This capstone project<\/a> focuses Millennials and post-millennials use social media<\/a> to stay informed on social justice issues. Zeynep Tufekci (2013) found that with the spread of the Internet in the last two decades, social movements have become increasingly reliant on new digital technologies for networking and information sharing. Social media platforms make it easy to spread a message across the world or spark conversations or discussions about social justice topics. The availability of social media is present on gaming consoles, smart phones, tablets, and laptops. From November 2006 to September 2009 93% of American youths between ages 12-17 have been using social media, a percentage than remain constant. (Lenhart, Percell, Smith, & Zickuhr 2010). When compared to Young adults, age 18-29 usages of social media is the same as youths. (Lenhart, Percell, Smith, & Zickuhr 2010)<\/p>\n According to PEW Research Center who conducted a national survey of 1,520 adults March 7-April 4, 2016: <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFacebook continues to be America\u2019s most popular social networking platform by a substantial margin: Nearly eight-in-ten\u00a0online\u00a0Americans1\u00a0(79%) now use Facebook, more than double the share that uses Twitter (24%), Pinterest (31%), Instagram (32%) or LinkedIn (29%). On a total population basis (accounting for Americans who do not use the internet at all), that means that 68% of all U.S. adults are Facebook users, while 28% use Instagram, 26% use Pinterest, 25% use LinkedIn and 21% use Twitter.\u201d<\/em> \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n (quoted from Greenwood, Perrin and Duggan) <\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Based on the information available on social media use in terms of viewing videos, text, images and blogs, the individual\u2019s awareness of social issues such as sex trafficking may shift. In fact, sex trafficking content is becoming more and more seen through social media outlets<\/a>. One recent example was the video on February 15th<\/sup>, 2017 of Ashton Kutcher speaking to Congress on behalf of his company that combats sex trafficking. This was shared on social media platforms over two million times in a span of two days (CBS News, 2017, February 15).<\/p>\n This study thus uses framing theory to look at how social media users Sex Trafficking is a global issue that affects men, women, and children. It does not discriminate based on race, gender, or religion; anyone can be trafficked. The trafficking of young women and children for prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation is one of the most significant human rights abuses in contemporary society (Curtol, Decarli, Di Nicola, & Savona, 2004). Those who are trafficked internationally almost 50% of them are children and 70% to 80% are female. (U.S. Department of\u00a0State, 2004). Of those numbers over 70% are trafficked for sexual exploitation. (U.S. Department of\u00a0State, 2004). Even though sex trafficking is the largest portion of human trafficking it has grown to new heights in the last 10 years. (Flowers, 2001; Kelly, 2004; Monzini, 2004; Struhsaker, Schatz & Furman, 2002; Hodge, D. R. 2008). \u00a0<\/strong>(“Sexual Trafficking in The United States: A Domestic Problem with Transnational Dimensions.”)<\/p>\n The United States Department of State in the TIP (2011) defines sex trafficking as an act in which an \u201cadult is coerced, forced, or deceived into prostitution or maintained in prostitution through coercion.\u201d\u00a0 If the person is \u201cinduced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age\u201d, then he or she is considered to have been trafficked no matter whether consent was given or not (The United States Department of State in the TIP, 2011 pg. 1).\u00a0 If a minor was coerced in any way to perform a sexual act, he or she is considered to be a victim of sex trafficking.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Social media is used by millennials and post-millennials for many things, which range from keeping in touch with old friends to sharing information. This study considers how social media affects college students\u2019 awareness of social issues. Does it enhance their awareness? Does it make them blind to social issues that are happening in the world? The use of social networking sites, Facebook in particular, have become a major\u00a0avenue\u00a0of communication (Giraldi, 2016). This allows people to be able to post videos or pictures, allowing others to comment which sparks a discussion. In addition, Facebook shows other content that is related to a posted video that is then \u201cliked\u201d by users. Facebook has become a platform where people can discuss any topic of their choice to include social issues. While some argue, Facebook is only a disseminator of information, others argue that it is also a motivator of social activism (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Social media and networking technologies help people connect with one another based on shared interests, political views, or activities. Some social media and networking Web sites are broad and offer practices to diverse audiences, while others focus specifically on certain hobbies and interests. Sites also vary in the communication tools they offer to users, including mobile connectivity, blogging, and photo\/video sharing (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Facebook profiles include one\u2019s social ties, both strong and weak, and has the potential to expose users to different information daily. <\/p>\n Tufecki (2013) In recent years, we have been paying attention to incredibly violent acts by law enforcement and prejudice through Facebook. The last few years we have been prevue to fatal situations between African-American males and Caucasian police officers. Some of these losses range from teens to adults 12-year-old Tamir Rice, 18-year-old Michael Brown, and 43-year-old Eric Garner. These 3 African American males are just some of the victims to lose their lives since 2012 due to fatal encounters with white officers and Facebook has been used as a platform to inform us of these tragic incidents. (Giraldi, N. A., 2016 pg. 2)<\/p>\n In response to these tragic events, a The utilization of social media is common among college students. Cultivation theory, in its most basic form, suggests that media is responsible for shaping or \u201ccultivating\u201d viewers\u2019 conceptions of social reality. The combined effect of mass media exposure by viewers over time subtly shapes the perception of social reality for individuals and, ultimately, for our culture as a whole (Gerbner, 1998). One of the key principles behind cultivation theory is repeated exposure.\u00a0 It is suggested that the more time an individual spends in the television world, then the more likely that individual is going to report having social realities that are congruent with the social realities seen on television (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, & Signorielli, 1980). Cultivation theory is significant in mass communication. It states if a heavy viewer is exposed to more violence content eventually effected by the Mean World<\/p>\n Syndrome, an idea that the world is worse than it actually is. That the viewer will tend to act on what they perceive is a threat and are more willing to take violent action to protect oneself. (Gerbner and Gross, 1976). It showed that prolonged exposure to television will affect the concept of social The emergence of the Internet has changed peoples\u2019 media usage. As the Internet can also perform the function of television, it is possible for it to have cultivation effects and is worth being discussed in this study. According to North, Gerbner has a theory called \u201cMainstreaming\u201d. According to north it is an idea that our views are shaped from long consistent exposure to social media (Gerbner, 1998). It states that the longer we are exposed to certain views and ideologies it can influence other factors (Gerbner, 1998). Repeated exposure is very important for cultivation to happen. Only from repeated exposure can patterns by stable enough affect your views and ideologies. (Gerbner, 1998). The more exposure that happens through constant messages, people will begin to share views that are in line with what they have been exposed to and that it \u201cMainstreaming\u201d (Gerbner, 1998) (North, 2011, pg1).<\/p>\n If we take a look at how social justice \u201cSome This study used cultivation theory as a way to look at viewer\u2019s consumption of a particular brand and how it uses social media and television media to attract customers to look for and buy that particular product. <\/p>\n The following research question and RQ1: How does H1: I predict The participants for this project were 100 students The The surveys were administered in six lower-level Because of the demographics and types of The questions about social media usage section showed me that over seventy-five percent of my survey participants first became aware of sex trafficking or social justice issues through the lens of social media and that most of them are from the post-millennial group. While millennials who made up the remaining twenty-five percent of my data showed fifty percent of them first became aware of social media through the lens of social media, while the remaining twenty-five percent first became aware through college course here at Xavier University. I ran a bivariate correlation on social media frequency and social media raising awareness of sex trafficking my results were that \u201cThere was a positive correlation between the social media frequency and social media raising awareness of sex trafficking, r = .88, n =100, p = .3.\u201d<\/p>\n The actual knowledge questions from the survey \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 H1: I predict that social media usage has a positive correlation with millennials\u2019 and post-millennials\u2019 knowledge of sex trafficking.<\/strong><\/p>\n The results of my Social Media and Sex Trafficking Survey<\/strong><\/p>\n You are invited to participate in a research study investigating\u00a0millennials\u00a0and post-millennials and their awareness of sex trafficking through the use of social media. You were selected as a possible participant in this research because you are a member of the general public. Please read this form before you agree to be in the study.\u00a0<\/p>\n Procedures\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n If you decide to participate, you will be Risks and Benefits of Being in the Study\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n There are no known risks in this research. The benefit of participation in this research is up to the discretion of your professor.