is in families, couples, friends, and colleagues.

The power of online communities.
The impact of business branding in increasing sales.
The major roles of images in boosting online communication.
The best methods to use to monitor kids’ activities on social media.
Social empowerment on the use of social media sites.
The impact of social media in boosting spirituality in individuals.
The major impacts of social media on job creation.
The effects of cybercrime on different individuals.
How do social media relationships occur?
The safety of social media relationships in the modern age.
The importance of social media in new products marketing.
How does social media help in marketing?
The negative and positive impacts of social media in religious missions.
The role of social media in breaking news to the public.

Social Media Research Papers

Of late many people have been indulging in the social media business. This is because of its diversity. There is a lot of areas that still require exploration in the digital world.

Evaluate the impact of social media on modern times.
The effectiveness of government communication through social media.
How has social media influenced education?
The impact of social media in journalism.
The effectiveness of mobile technology in marketing.
The various regulations put in place for online activities.
The most effective email marketing strategies.
How is social media being used to boost food security?
How does social media affect the behaviors of children at school and home?
The global regulations on online activities.
The various online marketing modes used by various social media marketers.
The best way to use social media networks to boost your content visibility.
How can startups use social media to boost their customer service experience?
Do you think information overload influences our health?

Research Topic On Social Media

These are some of the best media topics. You can also find some multimedia topics that you can use for your research paper. Digital media is interesting and you get a lot of information from it.

Evaluate business growth in the past and present due to social media networks.
How does social media help us to find inspiration?
The amount of time to use when using social media sites.
Why do you think people always crave likes on social media sites?
Why do you think people are often aggressive when using social media sites?
Why do you think cyberbullying is rampant on social media?
What do you think makes marketing great on social media?
Has social media influenced what is considered beautiful and what is not?
The best way to depoliticize is through social media.
The best ways to interact positively with people through social media.
Do you think it is effective to find a relationship partner through social media?
It is recommended for employers to always check the social media accounts of their employees?
Do you think it is wise to check a candidate’s social media presence before hiring?
The best way to boost your social media presence as a brand ambassador.

Informative Research Questions On Social Media

Are you looking for good and interesting research questions on social media? Look no further! You can start with these. Also, remember to do thorough research to meet the end goal.

Which are the lessons gotten from social media network usage?
The only time when children should be allowed to use social sites.
The best way to raise funds for sick people using social media.
The best ways social media can be used for acts of mercy.
How social media is a new culture.
Do you think social media makes us accept violence easily?
How do you think social media sites are used to plan crimes?
The relation between social media and violence.
The relation between social media and culture.
The most popular kinds of posts on social media sites.
The influence of Instagram on women.
The best way to find your perfect target audience.
How are social media sites used to unite human beings?

Best Social Media Paper Ideas

It is important to submit high-quality work to your professor. Try our college paper writing service and discover the benefits of high-quality and cheap paper writing help. This will help you to gain top grades while in college.

Why do some accounts gain more followers than others?
How businesses can use social media in client service development?
The best methods to stop cyberbullying on social media sites.
Do you think it is recommended to trust bloggers’ views before making a purchase?
How have social sites become a platform for new business destinies?
The best methods to use to become a celebrity on media sites.
Should teachers keep their accounts closed to prevent students from knowing them?
The various professions emerged due to the developing of social media.
How to find your perfect social media audience.
Customer engagement on social media platforms.
The best way social media can be used is to make students more aware of their surroundings.
How can social media be used to track a lost person?
The use of mass media on the development of the education system.
Why do you think people love reading gossip on various social media sites?

Argumentative Research Topics About Social Media

These research topics about social media will make you think deeper and see the online world differently. Through research, you will also learn why the” future is digital.”

How do social media sites help in enriching students with presentation skills?
The best way social media can be used to educate students on real-life scenarios.
The best way to reduce theft on social media sites.
The best way to crowdsource different people to achieve something,
How do social media sites invade people’s privacy?
Which should be an age limit for using certain social media sites?
The best way to learn through social media.
The policies and regulations needed for social media usage.
The effectiveness of social media sites during elections
How has social media led to family breakups?
How easy is it to get information online?
Evaluate all the Twitter limitations.
How do people fake it on social media?
Evaluate how to make the online space safe.

Amazing Social Media Paper Topics

As a student, you need to strive to achieve diligently in your course units. Here are some amazing topics that you can use.

The amount of bandwidth used when using social media.
The negative effects of joining social media platforms when too young.
The network connectivity issues that occur on social sites.
The best legislations that can be put in place for social media
The best way to earn through online games.
The effectiveness of digital dating sites on boosting relationships.
Data protection policies on social media sites.
The best way start-ups can use to boost their companies online.
Do you think social media networks are increasing suicide cases?
The best way to gain followers on Twitter.
The various causes of addiction on social media.
The best way to reduce addiction to social media among the youth.
The best way to improve social sites for all ages.
The various ways Twitter has been used to save lives

Engaging Social Networks Topics

Social media emerged as a way to interact with family and friends. However, with time, businesses started to take advantage of the popular new communication method.

The diverse relation between social sites and religion.
Is it ethical to monitor your employee’s social networks?
The various modes being used to improve interaction online.
Is parent-child protection necessary while online to prevent bullying?
The dangers of posting pictures online.
Evaluate how social media is disconnecting people?
The censorship policies that are being put in place for mass media.
The mass media bias during elections.
How does cyberbullying occur online?
The business of mass media during elections in different regions of the world.
The various important mass media ethics.
Evaluate phone journalism
How are images important when giving a story on social media sites?
The interrelation between politics and media.
The history of mass communication

Unique Social Networking Topics

Social media sites have made it easier to get real-time information fast. Additionally, you get to learn about the latest trends and technologies.

The impact of fake news on modern society.
How does accreditation of journalists occur online?
Evaluate the currency of news.
The advantages and disadvantages of mass communication.
The relation between mental illnesses and social media
The relation between media, ethics, and public relation.
The relation between media, fashion, and aesthetics.
The positive and negative effects of media cliché.
How can media be used as an instrument of propaganda?
The relation between terrorism and media.
The common major media industries.
The movement rules and politics about media.
The relation between reality shows, privacy, and ethics
How does media get information overloading?
How are social media sites making us lonely?

Social Media Research Paper Thesis

Social media marketing has grown over time and is slowly gaining popularity. These are some of the best social media research papers that you can use for your thesis.

The best way to protect children online.
Evaluate the world-famous influencers on social media.
The effect of social media on our relationships.
Evaluate addiction in social media in different age groups.
How does social media use lead to anxiety?
The negative and positive effects of social media on the youth.
The importance of social media presence on recruitment.
The real value of social media
The effects of social media on human beings.

Trying To Finish Your Social Media Paper?

Are you looking for someone who can do a research paper for you? Look no further! We will provide the best writing help. We have experts who specialize in different things, with the majority being writers. You can also get the required customer support when you need it. The writers are often available and reliable enough to provide the best work. Your professors will be happy. As students, it is important to give it your best while at school.

13 social media research topics to explore in 2024

Last updated

15 January 2024

Reviewed by

Miroslav Damyanov

To help you choose a specific area to examine, here are some of the top social media research topics that are relevant in 2024.

What makes a strong social media research topic?

Consider the factors below to ensure your topic is strong and compelling:

Clarity: regardless of the topic you investigate, clarity is essential. It ensures readers will be able to understand your work and any wider learnings. Your argument should be clear and your language unambiguous.

Trend relevancy: you need to know what’s currently happening in social media to draw relevant conclusions. Before choosing a topic, consider current popular platforms, trending content, and current use cases to ensure you understand social media as it is today.

New insights: if your research is to be new, innovative, and helpful for the wider population, it should cover areas that haven’t been studied before. Look into what’s already been thoroughly researched to help you uncover knowledge gaps that could be good focus areas.

Tips for choosing social media research topics

When considering social media research questions, it’s also important to consider whether you’re the right person to conduct that area of study. Your skills, interests, and time allocated will all impact your suitability.

Consider your skillset: your specific expertise is highly valuable when conducting research. Choosing a topic that aligns with your skills will help ensure you can add a thorough analysis and your own learnings.

Align with your interests: if you’re deeply interested in a topic, you’re much more likely to enjoy the process and dedicate the time it needs for a thorough analysis.

Consider your resources: the time you have available to complete the research, your allocated funds, and access to resources should all impact the research topic you choose.

13 social media research paper topics

To help you choose the right area of research, we’ve rounded up some of the most compelling topics within the sector. These ideas may also help you come up with your own.

1. The influence of social media on mental health

It’s well-documented that social media can impact mental health. For example, a significant amount of research has highlighted the link between social media and conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress—but there’s still more to uncover in this area.

There are high rates of mental illness worldwide, so there’s continual interest in ways to understand and mitigate it. Studies could focus on the following areas:

The reasons why social media can impact mental health

How social media can impact specific mental health conditions (you might also look at different age groups here)

How to reduce social media’s impact on mental health

2. The effects of social media exposure on child development

There are many unknowns with social media. More research is needed to understand how it impacts children. As such, this is a very valuable research area.

You might explore the following topics:

How social media impacts children at different ages

The long-term effects of childhood social media use

The benefits of social media use in children

How social media use impacts childhood socialization, communication, and learning

3. The role of social media in political campaigning

Social media’s role in political campaigning is nothing new. The Cambridge Analytica Scandal, for example, involved data from millions of Facebook profiles being sold to a third party for political advertising. Many believe this could have impacted the 2016 US election results. Ultimately, Facebook had to pay a private class-action lawsuit of $725 million.

The role of social media in political campaigns is of global significance. Concerns are still high that social media can play a negative role in elections due to the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and the bandwagon effect.

Research in this area could look into the following topics:

How people are influenced by social media when it comes to voting

Ways to mitigate misinformation

Election interference and how this can be prevented

4. The role of social media in misinformation and disinformation

Misinformation and disinformation mean slightly different things. Misinformation is unintentionally sharing false or inaccurate information, while disinformation is sharing false information with the deliberate intent to mislead people.

Both can play a role not just in elections but throughout social media. This became particularly problematic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research into this area is important given the widespread risk that comes with spreading false information about health and safety-related topics.

Here are some potential research areas:

How misinformation and disinformation are spread via social media

The impact of false information (you could focus on how it impacts health, for example)

Strategies for mitigating the impact of false information and encouraging critical thinking

The avenues through which to hold technology companies accountable for spreading misinformation

5. The impact of AI and deepfakes on social media

AI technology is expected to continue expanding in 2024. Some are concerned that this could impact social media. One concern is the potential for the widespread use of deepfake technology—a form of AI that uses deep learning to create fake images.

Fake images can be used to discredit, shame, and control others, so researchers need to deeply understand this area of technology. You might look into the following areas:

The potential impacts of deepfakes on businesses and their reputations

Deepfake identities on social media: privacy concerns and other risks

How deepfake images can be identified, controlled, and prevented

6. How social media can benefit communities

While there’s much research into the potential negative impacts of social media, it can also provide many benefits.

Social media can establish connections for those who might otherwise be isolated in the community. It can facilitate in-person gatherings and connect people who are physically separated, such as relatives who live in different countries. Social media can also provide critical information to communities quickly in the case of emergencies.

Research into the ways social media can provide these key benefits can make interesting topics. You could consider the following:

Which social media platforms offer the most benefits

How to better use social media to lean into these benefits

How new social platforms could connect us in more helpful ways

7. The psychology of social media

Social media psychology explores human behavior in relation to social media. There are a range of topics within social media psychology, including the following:

The influence of social media on social comparison

Addiction and psychological dependence on social media

How social media increases the risk of cyberbullying

How social media use impacts people’s attention spans

Social interactions and the impact on socialization

Persuasion and influence on social media

8. How communication has evolved through social media

Social media has provided endless ways for humans to connect and interact, so the ways we do this have evolved.

Most obviously, social media has provided ways to connect instantaneously via real-time messaging and communicate using multimedia formats, including text, images, emojis, video content, and audio.

This has made communication more accessible and seamless, especially given many people now own smartphones that can connect to social media apps from anywhere.

You might consider researching the following topics:

How social media has changed the way people communicate

The impacts of being continuously connected, both positive and negative

How communication may evolve in the future due to social media

9. Social media platforms as primary news sources

As social media use has become more widespread, many are accessing news information primarily from their newsfeeds. This can be particularly problematic, given that newsfeeds are personalized providing content to people based on their data.

This can cause people to live in echo chambers, where they are constantly targeted with content that aligns with their beliefs. This can cause people to become more entrenched in their way of thinking and more unable or unwilling to see other people’s opinions and points of view.

Research in this area could consider the following:

The challenges that arise from using social media platforms as a primary news source

The pros and cons of social media: does it encourage “soloization” or diverse perspectives?

How to prevent social media echo chambers from occurring

The impact of social media echo chambers on journalistic integrity

10. How social media is impacting modern journalism

News platforms typically rely on an advertising model where more clicks and views increase revenue. Since sensationalist stories can attract more clicks and shares on social media, modern journalism is evolving.

Journalists are often rewarded for writing clickbait headlines and content that’s more emotionally triggering (and therefore shareable).

Your research could cover the following areas:

How journalism is evolving due to social media

How to mitigate social media’s impact on neutral reporting

The importance of journalistic standards in the age of social media

11. The impact of social media on traditional advertising

Digital advertising is growing in popularity. Worldwide, ad spending on social media was expected to reach $207.1 billion in 2023 . Experts estimate that ad spending on mobile alone will reach $255.8 billion by 2028 . This move continues to impact traditional advertising, which takes place via channels like print, TV, and radio.

Most organizations consider their social strategy a critical aspect of their advertising program. Many exclusively advertise on social media—especially those with limited budgets.

Here are some interesting research topics in this area

The impact of different advertising methods

Which social media advertising channels provide the highest return on investment (ROI)

The societal impacts of social media advertising

12. Impacts of social media presence on corporate image

Social media presence can provide companies with an opportunity to be visible and increase brand awareness . Social media also provides a key way to interact with customers.

More and more customers now expect businesses to be online. Research shows that 63% of customers expect companies to offer customer service via their social media channels, while a whopping 90% have connected with a brand or business through social media.

