Social media? It's serious! Understanding the dark side of social media

Research and practice have mostly focused on the “bright side” of social media, aiming to understand and help in leveraging the manifold opportunities afforded by this technology. However, it is increasingly observable that social media present enormous risks for individuals, communities, firms, and even for society as a whole. Examples for this “dark side” of social media include cyberbullying, addictive use, trolling, online witch hunts, fake news, and privacy abuse. In this article, we aim to illustrate the multidimensionality of the dark side of social media and describe the related various undesirable outcomes. To do this, we adapt the established social media honeycomb framework to explain the dark side implications of each of the seven functional building blocks: conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, groups, and identity. On the basis of these reflections, we present a number of avenues for future research, so as to facilitate a better understanding and use of social media.     

A clinical evaluation of four alternative telemedicine systems.

A comparison was made of four alternative telecommunication systems used in delivering primary health care to remote populations. The media were color television, black and white television, still frame black and white television, and hands-free telephone. The patient population was that of a large organization in a Canadian province, a major component of a societal system. Over 1000 patients who came to a clinic seeking medical attention were examined remotely by one of the four systems. In addition, they were examined in the physical presence of a doctor at the clinic. The diagnoses, patient management programs, etc., of the clinic physician were used as the basis for comparison. We found no significant differences in diagnostic accuracy, proportion of supporting investigations requested, e.g., laboratory tests and X rays, time taken for the diagnostic consultations and the effectiveness of patient management across the four communication modes. On the contrary, in some instances it was found that behavior across the modes was significantly similar. Even patient attitudes showed only a slight preference for the more sensory rich modes of communication. It was concluded that there is little to distinguish the effectiveness of the four telecommunication modes when used for remote diagnostic consultations. Therefore, the cheapest mode is the most cost-effective. Phase four of the research program will compare the effects of the two least costly modes, still frame television and hands-free telephone, in an operational system in northern Ontario.     

Prisoners of Conscience

Amnesty International is a human rights organisation that operates right around the world. This article describes its objectives and methods, and discusses some of the factors which have contributed to its successful growth over the past 27 years. It also looks at the relationships between the organisation, the offending authorities and the victims of oppression and their families.     

On longevity and life-line

Newrick et al. (1990) have claimed from 100 consecutive autopsies that there is a significant association between life-line and longevity. This study has received wide publicity in the popular press and in the T.V. media, and we re-examine their claim.     

Cramér-von Mises statistics for discrete distributions

Cramér-von Mises statistics are developed for use in testing for discrete distributions, and tables are given for tests for the discrete uniform distribution.     

“Getting even”: Clinical considerations of adaptive and maladaptive vengeance

This article is intended to acquaint the reader with the concept of vengeance. Conceptualized as the intense, compelling wish or intention to get even, right a wrong, or avenge an injury, vengeance is best understood on a continuum from innocuous retaliatory fantasies/actions on one end of the continuum to meeting out of death and destruction on the other end. This article identifies various manifestations of vengeance, discusses theoretical formulations related to affects in general and vengeance, in particular, and presents a series of case vignettes which highlight the adaptive and maladaptive function of this psychological phenomenon.