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A growing body of research shows that social networks and identities have a profound impact on mental and physical health. With such mounting evidence of the importance of social relationships in protecting health the challenge we face is explaining why this should be the case. What is it that social groups offer that appears to be just as beneficial as a daily dose of vitamin C or regular exercise? This edited book brings together the latest research on how group memberships and the social identities associated with them determine people's health and well-being. The volume provides a variety of perspectives from clinical social organisational and applied fields that offer theoretical and empirical insights into these processes and their consequences. The contributions present a rich and novel analysis of core theoretical issues relating to the ways in which social identities and factors associated with them (such as social support and a sense of community) can bolster individuals' sense of self and contribute to physical and mental health. In this way it is shown how social identities constitute a 'social cure' capable of promoting adjustment coping and well-being for individuals dealing with a range of illnesses injuries trauma and stressors. In addition these theories provide a platform for practical strategies that can maintain and enhance well-being particularly among vulnerable populations. Contributors to the book are at the forefront of these developments and the book's strength derives from its analysis of factors that shape the health and well-being of a broad range of groups. It presents powerful insights which have important implications for health clinical social and organisational psychology and a range of cognate fields.

On an everyday basis, we communicate with one another using various technological media, such as text messaging, social networking tools, and electronic mail, in work, educational, and personal settings. As a consequence of the increasing frequency of use and importance of computer-supported interaction, social scientists in particular have heeded the call to understand the social processes involved in such interactions. In this volume, the editors explore how aspects of a situation interact with characteristics of a person to help explain our technologically supported social interactions. The person-by-situation interaction perspective recognizes the powerful role of the situation and social forces on behavior, thought, and emotion, but also acknowledges the importance of person variables in explaining social interaction, including power and gender, social influence, truth and deception, ostracism, and leadership. This important study is of great relevance to modern readers, who are more and more frequently using technology to communicate with one another.

Abandonment is as old as time, but ghosting is a modern twist on this ancient experience. Ghosting is not only an unpleasant experience, or cowardly act, but a symptom of our increasingly spectral - that is, mediated and virtual - relationship to the world. The overabundance of new modes of communication has invited an almost infinite number of contacts and conversations. At the same time, it has also offered an unprecedented opportunity for ignoring messages from others. And just as we invented the car crash when we invented automobiles, we also encouraged ghosting when we created the internet. This book traces the source of this vexed experience to, and through, our current media ecology, technological networks, political landscape, collective psychology, and deep sense of social neglect.

A Networked Self examines self presentation and social connection in the digital age. This collection brings together new work on online social networks by leading scholars from a variety of disciplines. The focus of the volume rests on the construction of the self, and what happens to self-identity when it is presented through networks of social connections in new media environments. The volume is structured around the core themes of identity, community, and culture – the central themes of social network sites. Contributors address theory, research, and practical implications of many aspects of online social networks including self-presentation, behavioral norms, patterns and routines, social impact, privacy, class/gender/race divides, taste cultures online, uses of social networking sites within organizations, activism, civic engagement and political impact. Introduction and Keynote to the Networked Self Albert-László Barabási Part One Context: Communication Theory and Social Network Sites 1. Interaction of Interpersonal, Peer, and Media Influence Sources Online: A Research Agenda for Technology Convergence Joseph B. Walther, Caleb Carr, Scott Seung W. Choi, David DeAndrea, Jinsuk Kim, Stephanie Tom Tong, Brandon Van Der Heide 2. Social Network Sites as Networked Publics: Affordances, Dynamics, and Implication danah boyd 3. Addictive, Compulsive, or Just Another Habit? Robert LaRose, Junghyun Kim, and Wei Peng 4. Social Network Exploitation Mark Andrejevic Part Two Social Textures: Emerging Patterns of Sociability on Social Network Sites 5. Social Network Sites as Virtual Communities Malcolm R. Parks 6. \"With a little help from my Friends: How social network sites affect social capital processes\" Nicole Ellison, Cliff Lampe, Charles Steinfield, and Jessica Vitak 7. From Dabblers to Omnivores:A Typology of Social Network Site Usage Eszter Hargittai and Yu-Li Patrick Hsieh 8. Exploring the Use of Social Network Sites in the Workplace Mary Beth Watson-Manheim Part Three Convergent Practices:Intuitive Appropriations of SNS Affordances 9. United We Stand? Online Social Nework Sites and Civic Engagement Thomas J. Johnson, Weiwu Zhang, Shannon L. Bichard, and Trent Seltzer 10. Between Barack and a Net Place: Users and Uses of Social Network Sites and Blogs for Political Information Barbara K. Kaye 11. Working the Twittersphere: Microblogging as professional identity construction Dawn Gilpin 12. Look at us: Collective Narcissism in College Student Facebook Photo Galleries Andrew L. Mendelson and Zizi Papacharissi 13. Copyright, Fair Use and Social Networks Patricia Aufderheide 14. Artificial Agents Entering Social Networks Nikolaos Mavridis Conclusion: A Networked Self Zizi Papacharissi \"The complex and sometimes contradictory phenomena of social media are among the most discussed aspects of digital culture today, and A Networked Self examines these phenomena through a variety of perspectives and approaches from sociology and communication theory. The collection offers new insights into the ways in which the affordances of social media lead users to construct, maintain, and remix their identities online. It provides solid evidence that we as a culture are indeed reshaping our social and political lives in and through social media. Both for its variety and depth, this collection will be an important resource for all students of digital culture for years to come .\"—Jay David Bolter, Georgia Institute of Technology \"In this book, the field's top scholars address the wide range of issues raised by contemporary online social networks. Bridging social scientific and critical approaches, the authors offer sharp data-driven analyses that will be of keen interest to students and researchers.\" —Nancy Baym, University of Kansas \"This is an insightful treatment of social networking networks in general.\"　 --B. G. Turner, Faulkner University \"This collection offers an extensive exploration of many of the emergent elements and important considerations related to social networking. It contains much new evidence about how people engage with social networking sites...\" -- Sue Cranmer, Futurelab, UK

