College News

Virtual (or artificial) humans, such as virtual human influencers, have become increasingly valuable to brands and marketers worldwide. But what about their effectiveness in tackling big societal issues? Could computer-generated characters effectively influence human behavior for the greater good? A recent study dives deep into virtual humans’ capacity to become…

For years, researchers have grappled with understanding the relationship between technology and political behavior, proposing various models to explain how exposure to information and engagement with technology shapes citizens’ attitudes and actions. These models, however, have often yielded conflicting results, leaving unanswered questions about the true nature of this relationship.…

The quadrennial Olympic games are an amalgam of athletic skill, national pride and examples of global unity and diplomacy. But they’re something else too: a chance for female athletes to finally get the same kind of attention that male athletes do. It’s not a new phenomenon, nor is it particularly…

In an era where more than half of American adults regularly get their news from social media sites, a recent study reveals fundamental changes in how news is consumed, shared and valued. The findings are particularly relevant to ongoing debates about the quality of news on web platforms and its…

Social media influencers – individuals who create persona-focused personal brands to engage audiences – have become economic and social capital powerhouses. Influencer marketing was estimated to be worth over $13 billion in 2022, with 75% of brands reporting that they now allocate funding for influencer marketing. With even government agencies…

The majority of people in the United States get their online news from websites or apps, like Newsweek or the New York Times, which publish proprietary stories written by their own reporters. Compare these news platforms to South Korea, where an overwhelming number of people access news portals, which aggregate…

This story originally appeared in UF News on Feb. 12, 2024. As the 2024 election season ramps up, voters are looking for reliable information about candidates to help them decide who to support on election day. Unfortunately, that reliability is threatened by a wave of disinformation that is bolstered by…

AI-powered digital promotions have the potential to revolutionize business marketing by providing customers with a more personalized and engaging experience. They can deliver real-time answers and actions to queries, automate purchasing processes, and personalize customer service. But how human-like should chatbots be when promoting products and services to consumers? University…

As Netflix welcomes NBC’s beloved series “This Is Us” to its platform, the spotlight shines on Randall, the adopted Black son of a white couple that is at the heart of the show. For many viewers, encountering Randall’s story may be their only glimpse into the complexities and realities of…

As the nation faces another contentious election cycle, the spread of misinformation continues to be rampant. Scholars wanted to explore the predictability of whether or not people would seek and share misinformation without first fact-checking it. In the realm of politics, two distinct layers often twine together: political partisanship and…

We’ve all heard the old rhetorical question about our friends and jumping off of bridges, but here’s a new one for the era of social media: if all of your friends followed influencers on Instagram, would you follow them too? Probably, as it turns out. Influencers – individuals who “cultivate…

Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) was developed by psychologists to explore and explain why people around the world hold similar moral values despite having divergent cultural experiences. MFT identifies five “moral intuitions,” or deeply held moral values. These include harm/care, fairness/reciprocity, ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect and purity/sanctity. While MFT is used primarily in…