Research in this area could focus on the following topics:

The advantages and disadvantages of social media marketing for businesses

How social media can impact a business’s corporate image

How social media can boost customer experience and loyalty

13. How social media impacts data privacy

Using social media platforms is free for the most part, but users have to provide their personal data for the privilege. This means data collection , tracking, the potential for third parties to access that data, psychological profiling, geolocation, and tracking are all potential risks for users.

Data security and privacy are of increasing interest globally. Research within this area will likely be in high demand in 2024.

Here are some of the research topics you might want to consider in this area:

Common privacy concerns with social media use

Why is social media privacy important?

What can individuals do to protect their data when using social media?

The importance of social media research

As social media use continues to expand in the US and around the world, there’s continual interest in research on the topic. The research you conduct could positively impact many groups of people.

Topics can cover a broad range of areas. You might look at how social media can harm or benefit people, how social media can impact journalism, how platforms can impact young people, or the data privacy risks involved with social media use. The options are endless, and new research topics will present themselves as technology evolves.

Should you be using a customer insights hub?

Do you want to discover previous research faster?

Do you share your research findings with others?

Do you analyze research data?

Start for free today, add your research, and get to key insights faster

Editor’s picks

Last updated: 11 January 2024

Last updated: 15 January 2024

Last updated: 17 January 2024

Last updated: 25 November 2023

Last updated: 12 May 2023

Last updated: 30 April 2024

Last updated: 13 May 2024

Latest articles

Related topics, .css-je19u9{-webkit-align-items:flex-end;-webkit-box-align:flex-end;-ms-flex-align:flex-end;align-items:flex-end;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;row-gap:0;text-align:center;max-width:671px;}@media (max-width: 1079px){.css-je19u9{max-width:400px;}.css-je19u9>span{white-space:pre;}}@media (max-width: 799px){.css-je19u9{max-width:400px;}.css-je19u9>span{white-space:pre;}} decide what to .css-1kiodld{max-height:56px;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}@media (max-width: 1079px){.css-1kiodld{display:none;}} build next, decide what to build next.

Users report unexpectedly high data usage, especially during streaming sessions.

Users find it hard to navigate from the home page to relevant playlists in the app.

It would be great to have a sleep timer feature, especially for bedtime listening.

I need better filters to find the songs or artists I’m looking for.

Log in or sign up

Get started for free

Explore your training options in 10 minutes Get Started

Graduate Stories
Partner Spotlights
Bootcamp Prep
Bootcamp Admissions
University Bootcamps
Coding Tools
Software Engineering
Web Development
Data Science
Tech Guides
Tech Resources
Career Advice
Online Learning
Internships
Apprenticeships
Tech Salaries
Associate Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
University Admissions
Best Schools
Certifications
Bootcamp Financing
Higher Ed Financing
Scholarships
Financial Aid
Best Coding Bootcamps
Best Online Bootcamps
Best Web Design Bootcamps
Best Data Science Bootcamps
Best Technology Sales Bootcamps
Best Data Analytics Bootcamps
Best Cybersecurity Bootcamps
Best Digital Marketing Bootcamps
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Browse All Locations
Digital Marketing
Machine Learning
See All Subjects
Bootcamps 101
Full-Stack Development
Career Changes
View all Career Discussions
Mobile App Development
Cybersecurity
Product Management
UX/UI Design
What is a Coding Bootcamp?
Are Coding Bootcamps Worth It?
How to Choose a Coding Bootcamp
Best Online Coding Bootcamps and Courses
Best Free Bootcamps and Coding Training
Coding Bootcamp vs. Community College
Coding Bootcamp vs. Self-Learning
Bootcamps vs. Certifications: Compared
What Is a Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantee?
How to Pay for Coding Bootcamp
Ultimate Guide to Coding Bootcamp Loans
Best Coding Bootcamp Scholarships and Grants
Education Stipends for Coding Bootcamps
Get Your Coding Bootcamp Sponsored by Your Employer
GI Bill and Coding Bootcamps
Tech Intevriews
Our Enterprise Solution
Connect With Us
Publication
Reskill America
Partner With Us

Resource Center
Bachelor’s Degree
Master’s Degree

The Top 10 Most Interesting Social Media Research Topics

Finding social media research topics you’re interested in is tricky. Social media is a fairly new field, and the constant arrival of new technology means that it’s always evolving. So, students have a lot to think about in their search for topics.

In this article, we’re going to walk you through social media research paper topics that are timely and relevant. We’ll also show you examples of social media research topics you can get inspiration from. Lastly, we’re going to lay out some social media research questions you can ponder while formulating your topic.

Find your bootcamp match

What makes a strong social media research topic.

A strong social media research topic requires clarity of focus. This means that your topic must be timely, relevant, and coherent. This allows your research topic to be compelling and easily understandable to others.

Tips for Choosing a Social Media Research Topic

Know the trends. Learning what social media topics are trending allows you to know the relevant issues and emergent themes in the field of social media. This also lets you know what topics are well-researched and which ones are still emerging.
Explore knowledge gaps. Knowing what previous researchers have written prevents you from repeating knowledge that has already been explored and shared. Nobody wants to reinvent the wheel when doing research. Exploring knowledge gaps lets you increase the impact of your work and identify opportunities for further research.
Choose something that you’re interested in. Diving deep into a topic that you’re interested in motivates you to learn more about it. The research process becomes more engaging when you know you care about your topic.
Be specific. Knowing what you want to research and what you don’t want to research are keys to the research process. This entails narrowing down your topic to a specific area, subject, theme, or relationship. You want to know the scope and the limitations of your study.
Check your timeframe. Limiting your topic to a specific timeframe helps in narrowing down what you need to study. For example, you can decide to study a phenomenon that has emerged in just the last three years. By doing this, you’re making sure that your research is both specific and relevant.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

The difference between a research topic and a research question is in the scope. Research topics tend to be broader than research questions. Research topics focus on a specific area of study within a larger field, while a research question further narrows down what you are researching. A good research question allows you to write on your topic with greater precision.

How to Create Strong Social Media Research Questions

The key to creating strong social media research questions is learning enough about your topic to know where the gaps are. This means that you have to conduct a thorough social media literature review, reading previous studies until you have a handle on what’s been said and what questions are still unanswered. Your question will emerge from this preliminary research.

2. The Influence of Social Media on Mental Health

Mental health has been an important topic in social media research these past few years. Social media use and its connection to mental health has even been the subject of systematic reviews. This means that there’s a huge body of previous studies that you can look to when developing your research question.

Exploring both the positive effects and negative impacts of social media sites on mental health helps people and firms establish guidelines that help user communities. This research topic might also cover strategies for helping social media users improve their mental health.

3. The Role of Social Media in Political Campaigning

Social media is a new tool for political campaigning. Exploring what social media strategies have been conducted by politicians running for office helps in determining how social media aids in political campaigning. Studying new strategies like user-generated content for political campaigning allows you to know how voters interact with political candidates.

4. The Role of Social Media in Disinformation

The rise of fake news has coincided with the rise of social networking websites. This topic involves dissecting how social media technologies allow certain types of online content to thrive and make it easier for bad actors to spread disinformation.

5. How Social Media Can Benefit Communities

More and more social issues have been popularized through online content. Diving deep into how social media can facilitate organizational networking lets you compare the traditional and new organizing strategies being created in digital spaces. It also lets you understand how social media activity influences trends in virtual communities.

6. The Effects of Social Media Exposure on Child Development

Children also use social media sites. Some children use social networking sites under the supervision of their parents, and some do not. Social interaction, online or not, affects how children develop. Studying the psychological effects of social media exposure lets you know how social media may improve or derail the growth of children.

7. How Communication Has Evolved Through Social Media

Body language, tone of voice, and other non-verbal cues are absent in online forms of communication. In their place, emojis and other new ways to express thoughts and emotions have appeared. Learning how social media changes the way we talk to one another allows you to develop a theory of communication that takes into account the role of digital communities.

8. Social Media Platforms as Primary News Sources

A lot of people now are getting their daily dose of news and current events through social media. News networks have also established their social media presence on platforms that they can use to deliver news and current events to their audiences. Researching this topic lets you investigate the changes and innovations in information dissemination.

9. How Social Media Paves Way for Non-Traditional Advertising

Regular social media posts, advertisements, and other forms of online content aren’t the only ways businesses market to their audiences. Social media has paved the way for user-generated content and other non-traditional types of online marketing. With this topic, you can learn social media marketing strategies that have been capitalized on the social connection fostered by social networking websites.

10. Impacts of Social Media Presence on Corporate Image

More businesses increasingly build and curate their digital presence through various social networks. Knowing how a business can improve its corporate image through social media influence clarifies the role of technology in modern economics and online marketing.

Social Media Research Questions

How was Facebook used as a political campaigning tool in the 2020 United States presidential election?
What social platforms are the most effective in influencing consumer behavior?
How does user-generated content boost the credibility of a business?
How do different types of online content disseminated through popular networks affect the attention span of people?
What are the most effective forms of online content and social media strategies for increasing sales conversions for small businesses?

Choosing the Right Social Media Research Topic

Choosing the right social media research topic helps you create meaningful contributions to the discipline of social media studies. Knowing the most popular topics in the field can make you an expert on social media. By reading up on previous studies, you will not only be more informed but you will also be in a position to make a positive impact on future studies.

Studying the relationship between social media and different fields produces valuable knowledge. Even if you’re only interested in exploring one social platform or a single social media event or phenomenon, your research can help people better understand how social media engagement changes the face of social relationships in the world at large.

Social Media Research Topics FAQ

Social media is a computer-based technology that allows digital communities to exchange information through user networks. Various social media networks specialize in text, photo, or video transfer. All of these are ways for people on the Internet to share information and ideas with each other.

Social media research is important because it helps you contribute to the growing body of knowledge about digital social settings. In 2021, according to DataReportal, at least 4.88 billion people around the world use the Internet . The more that people connect with each other through the social media domain, the more their quality of life changes, for better or worse.

According to Statista, the most popular social media platforms right now are Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp , each of which has at least two billion users. These social networks allow users to share text, picture, and video content with one another.

People use social media to connect with each other, share information, and entertain themselves. Social media sites can broadly serve all of these purposes or be focused on just one of these functions.

About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication .

What's Next?

Get matched with top bootcamps

Ask a question to our community, take our careers quiz.

147 Best Social Media Research Topics To Beat The Trend In 2023

With the advancement of technology, social media has become an essential part of our lives. It provides a platform for people to express themselves and share their thoughts with others. It also allows people to connect on a global scale. Social media has helped to make the world smaller and more connected.

Social Media is essential in many industries today – from marketing, advertising, and public relations to education, healthcare, and even entertainment. Social Media is now so widespread that it has become a necessity for businesses.

As writers who have a lot of knowledge regarding custom writing services would share what we know about social media research topics that can make your day.

Table of Contents

Social Media Research: Related To Trends, Privacy, Psychology and more

We are rooting for you to leave your competition behind in your research. That is why we have 147 of the most engaging social media research topics that work as a muse and introduce you to an uncanny inspiration. Let’s go ahead and discover together!

Trendy Social Media Research Topics

Have you been following the trends lately? If the answer is no, you don’t need to panic. We’ve extracted all of the trendy social media topics for you.

What is quality management for social media?
Branding and Social Media? How does it work? What are the best strategies?
Use of the Internet networks, social networks, and mobile in 2021
Facebook as a source of distribution of content and remote communication
Training of professionals toward their audiences for social media platforms
Facebook: A place of digital socialization among top social media sites
The place of social networks in journalistic information
The positive aspects of the Internet and social networks
Increasing impact and importance of social media networks
The future of social media: Would Facebook remain a monopoly?
The negative aspects of social media sites and the internet
Instagram vs. Facebook: A complete research on features. Which is better?
The rise in popularity of TikTok
Role of social media politics in the society

Social Media Platforms Research Topics Related Journalism

Social media and journalism go side by side. How can it be? Well, these research topics for social media research papers will give you an idea:

News and citizenship in the digital age
Mutations in journalism in the digital age
What is multimedia journalism? How can social media be a part of it?
Rise of influence of journalists with social media sites
Do we still need journalists in the time of social media sites?
What role can social media sites play in overcoming the impact of toxic journalism?
How to deal with the swarming misinformation on social media?

Social Media Research Topics For Psychology

Social media research can be written for many psychological research topics as well.

Temptations of Social Media and its effects on marriages
Is social media leading spouses to infidelity?
The Internet is a free universe without any control. How to make your mental health a priority in the social media dilemma?
Social media addiction and its impact on mental health
Has social media increased the cases of mental health problems? Prove write or wrong with analytics and data.
How Social Media is isolating children from parents and teachers
The psychology behind social media addiction
The positive aspects of the Internet and social networks on mental health
Do you think that the Internet, in general, and social networks pose Psychological risks for an individual?
How social media is affecting family mental health
Mental health problems in adolescents caused by Social Media
Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and loneliness in people who spend 3-6 hours a day on Social Media
Best and safest social media websites
The dangers of social media addiction to mental health
Isolation and radicalization are rising because of Social Media
How social media is different than mass media?
Nazi and fascist presence on social media: Campaigns against minority
The psychology behind online hate speech and bullying
Can social media lead to lower self-esteem?

Social Behavior And Social Media Research Topics

Social media has been a significant impact on our social behavior. Writing a research paper on this topic could do wonders. Let’s explore more on that.

The benefits of social networks in social lives
Why do young people use social networks?
How people’s behavior differs on multiple social media websites
Behavior of people who have been victims of cyberbullying on social networks
The social response to cyberbullying and online harassment through social networks
An examination of the mental health implications of social networks
What is the impact of Social Media on our happiness?
As a result of social media, we need more time to concentrate.
As a result of the extensive use of social media, we experience a decline in the quality of our sleep.
The adverse effects of Instagram and Snapchat on our self-esteem and self-confidence
As a result of social media, people are more likely to experience depression, loneliness, and isolation.
Virtual worlds pose a threat to our brains because of the overload of information they provide
What are the chances of social networks improving for us in the future?
Which social networks are trustworthy, and which are untrustworthy?
How much time do we spend on social media, and is it bad for us?