\u00a0<\/p>\n Confidentiality\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The data from this survey is completely Voluntary Nature of the Study\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Participation in this research study is Contacts and Questions\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the researcher listed above.<\/p>\n Sign to indicate your willingness to Full name <\/p>\n Signature<\/p>\n Demographics:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Please specify your gender<\/p>\n 2. Please specify your age<\/p>\n 3. What is your race\/ethnicity?<\/p>\n 4. What is your Social Media Usage:<\/strong><\/p>\n 5. Which of the 6. Which of the 7. How frequently 8. If you use 9. How often do social justice issues 10. Through 11. Social media 12. In your Sex Trafficking Knowledge:<\/strong><\/p>\n 13. How much do you know about sex trafficking?<\/p>\n 14. Where did you first see information on sex trafficking?<\/p>\n 15. What do you think is the primary cause or push factor 16. To the best of 17. To the best of 18. To the best of your 19. To the best of 20. To the best of Alvarez, Priscilla. “When Sex Anderson-Hinn, Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. Brogan, C. (2010). Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to Cambers, B.
\non the correlation between millennials\u2019 and post millennials\u2019 usage of social
\nmedia and how that connects to their awareness of sex trafficking in the United
\nStates. The study takes a social scientific approach by utilizing a survey
\ntargeting millennial and post-millennial students at Xavier University of
\nLouisiana. Millennials are those who were born between 1977 to 1995, while post-millennials are
\nthose born 1996 to 2010 ( Williams). The study measures the respondents\u2019 awareness, knowledge, and concern about the issue of sex trafficking. The
\nDepartment of Homeland Security blue campaign page (2010) defines human
\ntrafficking as a \u201cmodern-day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of
\npeople for exploitation or commercial gain.\u201d <\/a>There are 20.9 million
\nhuman trafficking victims worldwide according to the International Labor
\nOrganization. In 2015, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes state that
\nsexual exploitation is the common trafficking issue even more than forced
\nlabor. In the United States, there are more than 4,000 cases of sex trafficking
\naccording to findings by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center in
\n2015. According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center human
\ntrafficking on a global scale is a lucrative 150-billion-dollar annual industry.
\n(Alvarez)<\/p>\n\n
\nprocess the information they see on social issues. The agenda of sex
\ntrafficking awareness in social media focuses on targeting people with pictures
\nand videos regarding how it happens, where it happens, how to help prevent it,
\nwarning signs, and other general information for the individual to know. This
\nstudy will help us understand social media as a platform that allows content
\nproducers to raise awareness of social issues such as sex trafficking.<\/p>\nReview of Literature\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Sex
\nTrafficking <\/h3>\n Social
\nMedia<\/h3>\n
\nstated, \u201cSocial sharing networks such as Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, YouTube,
\nand other outlets provide ways to reach social movement members with mobilizing
\nmessages on a similar scale as radio and television but without using
\ntraditional broadcast channels\u201d (p. 3). Social media allows individuals to stay
\nin tune and grab information for whatever issue they are looking. It can
\nprovide a window to the past and present, as well as future actions that may be
\ntaken in regards to combating sexual trafficking. When speaking on the impact
\nof social media, Lica & Tuta (2011) stated, \u201cImprovements in computers,
\nmobile technologies and integrated technologies have played an essential role
\nin bringing the world together, and adding ease to the way people communicate
\nwith each other\u201d (p. 13). Technology has advanced through time, and the world
\nis seen as smaller due to the ability of being able to communicate with anybody,
\nanywhere, at any time. In addition, this adds to the amount of information that
\nis available for individuals to be able to access. <\/p>\n
\nsocial movement started which later turned into an organization called Black
\nLives Matter (Giraldi, N. A., 2016). The use of
\nsocial media as a tool of awareness is very relevant because this is how millennials
\nand post-millennials communicate and receive information. <\/p>\n
\nHaving been raised in a digital world, a vast majority of young adults are more
\nproficient with using technology than older individuals (Jones, Ramanau, Cross
\n& Healing, 2010). Social
\nmedia as a platform for social change is a growing trend. Change.org and Go Fund
\nMe are popular sites, as are the hashtags #alllivesmatter and #blacklivesmatter
\non Facebook. Social media
\nare primarily Internet and mobile-based tools for sharing information,
\ninteracting, and building relationships among individuals. Social media
\nencompasses interactions that take place between individuals who incorporate
\nthe use of different technologies, telecommunication, and social relations.
