Anàlisi

“No moral integrity”: Influencer sharenting and parental protective perception

2023-10-16T15:28:17+02:00

Sharenting has been analyzed from different perspectives, introducing insights into the risks and opportunities of presenting children’s lives on social media. Researchers have addressed how this phenomenon impacts the lives of influencers, children, youth, and parents who engage in sharenting on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. From the perspective of “sharenters”, there is a common assumption that sharenting is not problematic, as they control and ensure the safety of children. However, some studies highlight the threats and consequences of this practice to the integrity of minors on the internet. In this paper, we analyze the perception of parents who are unfamiliar with the phenomenon of influencer sharenting on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, to understand their ethical concerns as seen from outside the communities of celebrity practices and their followers. Through a survey of 350 Ibero-American parents, we explored their opinions of this phenomenon, the reasons why they think influencers share their children’s lives, the potential risks, and whether there is a correlation between their use of social media and sharenting. Parents argued that there was a lack of moral integrity among influencers, and emphasized the importance of protecting children to avoid transforming them into promotional assets. We conclude that beyond the privacy policies of these platforms, further research should address how the unique affordances of these platforms impact children’s safety on the internet.

The impact of improving media and information literacy in the Caribbean. The design, validation and application of a questionnaire on teachers’ media skills

2023-07-18T16:48:25+02:00

Improving the media and information literacy (MLI) of teachers to encourage critical processes of interaction, production and spread of information, based on values and conscious aesthetics, is a central theme in the socio-educational incorporation of the media in teaching-learning processes. Theoretical and practical proposals developed to train educators are becoming increasingly necessary and relevant. This study presents a quantitative, descriptive, correlational analysis of the design and validation process of an unpublished questionnaire whose purpose is to measure the perception of media skills among Dominican teachers as part of an international project. It also presents the initial results obtained after the pilot application of the tool before and after the implementation of a training initiative. The study shows that the content and construction of the data collection instrument was appropriate, and performed well in terms of reliability. The main results indicate that teachers who participated in the training course on media skills significantly improved their perceived skill levels in all areas measured, although there were some significant differences linked to age. The study identified a need to continue delivering flexible training initiatives adapted to specific contexts, in order to make further progress in media literacy among teachers.

Uses of TikTok in education. A systematic review of the didactic possibilities of TikTok

2023-10-16T15:29:49+02:00

Access to the internet at increasingly younger ages and the possibility of registering on social media networks opens the door to new ways of teaching and learning actively and in accordance with the characteristics of the digital society. Looking at the current situation, the focus is on TikTok, one of the most frequently downloaded networks and one of the ones with the largest number of followers. The need to delineate the potential of its educational use gives rise to this systematic review. This theoretical study provides an analysis of the most recent SCOPUS literature (published between 2020 and 2023, mainly in English). A total of 133 records were retrieved from this database using a controlled search. Of these, 25 documents were analysed to identify the characteristics of TikTok that are conducive to its didactic application, the uses recently given to the tool in education, and the specific guidelines that can be deduced for the responsible use of TikTok in the educational environment. Given the possible risks, problems and limitations inherent in deploying this platform, the varied uses identified in the review demonstrate its impact on motivation and learning, especially its contribution to the development of digital skills and responsible usage by students working with TikTok in the classroom. In view of the results of this analysis, it is recommended to develop teacher literacy and educational communication in higher education as a way to use TikTok for learning purposes.

TikTok and the caricaturing of violence in adolescent romantic relationships

2023-10-02T16:45:18+02:00

Violence in romantic relationships is today recognized as a significant social problem. Among adolescents, this issue may be particularly concerning due to their lack of experience in the romantic sphere and to the influence of popular stereotypes. The growing popularity of TikTok and its creative possibilities may have a significant impact on young people’s perceptions of this issue. As a result, this can lead to the normalisation of toxic relationships and, therefore, have a negative effect on romantic relationships. This article analyses the discourse on TikTok regarding the normalisation of abusive behaviour in romantic relationships. To do so, a total of 328 videos available on this platform under the hashtags #eltoxico and #latoxica were examined, using thematic analysis as a qualitative research tool. The results show how TikTok users share content that exaggerates and dramatises toxic relationships, emphasising destructive behaviours such as control, abuse and emotional manipulation. Furthermore, there is a tendency to romanticise toxicity and to normalise negative behaviours through trivialization and use of humour. These patterns can influence perceptions of what constitutes a healthy relationship, leading to the acceptance of violent behaviour in the future by society.

Teachers on TikTok: Creative strategies and resources for making content go viral. An evolution in education?