Social Media Research Topics Related To Activism

Be it social work topics or activism themes, you can see that social media papers has helped us in more than one way.
Respect for freedom of expression
The wave of publications of feminist works powered and empowered by social Media.
Social Media is the origin of vast protest movements.
Role of social media in Arab Spring
How Wael Ghonim changed the fate of Egypt with the help of Social media?
Conduct relevant campaigns based on an analysis of digital news
A campaign that conveys solid values and convictions is an activist marketing campaign.
Activists can use social platforms as practical tools.
Increasingly engaged social media users can spread moral messages more widely.
As fake news becomes more prevalent, activism becomes more critical.
Youth of Generation Z: more aggressive than ever? In what ways does online aggression originate?
How social media creates more opportunities for marginalized societies
Managing a positive social media political campaign
The most effective way to be a better ally for people of color
What role does body diversity play outside of fashion?
Even though sexual racism affects everyone, it is a phenomenon that must be addressed

Social Media Research Topics On Cyber Security and Privacy

Security and privacy are now a fundamental human rights in the virtual world. You can contribute by writing a thesis for your research paper to promote online security awareness.

Security regulation of social networks
The essential protection of Internet users and social cohesion
Security risks involved in using social networks like Facebook
Can terrorists use social media to provoke violence? How can we deal with it?
The morality of social networks, sensitivity, and responsibility
Bullying and Harassment in social mass media
How to get over the social media addiction
How to promote cyber security?
Professional and private life: How to maintain family safety on Social Media
How social media poses a threat to family privacy and security
Barriers between professional and private life diminishing with social networks
How secure privacy settings on social media are?
Is social media impenetrable for hackers? The hanging sword of data leaks
GBWhatsApp Data Leaks: A study on insecure methods leading to harmful privacy dangers
Cybercrimes on social media: Identity theft

Social Media Criminology Research Papers Topics

Cybercrime is one of the most talked about issues among criminal justice research topics . Here are some of the most critical topics for social media criminology:

How to report and prosecute cyberbullying in Social Media
Using social networks to process information
Advertising on YouTube is a popular method of cybercrime
Using automatic publication functions on certain sites and forums for malicious purposes
In the age of cybercrime, Twitter has become the preferred platform for advertising
Cybercrime can be dealt with by acquiring both human and technical skills
Definition, characteristics, and types of Social Media
The Characteristics, Motivations, and Strategies of Cybercrime from a Criminological Perspective
What are the forms of cyberbullying on social media and what can be done to prevent it?
Defamation, the most common cybercrime handled by law enforcement
Facebook and social media users should be aware of cybercrime and hoax information
Cases of child prostitution on social media during the lead-up to elections
Using Social media is dangerous because of hoaxes and low trust
The use of information technology facilities as a means of committing crime
Using social media to commit cybercrime is common
Fraud Committed Through Social Media in Online Shops
Child pornography and pedophilia: The Darkside of Social Media
How can we control and put a stop to the rise of cyberbullying against children on social media ?

Read More: High School Research Paper Topics

University Social Media Research Paper Topics

Whether you’re writing for a university or researching for high school research topics, you can always talk about social media. Won’t you love to write something about one of the favorite parts of your life, that is social media?

The uses of digital social networks in the context of socio-educational support
The contributions of social network analysis to the management of communities
Social Media is a useful tool for evaluating and improving the functioning of piloted communities
How can students deal with social media addiction?
Innovation and social networks: new sociabilities for another sociality
Creating a Science of the network through social media: A Case Study
The social network as a space of hodological individuation
Learning through social networks. How has social media presence helped adapt to changes after COVID?
Role of Social Media in the time of the Coronavirus Pandemic

Read More: Political Science Research Topics

Social Media Marketing Research Paper Topics

Next to business research topics , most of the orders we receive are for social media marketing research. You would like some of the following examples for sure when writing for a social media research topic:

The different types of advertisements used on social networks
The presence of companies on social networks in the era of digitalization
How to counter competition on social networks?
How to deal with negative social media effect on your business
Why is it essential to be able to stand out from others, and how to achieve this?
How can such a social media marketing strategy have a lasting impact on a company’s reputation on the Internet?
How does influencer marketing add value to brands?
How the influencers have formed and transformed the modern market for gen-z entrepreneurs?
Social media vs. mass media: Pros and cons for each of them
Building your audience based on tweets, occupation, interests, and location
How to define and manage audiences when working on social media marketing?
How can social media insights keep you updated with modern trends?
How to establish your analytical milestones while working with social media?
How has Google Trends helped a business into a global transformation? A Case study
Beating the boundaries with social media platforms. The global business boost on Facebook marketing
Competition and social networks: how do companies stand out?
How do companies choose the advertising method that suits them best?
How has digitization made the use of the internet essential for the success of a company?

Social Media transformed our lives into something amazing. However, everything comes at a price. Regardless, of whatever aspects of social Media you are looking for, we are sure that you will find them in our social media research topics. If you need any further help, you can talk to us through Paper Perk contact page. We can help you with finding your research topics , or any research help that you need.

Order Original Papers & Essays

Your First Custom Paper Sample is on Us!

Timely Deliveries

No Plagiarism & AI

100% Refund

Try Our Free Paper Writing Service

Related blogs.

Connections with Writers and support

Privacy and Confidentiality Guarantee

Average Quality Score

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Publications
Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

Advanced Search
Journal List
v.12(6); 2020 Jun

Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Fazida karim.

1 Psychology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

2 Business & Management, University Sultan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu, MYS

Azeezat A Oyewande

3 Family Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

4 Family Medicine, Lagos State Health Service Commission/Alimosho General Hospital, Lagos, NGA

Lamis F Abdalla

5 Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Reem Chaudhry Ehsanullah

Safeera khan.

Social media are responsible for aggravating mental health problems. This systematic study summarizes the effects of social network usage on mental health. Fifty papers were shortlisted from google scholar databases, and after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were chosen and all papers were evaluated for quality. Eight papers were cross-sectional studies, three were longitudinal studies, two were qualitative studies, and others were systematic reviews. Findings were classified into two outcomes of mental health: anxiety and depression. Social media activity such as time spent to have a positive effect on the mental health domain. However, due to the cross-sectional design and methodological limitations of sampling, there are considerable differences. The structure of social media influences on mental health needs to be further analyzed through qualitative research and vertical cohort studies.

Introduction and background

Human beings are social creatures that require the companionship of others to make progress in life. Thus, being socially connected with other people can relieve stress, anxiety, and sadness, but lack of social connection can pose serious risks to mental health [ 1 ].

Social media

Social media has recently become part of people's daily activities; many of them spend hours each day on Messenger, Instagram, Facebook, and other popular social media. Thus, many researchers and scholars study the impact of social media and applications on various aspects of people’s lives [ 2 ]. Moreover, the number of social media users worldwide in 2019 is 3.484 billion, up 9% year-on-year [ 3 - 5 ]. A statistic in Figure 1 shows the gender distribution of social media audiences worldwide as of January 2020, sorted by platform. It was found that only 38% of Twitter users were male but 61% were using Snapchat. In contrast, females were more likely to use LinkedIn and Facebook. There is no denying that social media has now become an important part of many people's lives. Social media has many positive and enjoyable benefits, but it can also lead to mental health problems. Previous research found that age did not have an effect but gender did; females were much more likely to experience mental health than males [ 6 , 7 ].

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is cureus-0012-00000008627-i01.jpg

Impact on mental health

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which people understand their abilities, solve everyday life problems, work well, and make a significant contribution to the lives of their communities [ 8 ]. There is debated presently going on regarding the benefits and negative impacts of social media on mental health [ 9 , 10 ]. Social networking is a crucial element in protecting our mental health. Both the quantity and quality of social relationships affect mental health, health behavior, physical health, and mortality risk [ 9 ]. The Displaced Behavior Theory may help explain why social media shows a connection with mental health. According to the theory, people who spend more time in sedentary behaviors such as social media use have less time for face-to-face social interaction, both of which have been proven to be protective against mental disorders [ 11 , 12 ]. On the other hand, social theories found how social media use affects mental health by influencing how people view, maintain, and interact with their social network [ 13 ]. A number of studies have been conducted on the impacts of social media, and it has been indicated that the prolonged use of social media platforms such as Facebook may be related to negative signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress [ 10 - 15 ]. Furthermore, social media can create a lot of pressure to create the stereotype that others want to see and also being as popular as others.

The need for a systematic review

Systematic studies can quantitatively and qualitatively identify, aggregate, and evaluate all accessible data to generate a warm and accurate response to the research questions involved [ 4 ]. In addition, many existing systematic studies related to mental health studies have been conducted worldwide. However, only a limited number of studies are integrated with social media and conducted in the context of social science because the available literature heavily focused on medical science [ 6 ]. Because social media is a relatively new phenomenon, the potential links between their use and mental health have not been widely investigated.

This paper attempt to systematically review all the relevant literature with the aim of filling the gap by examining social media impact on mental health, which is sedentary behavior, which, if in excess, raises the risk of health problems [ 7 , 9 , 12 ]. This study is important because it provides information on the extent of the focus of peer review literature, which can assist the researchers in delivering a prospect with the aim of understanding the future attention related to climate change strategies that require scholarly attention. This study is very useful because it provides information on the extent to which peer review literature can assist researchers in presenting prospects with a view to understanding future concerns related to mental health strategies that require scientific attention. The development of the current systematic review is based on the main research question: how does social media affect mental health?

Research strategy

The research was conducted to identify studies analyzing the role of social media on mental health. Google Scholar was used as our main database to find the relevant articles. Keywords that were used for the search were: (1) “social media”, (2) “mental health”, (3) “social media” AND “mental health”, (4) “social networking” AND “mental health”, and (5) “social networking” OR “social media” AND “mental health” (Table 1 ).

Out of the results in Table 1 , a total of 50 articles relevant to the research question were selected. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, duplicate papers were removed, and, finally, a total of 28 articles were selected for review (Figure 2 ).

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is cureus-0012-00000008627-i02.jpg

PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Peer-reviewed, full-text research papers from the past five years were included in the review. All selected articles were in English language and any non-peer-reviewed and duplicate papers were excluded from finally selected articles.

Of the 16 selected research papers, there were a research focus on adults, gender, and preadolescents [ 10 - 19 ]. In the design, there were qualitative and quantitative studies [ 15 , 16 ]. There were three systematic reviews and one thematic analysis that explored the better or worse of using social media among adolescents [ 20 - 23 ]. In addition, eight were cross-sectional studies and only three were longitudinal studies [ 24 - 29 ].The meta-analyses included studies published beyond the last five years in this population. Table 2 presents a selection of studies from the review.

IGU, internet gaming disorder; PSMU, problematic social media use

This study has attempted to systematically analyze the existing literature on the effect of social media use on mental health. Although the results of the study were not completely consistent, this review found a general association between social media use and mental health issues. Although there is positive evidence for a link between social media and mental health, the opposite has been reported.

For example, a previous study found no relationship between the amount of time spent on social media and depression or between social media-related activities, such as the number of online friends and the number of “selfies”, and depression [ 29 ]. Similarly, Neira and Barber found that while higher investment in social media (e.g. active social media use) predicted adolescents’ depressive symptoms, no relationship was found between the frequency of social media use and depressed mood [ 28 ].

In the 16 studies, anxiety and depression were the most commonly measured outcome. The prominent risk factors for anxiety and depression emerging from this study comprised time spent, activity, and addiction to social media. In today's world, anxiety is one of the basic mental health problems. People liked and commented on their uploaded photos and videos. In today's age, everyone is immune to the social media context. Some teens experience anxiety from social media related to fear of loss, which causes teens to try to respond and check all their friends' messages and messages on a regular basis.

On the contrary, depression is one of the unintended significances of unnecessary use of social media. In detail, depression is limited not only to Facebooks but also to other social networking sites, which causes psychological problems. A new study found that individuals who are involved in social media, games, texts, mobile phones, etc. are more likely to experience depression.

The previous study found a 70% increase in self-reported depressive symptoms among the group using social media. The other social media influence that causes depression is sexual fun [ 12 ]. The intimacy fun happens when social media promotes putting on a facade that highlights the fun and excitement but does not tell us much about where we are struggling in our daily lives at a deeper level [ 28 ]. Another study revealed that depression and time spent on Facebook by adolescents are positively correlated [ 22 ]. More importantly, symptoms of major depression have been found among the individuals who spent most of their time in online activities and performing image management on social networking sites [ 14 ].

Another study assessed gender differences in associations between social media use and mental health. Females were found to be more addicted to social media as compared with males [ 26 ]. Passive activity in social media use such as reading posts is more strongly associated with depression than doing active use like making posts [ 23 ]. Other important findings of this review suggest that other factors such as interpersonal trust and family functioning may have a greater influence on the symptoms of depression than the frequency of social media use [ 28 , 29 ].

Limitation and suggestion

The limitations and suggestions were identified by the evidence involved in the study and review process. Previously, 7 of the 16 studies were cross-sectional and slightly failed to determine the causal relationship between the variables of interest. Given the evidence from cross-sectional studies, it is not possible to conclude that the use of social networks causes mental health problems. Only three longitudinal studies examined the causal relationship between social media and mental health, which is hard to examine if the mental health problem appeared more pronounced in those who use social media more compared with those who use it less or do not use at all [ 19 , 20 , 24 ]. Next, despite the fact that the proposed relationship between social media and mental health is complex, a few studies investigated mediating factors that may contribute or exacerbate this relationship. Further investigations are required to clarify the underlying factors that help examine why social media has a negative impact on some peoples’ mental health, whereas it has no or positive effect on others’ mental health.

Conclusions

Social media is a new study that is rapidly growing and gaining popularity. Thus, there are many unexplored and unexpected constructive answers associated with it. Lately, studies have found that using social media platforms can have a detrimental effect on the psychological health of its users. However, the extent to which the use of social media impacts the public is yet to be determined. This systematic review has found that social media envy can affect the level of anxiety and depression in individuals. In addition, other potential causes of anxiety and depression have been identified, which require further exploration.

The importance of such findings is to facilitate further research on social media and mental health. In addition, the information obtained from this study can be helpful not only to medical professionals but also to social science research. The findings of this study suggest that potential causal factors from social media can be considered when cooperating with patients who have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Also, if the results from this study were used to explore more relationships with another construct, this could potentially enhance the findings to reduce anxiety and depression rates and prevent suicide rates from occurring.