\nAccording to Brogan (2010), people are necessary to make conversations happen,
\nwhich is the overall purpose of social media, to \u201cempower and enable
\nconversations digitally\u201d (p. 1). Forms of social media include blogging,
\npodcasting, video blogging, and all other various social networks. Each of
\nthese is designed to give society a way to reach out and connect with others.
\nPeople like to engage in social media to feel like they are being heard and
\nthat their thoughts and feelings are respected (Brogan, 2010). \n<\/p>\nCultivation Theory<\/h3>\n
\nrealities of the viewer. According to Shrum \u201cIn general, the relation between
\nviewing and various types of judgments are modest but reliable (Shrum et al. 2011 pg. 37).\u201d<\/p>\n
\nissues are presented on social media either by video or pictures they show you
\nsomething that tugs at your heart strings or something that makes you feel
\nsorry. According to Huang et al. (2012), \u201cIt is found that the perceptions of
\nthe quality of the content and empathy affect three benefit expectations of
\ncontrol, inclusion, and affection, and these three benefit expectations
\naffected the forwarding intention of the users. Huang\u2019s study attempted to show what factors influence us
\nwhen we share videos and our reasoning behind sharing them. Huang study also
\nshowed that people shared videos in order to influence your opinion on certain
\ntopics. <\/p>\n
\nanalysts have investigated that the heavy viewers of a particular program tend
\nto visit the respective program\u2019s official website more than the light viewers,
\nwho building a better website loyalty. This loyalty leads to an increase in the
\nuse of Interactive Online Product Placement, which has a positive influence on
\nthe viewer\u2019s attitude toward the sponsor, and their purchase intentions \u201c(Lin
\nand Cho 2010). <\/p>\n
\nhypothesis guide the study:<\/p>\n
\nsocial media affect generational knowledge of sex trafficking through the lens
\nof social media? <\/p>\n
\nthat social media usage has a positive correlation with millennials\u2019 and
\npost-millennials\u2019 knowledge of sex trafficking.<\/p>\nMethods<\/h2>\n
Participants:<\/em><\/h3>\n
\nfrom Xavier University of Louisiana. An exploratory,
\ndescriptive, quantitative instrument was used to gauge students\u2019 awareness,
\nknowledge, and concern of sex trafficking in relation to their use of social
\nmedia. According to my data
\nnearly three Quarters (76%) of my participants were Black \/African American,
\n(9%) were Asian, (4%) were Native American, (3%) were Caucasian, (3%) were
\nLatino, (2%) were Native Hawaiian, while (3%) were Other. My participants were
\nrelatively young (M= 2.31, SD=.53). Those below the age of 18 were (1%), while
\nthose ages 18-19 were (69%), those from age 20-23 were (28%), while those ages
\n24-27 were (2%). For gender the (M= 1.71, SD=.46), females made up (71%) of
\nparticipants, while males made up (29%) of participants. For my participant\u2019s classification
\n(M=1.59, SD=.83). Freshman made up (59%) of participants, Sophomores made up
\n(27%) of participants, Juniors made up (10%) of participants, while Seniors
\nmade up (4%) of participants.<\/p>\nMaterials: <\/em><\/h3>\n
\nsurvey was 20-item Likert-scale
\nand multiple choice questionnaire. The
\nquestions were broken into four categories: social media usage (e.g. Why do you use an online social network?),
\nawareness of sex trafficking (e.g.