\"On an everyday basis, we communicate with one another using various technological mediums, such as text messaging, social networking tools and electronic mail, in work, educational and personal settings. As a consequence of the increasing frequency of use and importance of computer-supported interaction, social scientists in particular have heeded the call to understand the social processes involved in such interactions. In this volume, the editors explore how aspects of a situation interact with characteristics of a person to help explain our technologically-supported social interactions. The person-by-situation interaction perspective recognizes the powerful role of the situation and social forces on behavior, thought and emotion, but also acknowledges the importance of person variables in explaining social interaction, including power and gender, social influence, truth and deception, ostracism and leadership. This important study is of great relevance to modern readers, who are more and more frequently using technology to communicate with one another\"-- Provided by publisher.

We are active with our mobile devices; we play games, watch films, listen to music, check social media, and tap screens and keyboards while we are on the move. In Mood and Mobility , Richard Coyne argues that not only do we communicate, process information, and entertain ourselves through devices and social media; we also receive, modify, intensify, and transmit moods. Designers, practitioners, educators, researchers, and users should pay more attention to the moods created around our smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Drawing on research from a range of disciplines, including experimental psychology, phenomenology, cultural theory, and architecture, Coyne shows that users of social media are not simply passive receivers of moods; they are complicit in making moods. Devoting each chapter to a particular mood -- from curiosity and pleasure to anxiety and melancholy -- Coyne shows that devices and technologies do affect people's moods, although not always directly. He shows that mood effects are transitional; different moods suit different occasions, and derive character from emotional shifts. Furthermore, moods are active; we enlist all the resources of human sociability to create moods. And finally, the discourse about mood is deeply reflexive; in a kind of meta-moodiness, we talk about our moods and have feelings about them. Mood, in Coyne's distinctive telling, provides a new way to look at the ever-changing world of ubiquitous digital technologies.

We all know that networking is important, and that forming relationships with others is a vital part of success. But sometimes it seems like networking removes all emotions from the equation and focuses only on immediate goals...whereas the kind of relationships that have true staying power, give us joy, and support us in the long run are founded on simply liking each other. This book, featuring activities, self-assessment quizzes, and real-life anecdotes from professional and social settings, shows readers how to identify what's likable in themselves and create honest, authentic interactions that become \"wins\" for all parties involved. Readers will discover how to: start conversations and keep them going with ease; convert acquaintances into friends; uncover people's preferences and tweak their own personal style to enable engaging, reciprocal interactions; and, create follow-up and stay in others' minds long after the initial meeting. The worst thing we can do when trying to establish a personal bond with someone is to come across as manipulative or self-serving. Authentic connections go much deeper-and feel much easier-than trying to hit self-imposed business card collection quotas. This book presents a new paradigm that shows how even the most networking-averse can network...and like it.