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 120 Amazing Social Media Research Topics Online

120 Amazing Social Media Research Topics Online

Selection of the Best Social Media Research Topics in 2023

What Are The Elements of a Good Social Media Research Paper

When you have an objective to explore social media research topics , you have to narrow things down because one faces the risks of addressing every aspect of the social environment. The main characteristic that one has to check when choosing a great topic on social media is the thesis statement that will make an argument or show what issue will be researched. For example, when you talk about cyberbullying or the culture of Instagram influencers, you have to make a clear statement and provide an outline with an accessible structure and statistical data to support your arguments.

How to Choose a Suitable Social Media Research Topic

Most importantly, you must choose something you know well and a discussion that inspires you. When you are not passionate about the subject , you will not find sufficient aspects or keep the content static. As you choose a research topic about social media , think about what needs to be researched better and avoid the most common ideas that have already been discussed and researched before. The key element is finding keywords that will instantly make things clear. While it may not be possible to include everything in the topic sentence, the word sequence is essential!

What's the Difference Between Choosing a Research Topic and a Research Question?

A research question is your main argument and can relate to your thesis statement. Sometimes, a college or university professor will provide you with a prompt that will make it easier to follow an idea or a problem. Likewise, you may have several social media research questions where you have to narrow things down and accumulate things in a research topic. It will help specify what you plan to research and show what your paper does not contain. The research topic should also be connected to a research question but do not copy it word for word.

Social Media Research Topics

Social media is the most time-consuming problem of the last decade.
The environmental benefit of Facebook and Twitter.
Elon Musk and the politics on social media.
Cyberbullying of social media: the new menace.
Social media across the world: the cultural points in Italy and Spain.
The use of slang on social media among teenagers.
The dangers of driving while browsing social media.
Social media in the field of mechanical engineering.
The benefits of posting a resume on LinkedIn.
The dangers of Instagram for children.

Social Media Research Questions

Social media as the driving force behind the Black Lives Matter movement.
The use of social media for students with ADHD.
The pros and cons of the school blogs: improving the writing skills .
Social media as the solution to evaluate middle school students.
The benefits of using social media for the Law course.
The use of social media to alter and distort the world's news.
Social media and the problems of online addiction.
The use of social media blocking apps among college students.
Body image and Instagram.
The dangers of national security in the United States and TikTok.

Research Papers on Social Media

The problem of intellectual property on social media.
Posting private pictures of celebrities on social media and copyrights.
Social media challenges for the older generation: a generational study .
Twitter as the political platform and the presidential elections in the United States.
The phenomenon of Like culture and the youth culture.
The governmental control of social media and illegal trading.
The problem of missing people and using social media to locate people.
The challenges of privacy settings on Facebook versus Instagram.
The use of commercial advertising on Instagram and the trading legislation in the USA.
Social media as the advertisement tool in 2023.

Interesting Social Media Research Topic

Social media is a great foundation for innovative startups.
Social media is used to discover a person's moral qualities.
The bond between the parents and children by using social media.
Becoming a celebrity: how can Instagram be used to make someone famous?
The use of pets as social media heroes.
The use of social media platforms by people with disabilities.
Social media for psychology experiments: is it legit for the sample collection?
How can a political campaign be started on social media?
The use of Facebook to distribute information and filters.
How can social media help children to learn about online safety?

Social Media Research Papers

Social media as a platform to fight for justice and non-commercial work.
The use of psychological pressure on social media for marketing purposes.
Social media and the use of cloud storage through the lens of legislation.
The intellectual property and the use of commercial content by the NGOs.
The culture of TikTok in the United States versus Europe.
Instagram and the cultural image of an average user.
The educational aspect of LinkedIn and the Lynda courses.
The dark side of Facebook and the implementation of systematic internal filters.
The philosophy of friendship on social media.
The problem of stalking on Facebook and the measures to prevent it.

Informative Research Questions on Social Media

What countries use social media the most, and why?
Is social media representing modern-day journalism in 2023?
Virtual isolation and the use of social media among teenagers.
Social media image and web page platforms for scientists .
The most influential celebrities that became famous because of social media.
Can bloggers be considered journalists? Why or why not?
Social media and racial prejudice: how can Facebook be partial?
Should social media have a political aspect to it?
The history of Facebook and the Internet culture.
Korean pop culture and the use of TikTok.

Argumentative Research Topics About Social Media

Social media is mostly a waste of time because most content is useless.
Social media argumentative essay : Twitter is a political platform and is always based on the stakeholder's objectives.
Instagram is not the same social media platform as Facebook.
LinkedIn is a career network for professionals for business success.
Facebook is no longer the youth platform and is mostly occupied by the older generation.
The history and peculiarities of Asian social media networks.
Social media is helpful for environmental science campaigns.
Twitter is a platform often used for illegal activity and gambling.
Social media is the worst platform for violating intellectual property.
The problem of the fake profiles of famous people.

Amazing Social Media Paper Topics

The philosophy of friendship and care through the lens of social media.
Social media as the primary source based on interviews and personal surveys.
Student cooperation through private groups on social media.
The safety rules for middle school students: Facebook and Twitter.
The use of Instagram for educational purposes: fashion studies.
Digital marketing and Facebook’s language filters: the traduzione aspect.
The cultural points of posts on Twitter: what are the peculiarities of socializing?
The most famous social media political campaigns in the United States.
The influence of dancing classes' popularity and TikTok.
The mechanisms of violation reporting on Facebook versus Instagram.

Social Media Research Paper Thesis

The commercial side of social media takes the primary role of popularity.
Facebook is the platform that helps to unfold environmental issues worldwide.
Instagram has a negative influence on the body image of teenagers.
The pros and cons of app integration on Facebook for educational purposes.
Social media as the call to make a positive change in the healthcare sector.
Distribution of financial campaigns on social media: who runs the show?
The evolution of Facebook through the years: from social networking to political clashes.
The cultural peculiarities of TikTok in the United States versus China.
The validity of information on Facebook: why should we believe the political statements?
The most common dangers of social media: identity theft and data protection of minors.

Social Network Topics

The internal mechanisms of social media: analysis of the psychological aspect.
Virtual bonding on social media versus body language.
The British social media traditions vs. the American peculiarities on social media.
The most iconic memes on Facebook and the history of the practice.
Social media posts that helped to save lives and change the world.
The practice of responsibility and the legal aspect of things on Instagram.
The disputes on social media: when the line is crossed.
The link of business success to leading active social media posts.
The blogging techniques of Instagram versus Facebook: a comparison study.
Should social media be connected to banking and social security apps?

Research Papers on Social Media For College

The best methods for how social media can be used to expand the research.
Social media should be used as a tool for business evaluation by analyzing business websites.
Facebook as the instrument of political agenda: the reasons why it's not a network alone.
The role of Twitter in the armed conflicts of the last two decades.
The spelling checkers and grammar tools that are used by social media networks.
The security and data science protection methods on Instagram.
The business model of Facebook: how can an executive plan be made?
The dance trends and the movements: the popularity and influencers.
The way how Instagram influencers can be used as an educational promotion.
Social media as a national alert system to warn about natural disasters.

When You Need a Bit of Extra Writing Help!

Summing up, the most important factor is the inspiration and the ideas that motivate you. Always take your time to see what moves you and start with the sources and statistical data to keep your tone clear and confident. When you have an idea that is not yours, you must ensure that every reference is done properly according to the writing style format. While you are checking your bibliography, remember to proofread and edit things twice!

Now, if you need help creating a topic on social media or any other subject, you can always refer to our free database of essays and topics. The experts have carefully chosen and sorted these to help you with your writing tasks. Our site has thousands of topics that will help you to learn how to deal with a particular subject! If you have a keyword related to social media or would like to talk about how environmentalists use Facebook to keep the world informed, just enter a relevant keyword that inspires you. Our database will help you to find free samples to let you start!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

By: Epipheo

May 17, 2018

Topics: Marketing , Content Marketing , Digital Tactics , Lead Generation , Advertising , B2B , Research & Development , B2C , NFP , Social Media Marketing

How to Research Content Topics for Social Media

David Ogilvy, known as “the father of advertising”, once said, “Even a blind pig can sometimes find truffles, but it helps to know that they grow in oak forests.” Well, conducting some research can give you a map of the social media’s “oak forests” before you start rooting for topics to write about or videos to make.

So, how do you conduct the kind of research that will help you find truffles far more frequently than a blind pig? Start with your business objectives? Your marketing goals?

Nope! In fact, you need to take yourself out of it entirely. Instead, start by conducting research on your customers’ objectives and your competitors’ goals.

Understanding customer intent and doing some competitive analysis are the keys to winning more hearts, minds, and business. Marketers who know the lay of the land are much better at creating and distributing relevant and valuable content than ones who have brainstormed ideas for imaginary personas ( emphasis on imaginary ).

Keyword research is an inexpensive way to conduct market research.

One of the more frugal ways to conduct market research is keyword research. There are a number of free or fairly affordable tools that enable you to conduct keyword research. Even if you don’t plan to create any pay-per-click ads, these terms and phrases can help you analyze which topics to write about or which videos to make.

One free keyword research tool that’s especially useful for drafting a social media marketing plan or creating a content marketing editorial calendar is the Google AdWords Keyword Planner . You can use the Keyword Planner for a couple specific things.

Research keywords . You can search for keywords based on terms that are relevant to your product or service, website, or landing page.

Get historical statistics and traffic forecasts. S tatistics like search volume help you decide which keywords might be fruitful topics to create content for. Forecasts like predicted clicks and estimated conversions can give you an idea of the value of organic clicks—and, more importantly, how much you might want to pay to get them.

It’s important to keep in mind that while the Keyword Planner can provide you with some great keyword ideas and traffic forecasts, the actual performance of the content that you create depends on many other factors. (Including but not limited to if your content is, you know, actually good.) But, at least it gives you a map of the oak forests.

Another free tool is Google Trends . There, you can compare up to five groups of terms at one time and up to 25 terms in each group, defining your search words as terms or topics depending on your needs. You can also explore result by region, time period, and category. In addition, you can get a peek into what people are searching for on YouTube, too.

When you search for a term in Google Trends, you see top searches, which are terms that are most frequently searched with the term you entered in the same search session, within the chosen category, country, or region. You’ll also see related searches at the bottom of a page of results.

But often the most useful result is rising searches, which are terms that were searched for with the term you entered and had the most significant growth in volume. In short, these are what are currently hot. For each rising search term, you’ll see a percentage of the term’s growth compared to the previous time period. If you see “Breakout” instead of a percentage, it means that the search term grew by more than 5,000%. You might want to see if you can do something with those.

Finally, there’s SpyFu SEO Recon Files Reports . One of the most costly and time-consuming steps in search engine optimization is creating a content plan. You can eliminate that burden using the prioritized content guides in an SEO Recon Files report.

For example, the report tells you not only the amount of keywords that your website has in top search results and the number of unique pages that rank organically, but also the total organic clicks your website should be getting per month and the value of this organic search traffic if you had to buy all those clicks via Google AdWords.

The report also identifies your top 100 biggest opportunities and estimates how many additional clicks per month (and what it would cost in equivalent PPC dollars) if you could land the number one spot for your biggest opportunities. Once again, the actual ranking of the content that you create depends on a variety of factors, and no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google . But SpyFu shows you the most valuable trees in the oak forest.

Analyze what content performs best for any topic or competitor

There are three other tools that can help you conduct competitive analysis before drafting a social media marketing plan or creating a content marketing editorial calendar. One is BuzzSumo , which provides the data and evidence for content research and planning. The tool helps you to do several things.

Identify the content that resonates with your audience . You can discover the most shared content in the last 12 months or the last 24 hours.
Focus on the right networks . You can review the average shares on each network for your topic area. Does the topic get more traction on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Reddit?
Conduct detailed content research . You can get answers to content-related questions. Does long form content resonate with your audience? What associated topics get shared? What headlines work best?
Discover the most shared content formats . You can see which content formats are resonating with your audience, filtered by content type such as videos or infographics.
Spot the most shared domains . You can find the most shared domains for your topic area and identify suitable outreach sites. Check their content and see how yours compares.
Find influencers . You can identify the influencers who have most sway on your target audience or networks, helping you develop a list to reach out to as part of your influencer marketing strategy.

Another tool is Tubular Intelligence , which provides independent analytics for the entire social video ecosystem. Tubular Intelligence allows you to benchmark your videos against competitors and your category. You can use their data to find opportunities and drive content strategy. They’ve tracked 4 billion videos, 10 million creators, and 400 million viewers across YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram over the past 3 years.

For example, Tubular Intelligence identified the NBA teams scoring the most online video views . Not surprisingly, the Golden State Warriors were the leading team on Facebook, while the Cleveland LeBrons Cavaliers were the leading team on Instagram. Surprisingly, the less-than-great Sacramento Kings were the leading team on YouTube. But crushing them all was the NBA itself. The league ranked #1 on all three social video platforms, demonstrating the importance of having a multi-platform strategy .

Finally, there’s True Social Metrics , a social media analytics tool that provides insights about how to improve your social media presence .

Compare your social media performance with industry standards. Find out which posts are the best at engaging your followers. Discover which types of content perform the best, whether videos, links, pictures, or text. Uncover the best (and worst) topics and keywords for successful posts. See the best time(s) to post. Check your social media stats against your competitors’ or against average results. Analyze the effectiveness of your posting density compared to competitors.

For example, Barneys uses two types of photos to present their clothes and accessories on Pinterest: a simple photo of a product with a white background or an artistic photo with a beautiful model and a pretty background, demonstrating a real-life usage of a product.

Comparing the effectiveness of these methods, you can see that, on average, their artistic, real-life photos get 43% more repins and 34% more likes per pin than their simple photos.

Make better decisions with market research

There’s one last tool to consider: Google Surveys . This allows you to easily create online surveys in order to make more informed decisions about what content to create and which videos to make .

You can ask up to 10 questions at a time and select from a variety of question formats, like multiple choice and star rating. You can choose whether you’d like your survey to run on Google’s network of online publishers or through their mobile app.

B2C marketers can filter participants based on demographics, like age, gender, and location. B2B marketers can ask a preliminary “screening” question, like, “Are you a small business owner?” with non-binary answers such as “Yes, I own a small business,” “No, but I manage a small business,” “Not yet, but I’m planning to start one,” or, “What’s a business?” Basically, you can make sure you get answers from your target audience, not just random folks.

