Número: 52

Special issue on Mental health and Communication

The Scientific Event as a Formative Activity in Postgraduate Studies: Perspectives from the Scientific Committee of the FORPED PPGGOC

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Aims: To share the experiences of a scientific committee of an academic-scientific event proposed as a teaching activity for postgraduate studies. Methodology: It is a descriptive, exploratory, and applied study; the methodology consisted of a bibliographic research that sought inputs on scientific communication and good project management practices for their application in the management of the scientific committee. The management, organization, and monitoring of activities and tasks were carried out through a shared electronic spreadsheet with the team, stored in the cloud. Results: As a result, the main milestones, activities, and artifacts produced by the scientific committee of the event were presented, as well as the details and chronological order of the activities, in guide format, to contribute to the academic training of postgraduate students and those interested in organizing academic-scientific events. It is suggested to replicate the activities and artifacts in other events to improve the documentation presented in this study.

Public Libraries as Shapers of a Youth Canon

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We start with the hypothesis that the library is a fundamental institution in the creation of the youth literary canon. To uphold it, we analyze the process of constructing this canon by examining the titles that are selected from the library, how they are selected and who selects them. The methodology involved the preparation of two surveys and the analysis of 209 responses from public libraries in Spain and 162 from their reading clubs, 19 of youth literature. The data identifies, classifies, analyzes, and compares the titles of the works selected in public libraries: on the one hand, the books that the user chooses to borrow and, on the other hand, those that are read in reading clubs. In the case of the reading clubs, there is a mediation process that we describe and analyze based on the responses to the surveys. The results demonstrate the importance of mediation carried out by librarians and club coordinators to ensure that users engage in diverse and quality reading.

TikTok in Spanish University Libraries

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Goals: The objective of this paper is to describe the characteristics of the profiles and publications of Spanish university libraries on TikTok: to what extent they are present in this medium, what their posts are like, the topics they cover and how many interactions they receive, in order to identify good practices to help other libraries. Methodology: Eight university library profiles on TikTok were analyzed in the second half of March 2023, all of which were active at the time of the analysis,. Quantitative data such as the number of posts or the number of followers were captured. Quantitative and qualitative data were also extracted from each of the 207 publications in the accounts from their creation date until February 28, 2023, such as their duration or topic or the interactions they received. Results: The results provide information about the presence of Spanish university libraries on TikTok, which is still scarce but is increasing. Variables such as the frequency of publication, video length, video content, the number of views, the interactions they receive and the engagement rate are analyzed. Two university libraries with the best audience engagement on TikTok were identified. The characteristics of the ten posts with the most views and interactions are analyzed. All of them share the mixture of information about the library, transmitted through a short and simple message, with a humorous, fun or informal approach. Some follow fashion trends on TikTok.

The Impact of Short Video Addiction on Self-identity: Mediating Roles of Self-esteem and Appearance Anxiety

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Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the attributes of female self-identity, and investigate the correlation between addiction to short videos, self-esteem, objectification of female content, internalization of beauty ideals, and self-identity. The goal is to develop a psychological framework that enhances our comprehension of the self-identity of contemporary Chinese women. Methodology: This study employed an online survey with a convenience sampling approach to gather responses from 400 female short video users from four most popular Chinese social media platforms: Sina Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douban and WeChat, the Chinese equivalents of Twitter, Instagram, Reddit and WhatsApp respectively. Results: The results suggest that (1) self-esteem played a significant role in mediating the relationship between short video addiction and self-identity; (2) the chain mediating effect of internalisation of beauty ideals and self-esteem was not statistically significant, and (3) the chain mediating effect of objectification of female content and self-esteem was statistically significant. Therefore, the greater the short video addiction, the lower self-esteem, the deeper the appearance anxiety, and thus the higher the likelihood that the individual would not identify with themselves. The results provide a theoretical foundation for gaining a deeper understanding of the factors that influence females’ self-identity. Simultaneously, it offers new ideas for enhancing women’s self-identity. In addition, previous studies on women’s appearance anxiety have given less attention to self-esteem and self-identity. This study, however, looks more extensively into both aspects, so broadening the investigation of the factors impacting women’s self-identity.