\nWhen\/if you use social media, do you ever come across political campaigns
\nand\/or activists?), knowledge of sex
\ntrafficking (e.g. According to the Department of Homeland security which
\n state has the most sex trafficked victims?),
\nand the relationship between social media and sex trafficking (e.g. How do you hear of breaking news in regards to
\nsocial media?). Demographic data was also
\ncollected, including the race, age, gender, and classification in school of
\nparticipants. <\/p>\nProcedure:<\/em><\/h3>\n
\nCommunication Studies classes, including Health Communication, Public Speaking,
\nand Intercultural Communication. They are all core curriculum classes for the
\noral communication component requirement, and there were a wide range of
\nstudents from different majors in this core classes. The surveys were carried
\nout over a two-week period. Using a prepared script, I introduced myself, my
\nmajor, and explained the survey and research project (see Appendix A). Then, I distributed the survey to participating students. <\/p>\nFindings<\/h2>\n
\nquestions that were asked in this survey it became necessary to run several T-tests
\nand Bivariate Correlations to analyze my results. A t-test is used to show the
\ndifference between two means, while a bivariate correlation is used to see how one
\nvariable has influence over another variable. In my case does social usage have
\na positive or negative correlation when it comes to awareness and knowledge of
\nsex trafficking. For my T-tests I looked at age, race, gender, and
\nclassification. I ran a total of twenty T-test, one for each question. A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare social media
\nfrequency to social media raising awareness of sex trafficking. There was a
\nsignificant difference in the scores social media frequency (M=1.22, SD=.70)
\nand awareness (M=1.55, SD=.66); t (99) =-3.87, p = 0.003. These results show
\nthat social media has an influence on awareness of sex trafficking<\/p>\n
\nshowed that social media usage had a slight positive correlation to knowledge
\nof social media Two particular questions from the survey needed actual
\nknowledge of sex trafficking in order for participants to answer it correctly. The
\nfirst question was: \u201cTo the best of your knowledge, which three
\ncities in California are hot beds for trafficking?\u201dThe second question was:
\n\u201cTo the
\n best of your knowledge what is the average age of trafficked youth in America?\u201d
\nMy results showed that sixty percent of participants answered both of them
\ncorrect. I ran a correlation test on both of these questions along with social
\nmedia frequency. The first was frequency and California r=.62, n=100, p=.2. The
\nsecond was frequency and age r=.55, n=100, p=.2. This shows that social media has
\na slight positive correlation to knowledge of sex trafficking, and it can be
\nused as a tool for educating these media heavy generations about the dangers of
\nsex trafficking. The data also showed that Facebook (24%) and twitter (33%)
\nwere the two most used forms of social media among participants.<\/p>\nDiscussions:<\/h2>\n
\nT-test and Bivariate correlations show that my hypothesis is correct. This
\nshows that social media affects knowledge of sex trafficking, and that it has a
\npositive correlation to millennials and post-millennials knowledge of sex
\ntrafficking. The 16 questions that dealt with social media usage and sex
\ntrafficking knowledge show a slight positive correlation between social media
\nusage and millennials and post-millennials knowledge of sex trafficking. It is
\nstill significant because now we see how to target this generation and future
\ngenerations and educate them on trafficking. Because of this, I believe that
\nmore data on this subject need to be collected in order to really see how
\nsocial media affects these two generations\u2019 knowledge of social justice issues.