Your questions appear across a network of news, reference, and entertainment sites and within Google’s mobile app. People answer your questions in exchange for access to premium content or credits to Google Play.

Google Surveys quickly analyzes your survey data and delivers it in easy-to-navigate graphs, demographic segmentations, and cross-tabs so you can easily see insights that can help you find truffles faster and far more frequently than a blind pig .

Do your homework

Conducting research doesn’t sound as fun as conducting a brainstorming session. But, according to Time , David Ogilvy became “the most sought-after wizard in the advertising business” by launching campaigns that leveraged the “miracles of research” instead of “the slippery surface of irrelevant brilliance.” His classic book Ogilvy on Advertising says, “Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals.”

Ogilvy provided this advice back in 1983—35 years ago. The media landscape has changed dramatically since then, but it’s even more right in 2018, now that research tools make it easy for anyone to get a map of the oak forests before creating content.

Download The Comprehensive Guide To Content Marketing

Get instant access to our complete guide to content marketing

How to Promote My Animated Explainer Video For Best Results

2D Animation VS 3D Animation Explainer Videos: What’s Right for Your Project?

The Science Behind Why Animated Explainer Videos Are Effective

The Often Overlooked Positive Side of Social Media

What healthy tech use actually looks like..

Updated May 16, 2024 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

Young Americans flourish digitally, feeling connected and benefiting from positive social comparison.
Social comparison online can inspire well-being, especially with similar peers and inspiring content.
Social media can strengthen teen friendships and support, enhanced by parental involvement and digital skills.

Yes, social media poses many challenges. They are designed to keep us hooked and release the neurotransmitter dopamine that makes us spend way more time on it then we intended to. And yes, specifically for young female adolescents, image-based platforms can significantly impact body image and self-esteem . But , social media can also lead to digital flourishing, inspiration, feelings of loving connection and social support.

Do these positive effects make up for all the negative ones? Probably not. But, thinking about the problems from a solution-oriented, positive framework can broaden the ways in which we can think about solving such issues. That is, in addition to pushing for phone-free schools and norms to push the age limit for social media use to 16 years, as proposed in Jonathan Haidt’s new book The Anxious Generation, we can think about what healthy and nourishing technology looks like that fosters well-being, resilience , and character strengths in young adults. We need to know what “healthy” tech use actually looks like to foster it.

My research is based on the framework of positive psychology, which explores ways in which we can live our best lives, rather than lives in the absence of illness. Over the past 10 years, I have explored ways in which media in general, as well as new media such as social media and computer-mediated communication, can lead to happiness and fulfillment for ourselves as well as prosociality and greater connectedness to others.

Here are three key insights from positive media psychology:

1. Young Americans do digitally flourish. With a sample representative of the American population, my recent research revealed that younger individuals (18-34) perceive themselves to flourish digitally more than older individuals, even when controlling for the amount of time spent communicating online in general. Young adults specifically indicated feeling more connected when communicating digitally and engaged in positive social comparison more so than older adults. The latter finding specifically speaks against a lot of earlier research, and press releases for that matter, that showcase the detriments of online social comparison for well-being. But, if we look closely, more recent evidence accumulates that indicates positive well-being effects from social comparison processes online.

2. Social comparison online can lead to inspiration and positive well-being effects. A recent review on the role of social comparison on social media from one of my colleagues from the University of Nuremberg shows that social comparison can lead to well-being for specific people under specific conditions. For example, one of my own studies showed that when college students share inspiring content on Facebook with others, over time, they feel more love and compassion toward others. In another study , we found that inspiring social media and online video use, but not overall time spent on social media, was positively related to everyday experiences of gratitude , awe , vitality and prosocial motivations and behaviors. Similarly, research from Sheffield Institute in the U.K. further shows that social comparison on Instagram is more likely to lead to inspiration when adolescents compare themselves to similar others instead of unachievable influencers. Thus, one of the conditions for whether social comparison may lead to positive or negative effects also stems from the content we consume and the people we follow. So, let’s keep in mind: social comparison is not always bad and young adults do experience inspiration online that is oftentimes overlooked.

3. Social media strengthens teens' friendships more so than it harms them. We are living in a digitized world. And while us old millennials picked up the home phone to talk to our friends for hours in our room, today teens do this on their mobile device. In a Pew Research study from 2022 that surveyed U.S. teens 13-17 years of age, 80% of teens say that social media makes them more connected to what’s going on in their friend’s life, 71% say they have a place where they can show their creative side, and 67% say they like that they have people on social media who can support them through tough times. Moreover, a teenager's mindset matters . The Pew study also revealed that those who believe social media has a general positive effect on their peers also experience more positive personal experiences than those that believe social media has an overall negative effect on their peers. Such a positive outlook on technology can be influenced by a multitude of factors, but specifically for young teenagers , parents play an active role in their kids' digital lives. In fact, parental involvement can be the deciding factor whether a teen digitally flourishes or not. In a study I co-authored that was just published last month, in April 2024, in the Journal of Child Development , we tracked adolescents’ (11-21 years of age, average age 15) digital flourishing for a year and found that for half of the sample their digital flourishing score was high to begin with and remained mostly stable over time (with slight increases in positive social comparison). For the other half of the sample, digital flourishing was lower to begin with and specifically self-control decreased over time. What differentiated the two groups was that the first, highly flourishing group, had parents with high digital skills and a keen investment into their teenager’s tech live.

Don’t get me wrong. I am no denier of the problems that social media brings and I'm all for new COPPA2.0 regulations and other initiatives put forth by admirable institutions such as The Center for Humane Technology and the Digital Wellness Institute. But when we approach these problems from a positive psychology perspective, we might discover resources and strength in the consumer and tech platforms themselves that we can leverage to avoid or lessen the harm and promote thriving.

Sophie H. Janicke-Bowles, Ph.D., is a positive media psychologist working as an Associate Professor at Chapman University in California.

Find a Therapist
Find a Treatment Center
Find a Psychiatrist
Find a Support Group
Find Online Therapy
International
New Zealand
South Africa
Switzerland
Asperger's
Bipolar Disorder
Chronic Pain
Eating Disorders
Passive Aggression
Personality
Goal Setting
Positive Psychology
Stopping Smoking
Low Sexual Desire
Relationships
Child Development
Self Tests NEW
Therapy Center
Diagnosis Dictionary
Types of Therapy

At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.

Emotional Intelligence
Gaslighting
Affective Forecasting
Neuroscience

Peer Reviewed

#SaveTheChildren: A pilot study of a social media movement co-opted by conspiracy theorists

Article metrics.

CrossRef Citations

Altmetric Score

PDF Downloads

In a preliminary analysis of 121,984 posts from X (formerly known as Twitter) containing the hashtag #SaveTheChildren, we found that conspiratorial posts received more engagement than authentic hashtag activism between January 2022 and March 2023. Conspiratorial posts received twice the number of reposts as non-conspiratorial content. Our initial findings of a forthcoming larger multi-platform study suggest that the way that users strategically exploit the #SaveTheChildren hashtag may have implications for the visibility of legitimate social movements on the X platform. Future work should consider other social media platforms to determine if the visibility of legitimate social movements is decreasing more broadly, particularly in the context of 2024 being the largest election year in history.

Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

School of Communication, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Research Question

How are authentic social movements being impacted by conspiracy theories engaging in hashtag hijacking on X?

Essay Summary

One of the QAnon conspiracy theory’s first significant actions on X (formerly known as Twitter) was to co-opt the hashtag #SaveTheChildren from the charity of the same name to promote baseless conspiracy theories of a child sex trafficking ring.
We analyzed #SaveTheChildren as a pilot study that may be exemplary of the contention between authentic social movements and conspiratorial content more broadly.
We observed that #SaveTheChildren was being utilized for both conspiratorial purposes and as part of hashtag activism, but conspiratorial content was reposted at twice the rate of non-conspiratorial content.
In our dataset, #SaveTheChildren was used more frequently in support of conspiracy theories than in hashtag activism for social advocacy movements.
Future work should consider the role of hashtag hijacking in the amplification of conspiracy theories and conduct wider-scale investigations of how the strategic affordances of social media platforms are leveraged in spreading conspiratorial content and misinformation.

Implications

This preliminary investigation considered the hashtag #SaveTheChildren, which provided a case study for the contention we have observed between activism and conspiratorial content on X. Our study provides an initial contribution to a growing body of literature on hashtag hijacking by quantitatively and qualitatively analyzing the prevalence of conspiratorial content compared with authentic social activism in the conversation around #SaveTheChildren on X. Hashtag hijacking is defined as: “[using] a trending hashtag to promote topics that are substantially different from its recent context” (VanDam & Tan, 2016, p. 370) or “to promote one’s own social media agenda” (Darius & Stephany, 2019, p. 1). We noted prevalent discourse around humanitarian and public health issues. In our dataset, #SaveTheChildren is most frequently associated with (1) posts relating to charities seeking aid for children experiencing violence or in areas of geopolitical tension and (2) posts relating to COVID-19 vaccines and conspiratorial views on their impact on children’s health. The former action of raising awareness is often described as hashtag activism, an act of mobilizing support for social movements online and can result in reshaping of social norms offline (Mousavi & Ouyang, 2021; Goswami, 2018).

We observed that conspiratorial posts containing #SaveTheChildren in the dataset were more likely to be engaged with than social activism posts. The hashtag gained mainstream recognition for its association with QAnon in 2020 when it was co-opted from the legitimate charity Save The Children and widely used on Facebook and Twitter (Buntain et al., 2022; Fagan, 2020; Roose, 2020). The QAnon conspiracy theory proposes that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic elites are operating a sex trafficking ring, against which former president Donald Trump was alleged to be working (Roose, 2021; Wong, 2020). QAnon proponents use this hashtag to raise awareness of the perceived plot to traffic and harm children, though there is no widely accepted evidence of this alleged cabal. #SaveTheChildren is a case of hashtag activism being utilized negatively, as the original intent of the hashtag has been altered and resulted in increased exposure of users to conspiratorial content, some of which relates to public health.

In answering our research question, we explore how the #SaveTheChildren dataset could be representative of wider implications for social media platforms when hashtags are utilized for both legitimate and conspiratorial purposes. In 2020, Facebook blocked #SaveTheChildren due to “low quality content” (Dickson, 2020, para. 3). #SaveTheChildren is not the only hashtag that can contain a mix of legitimate and conspiratorial content. In the face of emergency events, seemingly benign hashtags—such as those relating to natural disasters or elections—can become a melting pot of announcements from authorities, breaking news, and conspiratorial speculation around the event (Mousavi & Ouyang, 2021; Xanthopoulous et al., 2016). As researchers, we are concerned about the public health implications of being unable to access accurate information in situations like unfolding political tensions, vaccination rollouts, or emergency situations, and our preliminary findings indicate further research is needed in this space.

In our preliminary study, we found that conspiratorial #SaveTheChildren posts were amplified at a greater rate and more effectively than posts using the hashtag for activist and/or organizational purposes. This aligns with research from Vosoughi et al. (2018), who found that false news stories spread more quickly and widely than factual news stories. In periods of geopolitical conflict and political tension, there is an increased frequency of #SaveTheChildren for both conspiratorial and legitimate purposes (see Figure 2). The implications of these findings are particularly poignant in 2024, which is the largest election year in history with almost 50% of the global population voting in elections (Ewe, 2023; Shamim & Lodhi, 2024). X users turn to social media for discussion of political events and to inform themselves of electoral proceedings. In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, voters were faced with misinformation surrounding poll locations, mail-in ballot procedures, and voting machines (Hsu, 2022; Ingram, 2020; Rutenberg & Conger, 2024; Sanderson et al., 2021). As such, it is critical that research on conspiratorial hijacking of hashtags continues prior to the 2024 elections to avoid further spread of misinformation.

Finding 1: The hashtag #SaveTheChildren is utilized to spread more conspiratorial content than authentic activist content in the dataset.

Our analysis revealed that #SaveTheChildren is more often used in relation to conspiracy theories than genuine activism on X, in our qualitative consideration of the top 500 posts in the dataset. By conducting a preliminary analysis on the 500 most-liked posts, we identified a frequent use of #SaveTheChildren in conspiratorial narratives. As demonstrated in Figure 1, posts with the theme core QAnon beliefs occurred most frequently in this subset of the data (see Appendix 1). The second most frequent theme was donations to the Save The Children charity , which contains posts supporting the charity. However, many of the other qualitative themes contain conspiratorial content and misinformation that goes beyond the QAnon conspiracy theory to anti-vaccination and anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric. These preliminary findings show the potential for #SaveTheChildren, QAnon, and other hijacked hashtags to spread outside the initial confines of a conspiracy theory into other discussions and mainstream communication.

Finding 2: Conspiratorial posts were reposted more often than non-conspiratorial posts and more effectively amplified on X.

While conspiratorial and non-conspiratorial content received a similar number of likes—both per post and across the dataset—the conspiratorial content received greater amplification through reposts. The pattern of increased retweets and engagement with conspiracy theories and misinformation is reflected in previous scholarship (e.g., Lewandowsky & van der Linden, 2021; Swire-Thompson & Lazer, 2020; Vosoughi et al., 2018). The statistical outliers in the dataset—i.e. the posts that received more reposts than average or went “viral”—were also more likely to be conspiratorial. Further research should be conducted across different datasets and social media platforms to determine the replicability of this finding.

Finding 3: Increased conspiratorial content has the potential to impact legitimate social movements on X.

While there is legitimate activism on X utilizing #SaveTheChildren, our preliminary findings show this content can be obscured by increasing volumes of conspiratorial content. Conspiratorial posts in this dataset received an average of 458 reposts (median = 66) compared to 229 for non-conspiratorial posts (median = 44). This imbalance in visibility makes it difficult for casual observers of an issue to determine what is factually correct and what is conspiratorial. Should this trend continue across other hashtags, the potential for impact on upcoming elections in 2024 is of particular interest for further work.

Finding 4: Hashtag hijacking of #SaveTheChildren allows more X users to be exposed to conspiratorial content.