Generative Artificial Intelligence for Journalistic Content in Ibero-America: Perceptions, Challenges and Regional Projections 

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Introduction: The increasing availability of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has brought with it various, increasingly advanced, uses for content production. Digital media editors have not been immune to the phenomenon, which is why there is growing interest, both professional and academic, regarding its possible uses. Objectives: In this paper we seek to detect the experiences, challenges and projections regarding the use of artificial intelligence in the generation of news content. In turn, the specific objectives aim both to offer a general overview of journalistic experiences with AI and to study the results of a survey regarding the use of this technology in the production of content in Ibero-America. Methodology: A survey was conducted among 154 participants through a cycle of webinars held at four universities in Ibero-America during the second semester of 2023, corresponding to 14 countries in the region, including academics, researchers and students of Journalism (and related degrees in Social Communication), along with managers and journalists from prominent media outlets. Results: although journalistic experiences with AI are still incipient in the region, the responses obtained show that most participants use generative AI tools every week, there is greater knowledge (and preference) for ChatGPT, and there is a consensus regarding how artificial intelligence can bring great benefits if it has the proper regulations.

Playing with the Narrative of Mental Illness: Communication Beyond Serious Empathy games 

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This essay focuses on the implicit narrative of mental illness communicated through the cultural
rhetoric of serious games and empathy games. Games about mental illness are seen to promote a
change in behavior and foster greater understanding by breaking down the boundary between the
neuro-non-normative avatar and players. However, rather than cultivating empathy, these games
reinforce notions of mental illness as the unknowable Other. Using Infinite Fall’s Night in the Woods
(2017), this essay demonstrates how the use of non-serious elements, changes to the narrative premise,
and limited insight into the avatar’s mind create a new communicative situation. Oscillating
between sameness and difference, the game shows mental illness as a normal part of life, of growing
up and getting to know yourself and the people around you.

The Importance of Self-Development Podcasts to Improving Mental Health in Generation Z 

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Objectives: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a global rise in mental health issues within
Generation Z who has grown up in a digital age where social media platforms have become an integral
part of their lives. Self-development podcasts can be a valuable resource for those, who are seeking
support and guidance to improve their mental health and well-being on various platforms. However,
there is a shortage of mental health professionals leveraging podcasts as a valuable tool for
mental health education and support in the Vietnamese context. Therefore, this article takes the
pioneering step by exploring the importance of self-development podcasts to improve mental health
in Vietnamese Gen Z. Methodology: The research employs qualitative research, and data was collected
through semi-structured interviews with nine content creators who produce self-development podcast
programs in Vietnam. Results: The results highlight the role of self-development podcasts in
improving mental health among Vietnamese Gen Z by analyzing how it is consumed and revealing
the multifaceted impact of self-development podcasts on mental health among Vietnamese Gen Z.

Celebrity Worship, Social Media Use, and Mental Health

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Over the past two decades, social media use has become increasingly popular including its use by celebrities. Related to this, research has indicated that a minority of individuals may develop a psy- chological dependence on celebrities that can lead to obsessions and diminished functioning. Alt- hough research has also shown that worshipping celebrities can have positive consequences, re- search has also shown that there is an association between the pathological aspects of celebrity wor- ship and poor mental health such as high anxiety, increased depression, high stress levels and poor body image. Moreover, there appears to be evidence that pathological celebrity worship has in- creased over the past two decades and one of the primary reasons for this may be increased social media use by both celebrities and their fans.

Issue 52 (june 2024)

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Op-ed Introduction to the special issue on Mental Health and Communication / Hibai López-González, Mark D. Griffiths PDF (English) Feature Playing with the narrative of mental illness: communication beyond serious empathy games / Melanie Kreitler  PDF (English) Celebrity worship, social media use, and mental health / Mark D. Griffiths PDF (English) The importance of self-development podcasts to improving … Read more