\nIf the same findings can be found again in future case studies, then we can
\nmake the claim that social media is significant as a communication tool. With
\nmy case study, I do see many limitations. The first one is that female
\nparticipants greatly outnumbered the male participants. The second was the fact
\nthat post-millennials outnumber millennials in this survey. The third was not
\nbeing able to administer my survey to a much larger student population at
\nXavier University. My suggestion for future research is that Communication
\nStudies and other communication disciplines can use my case study as a stepping
\nstone to not only to educate but to raise awareness of social justice issues
\namongst our generations and future generations. We can no longer leave our fate
\nin the hands of those older than we are. This is not their future problem; it
\nis ours. Overall, I think that this topic of social media will remain very
\nrelevant for communications majors. Social media has allowed us to communicate
\nfaster than ever before. It has slowly evolved from a minor form of
\ncommunicating to the communication of choice for two generations and it will
\ncontinue to grow with us.<\/p>\nAppendix A\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Letter
\nof Informed Consent<\/h3>\n
\nasked to complete a survey, which will take approximately 10-15 minutes to
\ncomplete. The survey will include questions asking how much you agree or
\ndisagree with specific statements and a brief section with general demographic
\nquestions. Approximately 100 participants will be surveyed.<\/p>\n
\nanonymous. The surveys will not contain or ask for any identifying information.
\nOnly the researcher named in this form will have access to the surveys. <\/p>\n
\nvoluntary. If you decide to participate in this research study, you are free to
\nstop at any time. You may also skip any questions that you do not want not to
\nanswer. If you do not wish to participate in this study, please exit the survey
\nnow. Completing and submitting the survey implies your consent to participate in
\nthis research. Once you have submitted your survey, there is no way to exclude
\nyour data from the project as surveys and data are anonymous. <\/p>\n
\nparticipate.<\/p>\nAppendix B\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Social Media and Sex Trafficking Survey\u00a0<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
\nclassification?<\/p>\n\n
\nfollowing social media networks do you have an account on? (you may indicate
\nmore than one)<\/p>\n\n
\nfollowing social media networks do you use most often? (choose one)<\/p>\n\n
\ndo you use social media?<\/p>\n\n
\nsocial media daily, how many total hours do you spend each day?<\/p>\n\n
\nappear on the social media network you use the most? <\/p>\n\n
\nwhat source do you most often hear about social justice issues? <\/p>\n\n
\nhas raised my awareness of a particular social justice issue?<\/p>\n\n
\nopinion, what is the most effective way to raise awareness of a social justice
\nissue?<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\nbehind the growing problem of sex trafficking?<\/p>\n\n
\nyour knowledge which of these states has the most trafficked victims?<\/p>\n\n
\nyour knowledge did sex trafficking increase or decrease in 2016?<\/p>\n\n
\n knowledge what is the average age of trafficked youth in America?<\/p>\n\n
\nyour knowledge how many victims are sex trafficked into America annually?<\/p>\n\n
\nyour knowledge which three cities in California are hot beds for trafficking?<\/p>\n\n
References<\/h2>\n
\nTrafficking Goes Unnoticed in America”. The Atlantic<\/em>. N.p.,
\n2017. Web. 9 Jan. 2017.<\/p>\n
\nM. (2013). Identifying Key Criteria for Using Social Media Effectively in
\nThe Anti-Slavery Movement. <\/em>Available from ProQuest Dissertations &
\nTheses A&I: Social Sciences.<\/p>\n
\n(2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication<\/em>,
\n13(1), 1-11.<\/p>\n
\nDevelop Your Business Online<\/em>. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.<\/p>\n
\n(2015). Social media and activism. The
\nInternational Encyclopedia of Digital Communication and Society<\/em>,
\n1027-1034.<\/p>\n