We found extensive overlap in usage between #SaveTheChildren and other hashtags that promote anti-vaccination stances. One of the implications of this overlap is that people who are otherwise not engaged in conspiracy theories can easily be exposed through the #SaveTheChildren hashtag. Following the collapse of NFL player Damar Hamlin after a tackle during a game due to commotio cordis (Hagen, 2023), #SaveTheChildren increasingly began co-occurring with anti-vaccination hashtags such as #DiedSuddenly, which proposes that COVID-19 vaccines are causing widespread cardiac arrests amongst children and young people. Activists who are using the hashtag to discuss the charity of the same name may inadvertently be exposed to content that is conspiratorial in nature and undermines public health recommendations.

In this note, we have preliminarily considered how authentic social movements can be impacted by conspiracy theories on the platform X. The hashtag #SaveTheChildren was chosen as an initial case study in a forthcoming multi-platform study as it serves as an entry point to determine whether this hashtag, and potentially conspiracy theories more broadly, are impacting social movements on X. When used conspiratorially rather than for genuine activism, #SaveTheChildren is often associated with QAnon content. Previous academic work and numerous news articles have outlined the connection between #SaveTheChildren and QAnon; we were confident based on this literature and a preliminary search of the hashtag on X that it would be appropriate for inclusion in our larger study (e.g., Buntain et al., 2022; Fagan, 2020; Moran & Prochaska, 2023; Roose, 2020).

We addressed our research question using a dataset of posts collected from Twitter (now known as X) containing the hashtag #SaveTheChildren. To collect these posts, we used the Twitter API v2 for Academic Research, specifically the twarc2 Python library for data collection. Python was also used for data analysis and the software Tableau for visualization. The API is no longer freely available as X has transitioned to a paid-tier API system since the time of data collection. We collected 121,984 tweets containing the hashtag, including 44,494 unique tweets, between January 6, 2022, and March 20, 2023. There is a difference between the total tweets and unique tweets as a significant portion of our dataset comprised reposts. The data collection period was chosen for several reasons: to gain at least a year of data, include various significant global events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and ensure the dataset was within our allocated number of tweets provided by the Twitter API. We chose the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection as a starting point to meet the above requirements whilst also capturing any potentially relevant discussion on this date, as conspiracy theories continue to swirl around the insurrection (Jackman et al., 2024).  

Given that the top 500 most retweeted posts account for 84.7% of all retweets in our dataset, we focused on this subset of the data to qualitatively analyze. In our dataset, the majority (75.4%) of posts received zero retweets. A further 20.8% of posts in our dataset received one to five retweets. Only a small fraction of posts in our dataset received more than ten retweets (2.3% of posts), which is representative of repost distributions on X and social media more broadly (Lu et al., 2014; Remy et al., 2013).

The authors extracted the top 500 most-liked tweets and qualitatively coded them. Coding was completed separately with the authors conferring after the coding had been completed to ensure intercoder reliability. We found five hundred tweets sufficient to code to saturation. The collected posts were temporally analyzed to show changes in activity during data collection. Qualitative coding was necessary to capture the nuance of the use of #SaveTheChildren and whether posts represented genuine activism or conspiratorial content. The qualitative codebook can be found in Appendix 1.

Conspiracy Theories

Cite this Essay

FitzGerald, K. M., & Graham, T. (2024). #SaveTheChildren: A pilot study of a social media movement co-opted by conspiracy theorists. Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review . https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-143

Bibliography

Buntain, C., Johns, M., Deal Barlow, M., & Bloom, M. (2022). Paved with bad intentions: QAnon’s Save the Children campaign. Journal of Online Trust and Safety , 1 (2). https://doi.org/10.54501/jots.v1i2.51

Darius, P., & Stephany, F. (2019). Twitter ‘hashjacked’: Online polarisation strategies of Germany’s political far-right . SocArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/6gbc9

Dickson, E. (2020, August 12). What is #SaveTheChildren and why did Facebook block it? Rolling Stone . https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/savethechildren-qanon-pizzagate-facebook-block-hashtag-1041812/

Ewe, K. (2023, December 28). Elections around the world in 2024. Time . https://time.com/6550920/world-elections-2024/

Fagan, K. (2022, March 23). #SaveTheChildren: How a fringe conspiracy theory fueled a massive child abuse panic . The Media Manipulation Casebook. https://mediamanipulation.org/case-studies/savethechildren-how-fringe-conspiracy-theory-fueled-massive-child-abuse-panic

Goswami, M. (2018). Social media and hashtag activism. In S. Bala (Ed.), Liberty dignity and change in journalism (pp. 252–262). Kanishka Publishers.

Hagen, L. (2023, January 10). How Damar Hamlin’s collapse fueled anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/01/10/1147969504/how-damar-hamlins-collapse-fueled-anti-vaccine-conspiracy-theories

Hsu, T. (2022, November 9). Elon Musk’s Twitter did not perform at its best on election day. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/09/technology/elon-musk-twitter-maricopa-election-false-claims.html

Ingram, D. (2020, October 26). Twitter launches ‘pre-bunks’ to get ahead of voting misinformation. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/twitter-launches-pre-bunks-get-ahead-voting-misinformation-n1244777

Jackman, T., Clement, S., Guskin, E., & Hsu, S. S. (2024, January 8). A quarter of Americans believe FBI instigated Jan. 6, Post-UMD poll finds. The Washington Post . https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/01/04/fbi-conspiracy-jan-6-attack-misinformation/

Lewandowsky, S., & van der Linden, S. (2021). Countering misinformation and fake news through inoculation and prebunking. European Review of Social Psychology , 32 (2), 348–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2021.1876983

Lu, Y., Zhang, P., Cao, Y., Hu, Y., & Guo, L. (2014). On the frequency distribution of retweets. Procedia Computer Science , 31 , 747–753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2014.05.323

Moran, R. E., & Prochaska, S. (2023). Misinformation or activism? Analyzing networked moral panic through an exploration of #SaveTheChildren. Information, Communication & Society , 26 (16), 3197–3217. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2022.2146986

Mousavi, P., & Ouyang, J. (2021). Detecting hashtag hijacking for hashtag activism. In A. Field, S. Prabhumoye, M. Sap, Z. Jin, J. Zhao, & C. Brockett (Eds.), Proceedings of the 1st workshop on NLP for positive impact (pp. 82–92). Association for Computational Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.18653/v1/2021.nlp4posimpact-1.9

Remy, C., Pervin, N., Toriumi, F., & Takeda, H. (2013). Information diffusion on Twitter: Everyone has its chance, but all chances are not equal. In 2013 International Conference on Signal-Image Technology & Internet-Based Systems (pp. 483–490). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/SITIS.2013.84

Roose, K. (2020, August 12). QAnon followers are hijacking the #SaveTheChildren movement. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/12/technology/qanon-save-the-children-trafficking.html

Rutenberg, J., & Conger, K. (2024, January 25). Elon Musk is spreading election misinformation, but X’s fact checkers are long gone. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/us/politics/elon-musk-election-misinformation-x-twitter.html

Sanderson, Z., Brown, M. A., Bonneau, R., Nagler, J., & Tucker, J. A. (2021). Twitter flagged Donald Trump’s tweets with election misinformation: They continued to spread both on and off the platform. Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review, 2 (4). https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-77

Shamim, A., & Lodhi, S. (2024, January 4). The year of elections – Is 2024 democracy’s biggest test ever? Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/4/the-year-of-elections-is-2024-democracys-biggest-test-ever

Swire-Thompson, B., & Lazer, D. (2020). Public health and online misinformation: Challenges and recommendations. Annual Review of Public Health , 41 (1), 433–451. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094127

VanDam, C., & Tan, P.-N. (2016). Detecting hashtag hijacking from Twitter. In Proceedings of the 8th ACM Conference on Web Science (pp. 370–371). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/2908131.2908179

Vosoughi, S., Roy, D., & Aral, S. (2018). The spread of true and false news online. Science , 359 (6380), 1146–1151. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9559

Wong, J. C. (2020, August 25). QAnon explained: The antisemitic conspiracy theory gaining traction around the world. The Guardian . https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/25/qanon-conspiracy-theory-explained-trump-what-is

Xanthopoulos, P., Panagopoulos, O. P., Bakamitsos, G. A., & Freudmann, E. (2016). Hashtag hijacking: What it is, why it happens and how to avoid it. Journal of Digital & Social Media Marketing , 3 (4), 353–362.

Timothy Graham received funding from the Australian Research Council for his Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DE220101435), “Combatting Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviour on Social Media.”

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

The research protocol employed in this research project was approved by the Queensland University of Technology ethics committee for low-risk human ethics applications (project number DE220101435). Human subjects did not provide informed consent.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original author and source are properly credited.

Data Availability

All materials needed to replicate this study are available via the Harvard Dataverse: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/AIBDZT

Frontiers | Science News

Science News

Social science

Screen time not the main factor making parent-child interactions worse, study finds.

Which is worse for parent-child interaction, if parents use their phones, or if they are distracted otherwise? A team of researchers investigated if the common perception that screens are bad for parent-child interactions holds. They found it does, but also that screens are no worse than other forms of distraction. Instead, it might be distraction in itself that has detrimental effects on parents’ communication with their toddlers.

Technology use is at an all-time high and understanding how this impacts daily life is crucial. When it comes to parent-child interactions, scientists have coined the term ‘technoference,’ meaning technology interference. It occurs when parent-child interaction and communication are disrupted by the use of digital devices.

But is distraction caused by digital devices more detrimental to parent-child interaction than when parental distraction comes from different sources? Researchers in Switzerland have investigated.

“In this study, we show that when parents are distracted, the quality and quantity of parent-child interaction is impaired compared to when parents are not being distracted,” said Prof Nevena Dimitrova, a researcher at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland and principal investigator of the study published in Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry . “This was regardless of if that distraction came from a digital or a non-digital activity.”

Screening distraction

Although the negative impact of parents being distracted by their phones while around their children has been established, less is known about whether these negative effects come from the fact that the parent uses a screen or from the fact that the parent is distracted in general.

To fill this gap, the team around Dimitrova tasked 50 parent-child pairs, in which children were 22 months old on average, to play together for 10 minutes. Participant pairs were divided in three groups. In the first group, there was no disruption. In the second group, after five minutes of play, the parent was given a questionnaire to fill out on paper, whereas in the third group, also after five minutes, the parent was instructed to fill out the same questionnaire using a tablet. Parents that filled out the questionnaire were instructed to continue interacting with their children.

The researchers found that parents who filled out the questionnaire were less sensitive to children’s communication signals, and that children showed lower levels of social involvement towards their parents.

Technoference, however, did not affect parent-child interactions more negatively than non-digital distractions. Instead, all distraction, regardless of whether it was caused by screens or pen and paper, had negative effects on parents, children, and pairs. “We interpret this finding—that was equally surprising for us—as the possibility that screens are so ubiquitous nowadays that young children might be becoming used to the reality of seeing their parents use screens,” said Dimitrova.

Regardless of their findings, the researchers stressed that parent-child interaction is at its best when parents are not distracted at all. This might be especially important for parents who find it difficult to bond with their children.

Read and download the article

Curbing a ‘moral panic’

In the media, mostly alarmistic messages about the risks of screen use are discussed, said the researchers. However, research does not support the thesis that screen use by or in the presence of children is exclusively bad. For example, positive effects of screens on child psychological development have been shown in previous research.

“This study shows how important it is to rely on scientific evidence rather that public opinion about screen use. We see that it’s not screens per se that are detrimental to the quality of parent-child interaction,” concluded Dimitrova. “Instead, it seems to be the fact that the parent is not fully engaged in the interaction that negatively impacts parent-child communication.”

The researchers, however, also pointed out that it is difficult to make definitive statements about parental screen use based on one study alone. This is partly because everyday parent-child interaction differs from the experimental set-up. For example, the ways in which parents use screen while around their children cannot always be replicated fully. Studies in naturalistic context are needed and might lead to different results, the scientists noted.

REPUBLISHING GUIDELINES: Open access and sharing research is part of Frontiers’ mission . Unless otherwise noted, you can republish articles posted in the Frontiers news site — as long as you include a link back to the original research. Selling the articles is not allowed.

Post related info

May 21, 2024

Deborah Pirchner

Post categories, featured news, related subjects, social sciences, frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry, related content.

Parents underestimate the importance of guided play in education, finds US study

Watching others visibly dislike vegetables might make onlookers dislike them, too

Do mild depressive and anxiety symptoms in fathers predict behavioral and cognitive problems in their children?

Big data, AI, and personalized medicine: scientists reveal playbook aiming to revolutionize healthcare

Registration open: Dr Eric Topol to explore how AI will shape the future of healthcare at Frontiers Forum virtual event

Babies in the womb exposed to two languages hear speech differently when born

Biodiversity loss: three Research Topics revealing threats and solutions

Building, Architecture, Outdoors, City, Aerial View, Urban, Office Building, Cityscape

Education Producer

Madison, Wisconsin
PUBLIC MEDIA/PBS WISCONSIN
Public Broadcasting
Partially Remote
Staff-Full Time
Opening at: May 21 2024 at 14:50 CDT
Closing at: Jun 4 2024 at 23:55 CDT

Job Summary:

PBS Wisconsin Education's Education Producer develops and produces classroom media for upper elementary and middle school science, social studies, local history and culture, and English Language Arts studies. This may include identifying topics, themes, and/or learning goals, conducting research, writing scripts, interviewing guests, or directing hosts. This position primarily produces in video format, but may also produce interactives, animations, and educational text supports. In this hybrid role you will bring your aesthetic and creative skills to select stories and generate ideas for in-classroom learning media, manage logistics for and lead in the production of that media, and oversee and/or participate in post-production tasks all the way through media publishing. We are looking to fill two Education Producer positions. One position will primarily be focusing on producing science education content, while the other position will focus on Arts and Culture content produced for ELA classrooms. Both producers will be expected to assist with the production of media that focuses on other curricular content areas produced by our team. This position works with colleagues across the educational ecosystem to ensure that the content we create is aligned with educational standards in use in Wisconsin and works with advisors to ensure that the content is accurate and inclusive. This position reports to the Executive Producer of Education.