2023-09-15T11:49:04+02:00

TikTok is experiencing exponential growth, especially among the younger generation. In the educational context, teachers are using the platform to disseminate personal publications and make them go viral. In this study, multimodal discourse analysis is used, together with grounded theory and the constant comparative method, to understand and interpret the resources and strategies being deployed by teachers to create content. It is found that teachers use different types of affordances of the TikTok platform. In terms of technological affordances, the short video stands out, as well as the ‘selfie shot’ and the teacher’s own voice for representing themself, rather than music or lip-synching. In terms of social affordances, there is trend-following, a casual and optimistic tone, games and humour. In terms of inherited affordances, the whiteboard and marker pen, the centrality of exams or the continued use of the classroom are introduced into the virtual world. This creates tension between these analogisms and their opposite: the ‘Tiktokification’ of the educational space. In the case of certain profiles, the educational purpose is replaced by a move towards personal growth on the internet and the promotion and commercialisation of products, imitating processes typical of influencers. There is also an overexposure of choreographed students, as well as indicators of sexualization of content, in an appropriation of the role of teacher for particular purposes. At the same time, the platform enables the visibility of educational profiles that offer expanded accessibility to very specific and concrete pedagogical content, without this resulting in the implementation of micro-learning strategies or representing a radical break with traditional education.

Informal trainers on social networks: New paths for professional teacher development

2023-10-02T17:21:40+02:00

The extensive use of social networks by teachers is enabling the emergence of new learning modalities. As part of their work, teachers engage in professional development activities throughout their careers, often online. Proactive educators are emerging on social media leading the way in sharing knowledge, resources and ideas. These are educators who take on the role of trainers for their peers, supporting their professional development through informal avenues. This study identifies and analyses the main processes by which classroom teachers become informal trainers through their use of social media. It focuses on #CharlasEducativas, a project through which informal educators learn and train on YouTube. Through structured interviews with 21 teachers, their professional profiles and their views on the characteristics that professional development activities should include were analysed. The interviewees all had over ten years of active teaching experience, and were professional teacher trainers. One of the aspects that the interviewees believe is essential for successful professional development activities is practical, voluntary, classroom- applicable, peer-to-peer training developed through informal avenues such as social media. The trainers positively valued the professional development opportunities provided through social media, such as the #CharlasEducativas project, which they found to include many of the qualities highlighted in this study. The conclusions of this study indicate that social media is providing an opportunity not only for teachers to access information and knowledge, but also for some classroom teachers to assume new informal leadership roles.

Educational Vernaculars of Twitch: Educators as Twitchers for Learning

2023-10-02T17:25:06+02:00

Within a remarkably short period of time, Twitch has become a platform with an unquestionable impact in terms of its number of users and streaming channels of all types. Its all-embracing content and exponential growth, with 35 million daily visitors in 2023, underlines the importance of studying it. Consequently, this study focuses on the vernacular language of the Twitch platform and its potential benefits for learning. For this analysis, we have chosen a predominantly qualitative methodology, through the content analysis of the chat of two streamers, Jaime Altozano, a more celebrity-like figure, and Clara Cordero, an educator with a committed community of followers. In addition, we conducted a focus group with five regular Twitch users to explore their perspectives on the platform, the channels being analysed and their educational potential. The findings reveal characteristics of the unique vernacular specific to the platform, which are further confirmed by the input of the focus group participants. These include parasocial relationships, the virtual community, chat dynamics, emotes, bots, pivoting, twitch bits and digital intimacy. It is also concluded that Twitch, through its distinctive language, information sharing and interaction, promotes digital learning within a community.

The Russia-Ukraine war on TikTok. The representation of the present and its impact

2023-09-21T11:43:04+02:00

As well as transforming interpersonal relationships between citizens, social network platforms are also impacting the information ecosystem. Increasingly, young people are obtaining information through social networks, while journalists and traditional media strive to maintain their roles as sources of information. In order to observe this evolution in information consumption, the war between Ukraine and Russia is examined. The author-profiles of contributors who publish the most about this war are analysed, as is the most viral content on TikTok, currently the most frequently downloaded social network platform. A content analysis was conducted on 420 videos relating to the Russia-Ukraine war created and shared by 107 authors during the first 42 days of the conflict (22 February to 05 April 2022). The profiles of media outlets, influencers, anonymous users, the authorities, professionals, governmental and international entities and NGOs are examined as sources of information on the conflict. The results confirm that anonymous authors and influencers are the ones who share the most content about the war, while influencers are the most followed profiles, with more than 113 million followers. This number is significantly higher than the number of followers (49 million) reached by verified media outlets.

Presentation

2023-12-14T13:18:44+01:00

Introduction to monograph núm. 69.