Responsibilities:

25% Researches and develops production strategy for one or more programs across broadcast and digital platforms
35% Produces, develops, and edits content that may include identifying topics, themes, guests, conducting pre-interviews and/or interviews, writing, and/or integrating content for multimedia platforms
10% Performs daily operational activities for live and pre-recorded content, and may direct the editorial and creative process of production activities
15% Collaborates with other content creators in pre- to post-production processes, prepares materials, and handles logistics for broadcast and/or digital publications
5% Maintains familiarity with studio equipment and/or applicable technology for production
5% May schedule and direct operational activities for content production, including live/recorded studio or field productions
5% Collaborate with project partners, educators, and cross-department units to ensure produced media aligns with agreed upon or desired learning goals.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Preferred Bachelor's Degree in media production and/or science education/ELA curricular areas.

Qualifications:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS - Experience producing video and/or creating educational resources. - Competency in video production; experience with pre-production, production, and/or post-production processes. - Strong written communication skills as needed for the pre-production process. e.g. Script development, curriculum development etc. - Proven ability to translate topics into easily understood material, with an ability to employ engaging, creative approaches. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Technical cinematography skills, including knowledge of DSLR and/or cinema-style cameras, lenses, and lighting. - Technical knowledge of video editing post-production, including familiarity with Adobe Premiere and motion graphics. - Familiarity communicating topics for learning, familiarity with National or Wisconsin state standards - For the Education Science Producer; experience communicating science topics for learning, familiarity with National or Wisconsin state science standards, and familiarity with environmental education and climate science. - For the Education Arts & Culture Producer, familiarity communicating ELA topics for learning, familiarity with National or Wisconsin state ELA standards, and familiarity with ELA education.

Full Time: 100% This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Minimum $56,112 ANNUAL (12 months) Depending on Qualifications We expect to pay in the mid to high 50's to low 60's. Actual pay will depend on qualifications.

Additional Information:

The person in this position will be required to comply with the Ethical Guidelines for All Staff of Wisconsin Public Radio and Television located here: https://www.wpr.org/wpr-ethical-guidelines , in addition to the UW-Madison code of ethics. Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. #PBS

How to Apply:

The following must be received for your application to be complete: 1) Resume 2) A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, including additional information on any of the required or preferred experience bullet points that connect to your experience and background. 3) A portfolio that includes two to four video pieces that you have worked on. We will also accept other media formats, such as animations, interactives, or other educational media. Choose samples where the intent of the piece is to explain or educate on a topic. Include a paragraph explaining your exact role in creating the resource or media, what aspects you were not directly responsible for or involved in, and what you think is successful about the work. 4) Optional (not required to complete application): Samples of lesson plans or curriculum development, or a cinematography reel. Finalists will be asked to provide a list of at least three professional references with titles, emails, and phone numbers (including at least one supervisory reference). Note that references will not be contacted without your prior knowledge.

Amanda Vinova [email protected] 608-262-0598 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Multimedia Producer II(PB007)

Department(s):

A46-PUBLIC MEDIA/PBS WISCONSIN

Employment Class:

Academic Staff-Renewable

Job Number:

The university of wisconsin-madison is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer..

You will be redirected to the application to launch your career momentarily. Thank you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Applicant Tutorial

Disability Accommodations

Pay Transparency Policy Statement

Refer a Friend

You've sent this job to a friend!

Website feedback, questions or accessibility issues: [email protected] .

Learn more about accessibility at UW–Madison .

Recommendations of APPC Working Group May Be Implemented in 2024 Presidential Debates

If current plans are carried out, three of the Annenberg Public Policy Center's Debate Reform Working Group recommendations to increase the value and viewership of presidential debates will be implemented in 2024.

By Annenberg Public Policy Center

Pulpit with microphones and USA flag in background

In 2015, the Annenberg Debate Reform Working Group was created by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania to explore ways to increase the value and viewership of presidential general election debates, taking into account the ways in which the rise of early voting, the advent of social media, establishment of new media networks, changes in campaign finance, and the increase in the number of independent voters have altered the electoral environment.

The group’s report moved into news last week when Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates, cited the participation of Biden advisor Anita Dunn in the working group as evidence of Dunn’s hostility to the Commission on Presidential Debates. The attack came after the Trump and Biden presidential campaigns agreed to participate in presidential debates hosted by CNN and ABC News, and in the process, in the words of the Associated Press , “skirted the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has organized the events for 36 years.”

Among the recommendations offered by the bipartisan 16-member Annenberg Debate Reform Working Group were: revising the debate timetable to take into account the rise of early voting; eliminating on-site audiences for debates other than the town hall; and, in the process, reducing the need for major financial sponsors and audiences filled with donors.

If current plans are carried out all three will be implemented in the two debates agreed upon by the Trump and Biden campaigns.

In addition to APPC Director Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the working group, chaired by Obama debate advisor Dunn and Romney debate advisor Beth Myers, included 7 Republican and 6 Democratic consultants who had advised presidential candidates about debates: Robert Barnett (D), Bob Bauer (D), Joel Benenson (D), Charles Black (R), Rick Davis (R), Benjamin Ginsberg (R), Ron Klain (D), Neil Newhouse (R), Zac Moffatt (R), Jim Perry (R), Joe Rospars (D), Michael Sheehan (D), and Stuart Stevens (R).

The following working group recommendations were unanimously endorsed by its members:

Expanding and Enriching Debate Content

Increase direct candidate exchanges and otherwise enhance the capacity of candidates to engage each other and communicate views and positions;
Reduce candidate “gaming” of time-limited answers and create opportunities to clarify an exchange or respond to an attack;
Enlarge the pool of potential moderators to include print journalists, university presidents, retired judges and other experts.
Use alternate formats for some of the debates, including a chess clock model that gives each candidate an equal amount of time to draw upon.
Expand the role of diverse media outlets and the public in submitting questions for the debates; and
Increase the representativeness of audiences and questioners at town hall debates.

Broadening the Accessibility of the Debates

Embrace social media platforms, which are the primary source of political information for a growing number of Americans, and facilitate creative use of debate content by social media platforms as well as by major networks such as Univision, Telemundo, and BET, by providing unimpeded access to an unedited feed from each of the cameras and a role in framing topics and questions; and
Revise the debate timetable to take into account the rise of early voting.

Improving the Transparency and Accountability of the Debate Process

Eliminate on-site audiences for debates other than the town hall and, in the process, reduce the need for major financial sponsors and audiences filled with donors;
Publicly release the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) governing the debates as soon as it is signed;
Require the moderators to be signatories to the MOU to ensure compliance with the agreements about rules and formats; and
Clearly articulate the standards required of polls used to determine eligibility for the debates.

Media Contact: Michael Rozansky, Annenberg Public Policy Center, (215) 746-0202, [email protected]

Politics & Elections

Research Areas

Political Communication

Related News

Hands holding protest signs reading: Abortion is Healthcare, Bans off our bodies, My Body My Choice, and Human Rights

Abortion, Not Inflation, Directly Affected Congressional Voting in 2022

woman in a black jacket sitting at a table and typing on a laptop

No Vacations, No Sleep, but Good Journalism: What It’s Like To Start a Nonprofit Newsroom

Vector illustration of silhouettes of heads and brains meant to convey variation in mindsets and emotions

Largest Quantitative Synthesis to Date Reveals What Predicts Human Behavior and How to Change It

News & Insights
All News & Insights

Scaling up AI-based professional development for math teachers everywhere

New study positively reports the impact of AI-powered teacher professional development on mathematics instruction.

The United States has struggled to fill and retain math teacher jobs for years. In the 2011–2012 school year, 19% of public schools were unable to fill a teaching position for math, and by the 2020–2021 school year, 32% of public schools were unable to fill a teaching position for math. Compounding this math teacher shortage is the reality that many math teachers do not have positive experiences with the subject and do not receive adequate support. Fortunately, scalable and accessible online professional development (PD) for math instructors providing just-in-time feedback based on teachers’ understanding of content can improve the quality of math instruction. Just-in-time feedback provides teachers with training and development the moment they need it, instead of waiting for a PD trainer to assess and provide the feedback for the teacher. It also allows the teacher to apply new knowledge quickly.

Associate Professor Yasemin Copur-Gencturk’s newly published article positively reports the impact of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered PD on mathematics instruction with a prototype of a scalable and accessible program that creates an active learning environment for math teachers.

While evidence suggests that PD programs can improve teachers’ knowledge, instructional practices and learning outcomes for students, one problem that has not been addressed is whether effective programs are scalable so teachers in any location can access them. The barriers to accessing high-quality PD can be significant for teachers from rural and high-needs areas. Other factors such as lack of time and travel distances can limit teachers’ ability to participate in high-quality training.

Copur-Gencturk started her career as a math instructor in her native Turkey and understands the challenges that math teachers face. This on-the-ground experience inspired her research to examine alternative forms of learning environments, such as asynchronous online PD programs.

“While there has been online instruction in teacher education for some time, people have quit these programs because of the lack of interaction. We need to find a way to reach teachers anywhere and anytime to provide quality feedback, and this is where AI comes in,” said Copur-Gencturk.

To overcome the limitations of asynchronous PD programs by incorporating effective elements of in-person PD, Copur-Gencturk used intelligent tutoring systems to create an interactive, personalized learning environment by analyzing the performance of several instructors and interacting with them through a sequence of feedback cycles. The program that Copur-Gencturk and her research team developed utilizes a virtual facilitator that interacts with teachers through multiple activities. Math teachers from across the country worked through targeted content at their own pace, in their own space and on their own schedule.

Findings: The data reported in Copur-Gencturk’s new article shows that the teachers who participated in the AI-based PD program utilized mathematically richer tasks and created a more coherent and connected learning environment for students to build conceptual understandings than teachers who did not have access to the training. This piece builds off of Copur-Gencturk’s previous work over the past several years looking at how AI can be used to create effective, scalable teacher PD. The findings in this recently published article point to how AI-based PD programs that provide just-in-time feedback based on instructors’ understanding could improve the quality of their instruction. Tailored, just-in-time feedback from a virtual facilitator could be a substitute when human facilitators are unavailable. Reshaping how practitioners think about and conduct PD is one strategy that could be used to retain math instructors and support their continued development in the field.

Yasemin Copur-Gencturk

Associate Professor of Education

Article Type

Article topics.

Teaching resources

Related News & Insights

May 21, 2024

Bridging equity gaps through vision care

New study incorporates diversity, equity and inclusion into a clinical trial for age-related macular degeneration, aiming to restore vision and rebuild trust in marginalized communities.

Featured Faculty

Kendrick Davis

May 17, 2024

Huriya Jabbar awarded major grant to explore links between housing policies and school integration and desegregation

Grant awarded by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in the Behavioral Sciences.

Huriya Jabbar

April 18, 2024

Portraits of Royel Johnson, Dwuana Bradley and Kendrick Davis.

USC Rossier researchers awarded $1M grant to advance criminal justice prevention research and practice

During Second Chance Month, USC Rossier professors are making meaningful contributions to criminal justice reform.

Royel M. Johnson, PhD
Dwuana Bradley

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

Publications
Our Methods
Short Reads
Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

Americans’ Social Media Use

Youtube and facebook are by far the most used online platforms among u.s. adults; tiktok’s user base has grown since 2021, table of contents.

Which social media sites do Americans use most?
TikTok sees growth since 2021
Stark age differences in who uses each app or site
Other demographic differences in use of online platforms
Acknowledgments
2023 National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) Methodology

To better understand Americans’ social media use, Pew Research Center surveyed 5,733 U.S. adults from May 19 to Sept. 5, 2023. Ipsos conducted this National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) for the Center using address-based sampling and a multimode protocol that included both web and mail. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race and ethnicity, education and other categories.

Polls from 2000 to 2021 were conducted via phone. For more on this mode shift, read our Q&A .

Here are the questions used for this analysis , along with responses, and its methodology .

A note on terminology: Our May-September 2023 survey was already in the field when Twitter changed its name to “X.” The terms Twitter and X are both used in this report to refer to the same platform.

Social media platforms faced a range of controversies in recent years, including concerns over misinformation and data privacy . Even so, U.S. adults use a wide range of sites and apps, especially YouTube and Facebook. And TikTok – which some Congress members previously called to ban – saw growth in its user base.

These findings come from a Pew Research Center survey of 5,733 U.S. adults conducted May 19-Sept. 5, 2023.

A horizontal bar chart showing that most U.S. adults use YouTube and Facebook; about half use Instagram.

YouTube by and large is the most widely used online platform measured in our survey. Roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults (83%) report ever using the video-based platform.

While a somewhat lower share reports using it, Facebook is also a dominant player in the online landscape. Most Americans (68%) report using the social media platform.

Additionally, roughly half of U.S. adults (47%) say they use Instagram .

The other sites and apps asked about are not as widely used , but a fair portion of Americans still use them:

27% to 35% of U.S. adults use Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, WhatsApp and Snapchat.
About one-in-five say they use Twitter (recently renamed “X”) and Reddit.

This year is the first time we asked about BeReal, a photo-based platform launched in 2020. Just 3% of U.S. adults report using it.

Recent Center findings show that YouTube also dominates the social media landscape among U.S. teens .

One platform – TikTok – stands out for growth of its user base. A third of U.S. adults (33%) say they use the video-based platform, up 12 percentage points from 2021 (21%).

A line chart showing that a third of U.S. adults say they use TikTok, up from 21% in 2021.

The other sites asked about had more modest or no growth over the past couple of years. For instance, while YouTube and Facebook dominate the social media landscape, the shares of adults who use these platforms has remained stable since 2021.

The Center has been tracking use of online platforms for many years. Recently, we shifted from gathering responses via telephone to the web and mail. Mode changes can affect study results in a number of ways, therefore we have to take a cautious approach when examining how things have – or have not – changed since our last study on these topics in 2021. For more details on this shift, please read our Q&A .

Adults under 30 are far more likely than their older counterparts to use many of the online platforms. These findings are consistent with previous Center data .

A dot plot showing that the youngest U.S. adults are far more likely to use Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok; age differences are less pronounced for Facebook.

Age gaps are especially large for Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok – platforms that are used by majorities of adults under 30. For example:

78% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they use Instagram, far higher than the share among those 65 and older (15%).
65% of U.S. adults under 30 report using Snapchat, compared with just 4% of the oldest age cohort.
62% of 18- to 29-year-olds say they use TikTok, much higher than the share among adults ages 65 years and older (10%).
Americans ages 30 to 49 and 50 to 64 fall somewhere in between for all three platforms.

YouTube and Facebook are the only two platforms that majorities of all age groups use. That said, there is still a large age gap between the youngest and oldest adults when it comes to use of YouTube. The age gap for Facebook, though, is much smaller.

Americans ages 30 to 49 stand out for using three of the platforms – LinkedIn, WhatsApp and Facebook – at higher rates. For instance, 40% of this age group uses LinkedIn, higher than the roughly three-in-ten among those ages 18 to 29 and 50 to 64. And just 12% of those 65 and older say the same.

Overall, a large majority of the youngest adults use multiple sites and apps. About three-quarters of adults under 30 (74%) use at least five of the platforms asked about. This is far higher than the shares of those ages 30 to 49 (53%), 50 to 64 (30%), and ages 65 and older (8%) who say the same.

Refer to our social media fact sheet for more detailed data by age for each site and app.

A number of demographic differences emerge in who uses each platform. Some of these include the following:

Race and ethnicity: Roughly six-in-ten Hispanic (58%) and Asian (57%) adults report using Instagram, somewhat higher than the shares among Black (46%) and White (43%) adults. 1
Gender: Women are more likely than their male counterparts to say they use the platform.
Education: Those with some college education and those with a college degree report using it at somewhat higher rates than those who have a high school degree or less education.
Race and ethnicity: Hispanic adults are particularly likely to use TikTok, with 49% saying they use it, higher than Black adults (39%). Even smaller shares of Asian (29%) and White (28%) adults say the same.
Gender: Women use the platform at higher rates than men (40% vs. 25%).
Education: Americans with higher levels of formal education are especially likely to use LinkedIn. For instance, 53% of Americans with at least a bachelor’s degree report using the platform, far higher than among those who have some college education (28%) and those who have a high school degree or less education (10%). This is the largest educational difference measured across any of the platforms asked about.

Twitter (renamed “X”)

Household income: Adults with higher household incomes use Twitter at somewhat higher rates. For instance, 29% of U.S. adults who have an annual household income of at least $100,000 say they use the platform. This compares with one-in-five among those with annual household incomes of $70,000 to $99,999, and around one-in-five among those with annual incomes of less than $30,000 and those between $30,000 and $69,999.
Gender: Women are far more likely to use Pinterest than men (50% vs. 19%).
Race and ethnicity: 54% of Hispanic adults and 51% of Asian adults report using WhatsApp. This compares with 31% of Black adults and even smaller shares of those who are White (20%).

A heat map showing how use of online platforms – such as Facebook, Instagram or TikTok – differs among some U.S. demographic groups.

Estimates for Asian adults are representative of English speakers only. ↩

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivery Saturday mornings

Sign up for The Briefing

Weekly updates on the world of news & information

Internet & Technology
Social Media
Twitter (X)

WhatsApp and Facebook dominate the social media landscape in middle-income nations

5 facts about how americans use facebook, two decades after its launch, teens and social media fact sheet, teens, social media and technology 2023, facebook posts in early days of biden administration reflect ideological divide, most popular, report materials.

1615 L St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries

Research Topics

Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

IMAGES

170 Engaging Social Media Essay Topics to Get Started
(PDF) Social media use in the research workflow
Sociology research topics list. Top 50 Sociology Research Topics Ideas
234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas
(PDF) Impact of social media on society
388 Social Issues Topics: Ideas for a Research Paper & Essay + Writing

VIDEO

Impact of Social Media
Basic Introduction of Research for Bingnner #educational research / Social Science Urdu / Hindi
#shorts Unlock the Power of Social Media Research #digitalmarketing
The harsh reality of social media!
Book History Colloquium at Columbia
Master Blogging Find Your Profitable Niche with Our Ultimate Market Research Guide

COMMENTS

300+ Social Media Research Topics
Social media research is a rapidly growing field that encompasses a wide range of topics, from understanding the psychological and social effects of social media to analyzing patterns of user behavior and identifying trends in online conversations. In this era of data-driven decision-making, social media research is more important than ever, as ...
70 Must-Know Social Media Research Paper Topics
Some social issues research paper topics to explore are; The growth of cyberattacks and cyberstalking in social media. Social media and how it promotes an unrealistic idea of life. Social media and the many impacts it has on users and businesses. Social media detox: Importance of taking scheduled social media breaks.
234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas
18 May 2024. 2646 words. 12 min read. Social media research encompasses a broad range of different topics that delve into the ever-evolving digital landscape. People investigate the impact of social platforms on society, exploring subjects, such as online identity formation, self-presentation, the psychology of virtual interactions, and others.
193 Top Social Media Research Topics: Only Best Ideas
Social Media Research Topics. Social media is a great place to interact with friends, colleagues, family, bloggers, and even celebrities. They make the world seem a bit smaller with the amount of information you can get from it. The factors that lead to the growth of social media sites. Evaluate how social media fuels rebellion among teenagers.
Social Media Research Topics 2024
15 January 2024. Author. Chloe Garnham. Reviewed by. Miroslav Damyanov. With the rise of technology, social media has been adopted across the globe. 60% of the world's population uses social media, spending an average of two hours and 24 minutes on platforms each day. Research in this area garners continuous interest given social media's ...
Social Media Research Topics
Top 10 Social Media Research Paper Topics. 1. A Comparative Review of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as Primary Marketing Platforms for Small Businesses. A lot of small businesses have flocked to various social media sites to market their products and services.
Qualitative and Mixed Methods Social Media Research:
Social media research is a relatively new field of study that has emerged in conjunction with the development of social media technologies and the upsurge in their use (Duggan et al., 2015). Little is known about how many qualitative and mixed methods social media studies have been published, where they originate, or which academic journals ...
147 Best Social Media Research Topics In 2023
Use of the Internet networks, social networks, and mobile in 2021. Facebook as a source of distribution of content and remote communication. Training of professionals toward their audiences for social media platforms. Facebook: A place of digital socialization among top social media sites.
Social media in marketing research: Theoretical bases, methodological
Research stream Topics Managerial lessons extracted; Stream 1: Social media as a promotion and selling outlet: ... our review focused on studies conducted within the marketing discipline, although social media research also covers useful issues pertaining to other business (e.g., management) or non-business (e.g., information technology) areas ...
Social Media
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions.
Social Media and Mental Health: Benefits, Risks, and Opportunities for
An important strength with this commentary is that it combines a range of studies broadly covering the topic of social media and mental health. ... Cell phone, computer, email, and social media use. Psychiatry research, 225 (3), 458-463. [Google Scholar] Mittal VA, Tessner KD, & Walker EF (2007). Elevated social Internet use and schizotypal ...
The Role of Social Media Content Format and Platform in Users
The purpose of this study is to understand the role of social media content on users' engagement behavior. More specifically, we investigate: (i)the direct effects of format and platform on users' passive and active engagement behavior, and (ii) we assess the moderating effect of content context on the link between each content type (rational, emotional, and transactional content) and ...
Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic
Abstract. Social media are responsible for aggravating mental health problems. This systematic study summarizes the effects of social network usage on mental health. Fifty papers were shortlisted from google scholar databases, and after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were chosen and all papers were ...
Social Media Use in 2021
In a pattern consistent with past Center studies on social media use, there are some stark age differences. Some 84% of adults ages 18 to 29 say they ever use any social media sites, which is similar to the share of those ages 30 to 49 who say this (81%). By comparison, a somewhat smaller share of those ages 50 to 64 (73%) say they use social ...
Social media's growing impact on our lives
A 2018 Common Sense Media report found that 81 percent of teens use social media, and more than a third report using social media sites multiple times an hour. These statistics have risen dramatically over the past six years, likely driven by increased access to mobile devices. Rising along with these stats is a growing interest in the impact ...
Social Media
Research; Topics; Social Media Social Media. Social media has come to occupy a central role in our lives, becoming the primary vehicle for keeping in touch with friends, organizing groups, and getting news. Annenberg scholars evaluate its impact and effects on us and our society, from slacktivism to online harassment to influencers and more. ...
Social Media Fact Sheet
To better understand Americans' social media use, Pew Research Center surveyed 5,733 U.S. adults from May 19 to Sept. 5, 2023. Ipsos conducted this National Public Opinion Reference Survey (NPORS) for the Center using address-based sampling and a multimode protocol that included both web and mail.
120 Amazing Social Media Research Topics Online
Selection of the Best Social Media Research Topics in 2023 What Are The Elements of a Good Social Media Research Paper When you have an objective to explore social media research topics, you have to narrow things down because one faces the risks of addressing every aspect of the social environment.The main characteristic that one has to check when choosing a great topic on social media is the ...
How to Research Content Topics for Social Media
One is BuzzSumo, which provides the data and evidence for content research and planning. The tool helps you to do several things. Identify the content that resonates with your audience. You can discover the most shared content in the last 12 months or the last 24 hours. Focus on the right networks.
The Often Overlooked Positive Side of Social Media
In a Pew Research study from 2022 that surveyed U.S. teens 13-17 years of age, 80% of teens say that social media makes them more connected to what's going on in their friend's life, 71% say ...
Sustainability
This study mined social media data to obtain real public perceptions. A qualitative exploratory analysis was used to identify thematic variables regarding social media data on shared autonomous vehicles, from which a research model of the public's intention to use SAVs was proposed.
#SaveTheChildren: A pilot study of a social media movement co-opted by
In answering our research question, we explore how the #SaveTheChildren dataset could be representative of wider implications for social media platforms when hashtags are utilized for both legitimate and conspiratorial purposes. In 2020, Facebook blocked #SaveTheChildren due to "low quality content" (Dickson, 2020, para. 3).
Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022
For the latest survey data on social media and tech use among teens, see "Teens, Social Media, and Technology 2023." The landscape of social media is ever-changing, especially among teens who often are on the leading edge of this space. A new Pew Research Center survey of American teenagers ages 13 to 17 finds TikTok has rocketed in popularity since its North American debut several years ...
Screen time not the main factor making parent-child ...
Technoference, however, did not affect parent-child interactions more negatively than non-digital distractions. Instead, all distraction, regardless of whether it was caused by screens or pen and paper, had negative effects on parents, children, and pairs. "We interpret this finding—that was equally surprising for us—as the possibility ...
Education Producer
Job Summary: PBS Wisconsin Education's Education Producer develops and produces classroom media for upper elementary and middle school science, social studies, local history and culture, and English Language Arts studies. This may include identifying topics, themes, and/or learning goals, conducting research, writing scripts, interviewing guests, or directing hosts. This position primarily ...
Recommendations of APPC Working Group May Be Implemented in 2024
In 2015, the Annenberg Debate Reform Working Group was created by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania to explore ways to increase the value and viewership of presidential general election debates, taking into account the ways in which the rise of early voting, the advent of social media, establishment of new media networks, changes in campaign finance ...
Social Media
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions.
Social Media and News Fact Sheet
There are demographic differences, such as by gender, in who turns to each social media site regularly for news. Women make up a greater portion of regular news consumers on Nextdoor (66%), Facebook (62%), Instagram (59%) and TikTok (58%), while men make up a greater share on sites like Reddit (67%), X (62%) and YouTube (58%).
Scaling up AI-based professional development for math teachers
The United States has struggled to fill and retain math teacher jobs for years. In the 2011-2012 school year, 19% of public schools were unable to fill a teaching position for math, and by the 2020-2021 school year, 32% of public schools were unable to fill a teaching position for math. Compounding this math teacher shortage is the reality that many math teachers do not have positive ...
How Americans Use Social Media
Roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults (83%) report ever using the video-based platform. While a somewhat lower share reports using it, Facebook is also a dominant player in the online landscape. Most Americans (68%) report using the social media platform. Additionally, roughly half of U.S. adults (47%) say they use Instagram.

300+ Social Media Research Topics

Social Media Research Topics

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

You may also like

200+ Funny Research Topics

500+ Sports Research Topics

300+ American History Research Paper Topics

500+ Cyber Security Research Topics

500+ Environmental Research Topics

500+ Economics Research Topics

74 Best Social Media Research Paper Topics

How to Start a Social Media Research Paper

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

234 Social Media Research Topics & Ideas

Hot Social Media Research Topics

Easy Social Media Research Topics

Interesting Social Media Research Topics

Social Media Research Paper Topics for High School

Social Media Research Paper Topics for College Students

Social Media Research Paper Topics for University

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Masters

Social Media Research Paper Topics for Ph.D.

Social Media Research Topics for Argumentative Papers

Social Media Research Topics for Persuasive Papers

Social Media Topics for Pros and Cons Research Papers

Social Media Topics for Cause and Effect Research Papers

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

431 Music Essay Topics & Ideas

Essay on My Escape From North Korea

193 Great Social Media Research Topics For Successful Paper

Characteristics of a Good Social Media Research Paper

Social Media Research Topics

Social Media Research Questions

Research Papers On Social Media

Interesting Social Media Research Topic

Social Media Research Papers

More Social Media Research Paper Topics

Research Topic On Social Media

Informative Research Questions On Social Media

Best Social Media Paper Ideas

Argumentative Research Topics About Social Media

Amazing Social Media Paper Topics

Engaging Social Networks Topics

Unique Social Networking Topics

Social Media Research Paper Thesis

Trying To Finish Your Social Media Paper?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

13 social media research topics to explore in 2024

1. The influence of social media on mental health

2. The effects of social media exposure on child development

3. The role of social media in political campaigning

4. The role of social media in misinformation and disinformation

5. The impact of AI and deepfakes on social media

6. How social media can benefit communities

7. The psychology of social media

8. How communication has evolved through social media

9. Social media platforms as primary news sources

10. How social media is impacting modern journalism

11. The impact of social media on traditional advertising

12. Impacts of social media presence on corporate image

13. How social media impacts data privacy

Should you be using a customer insights hub?

Editor’s picks

Latest articles

Log in or sign up

The Top 10 Most Interesting Social Media Research Topics

Find your bootcamp match

Tips for Choosing a Social Media Research Topic

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

How to Create Strong Social Media Research Questions

Top 10 Social Media Research Paper Topics

2. The Influence of Social Media on Mental Health

3. The Role of Social Media in Political Campaigning

4. The Role of Social Media in Disinformation

5. How Social Media Can Benefit Communities

6. The Effects of Social Media Exposure on Child Development

7. How Communication Has Evolved Through Social Media

8. Social Media Platforms as Primary News Sources

9. How Social Media Paves Way for Non-Traditional Advertising