Research methods

Online Product Reviews and Customer Satisfaction: A Case Analysis of Apple’s IPhone5
Ga Young Yoo
University of Southern California
Introduction

The value of customer satisfaction appears to reverberate through many aspects of a
company’s financial health from influencing employee morale to an increased likelihood of
generating profits. (Anderson, Fornell, & Lehmann, 1994). It appears then, an overall level of
customer satisfaction for a given company can have real world effects that either deviates or
aligns with the company’s mission statement. Yet, what defines customer satisfaction? It has
been argued that important factors to consider include price, the quality of the product, and see
vice team (Anderson, Fornell, & Lehmann, 1994). More importantly however, the value of
customer satisfaction has been tied to its ability to serve as free advertisement and marketing,
primarily through word of mouth (Luo & Hamburg, 2007).
Many scholars have claimed that this word of mouth effect can succeed in converting
non-customers into that of customers (Chevalier & Mayzlin, 2006). Indeed, word of mouth ad
vertising has been shown to influence future purchase decisions and even affect a company’s
brand image (Jang, Prasad, & Ratchford, 2012) . By virtue of advanced technology and the pope
larity of digital media as an important platform allowing for customer satisfaction reviews to be
available to the public, companies can benefit by understanding how the transparency sheds in
sight into the brand image of a given company. This paper has chosen Apple and the iPhone 5
for purpose of content analysis to show that even a powerful brand as Apple can have its brand
Image be subject to the whims of the customers, in the form of comments, in the digital realm.
Hence, the paper poses the following questions: RQ1) Is value for money related to star rating?
RQ2) Is there a relationship between the perceived user-friendly features of iPhone and per-
ceived value for money? RQ3) Is battery life related to star rating? and RQ4) Overall,
did customers rate the iPhone 5 highly?

Method
Sample
The content analysis sample was composed of 20 customer reviews and took place November,
2016. The sample covers comments that spanned from November 5, 2014- July, 17, 2014 and was
retrieved from Cnet.com’s Apple iPhone5 reviews page.
Procedure
The website was rated by graduate students at the University of Southern California. Raters were
trained in the operationalization of variables and in the coding procedures. A total of 4 variables were
coded. The first of these variables, value for money, was defined as whether overall the phone was value
for money and was assessed on a 5 point scale (1=very bad, 5= very good). The second variable coded
was battery lifespan where it was defined as whether customers perceived the battery positively or
negatively. The third variable was user-friendly, as defined as whether overall customers perceived the
iPhone5 to be user-friendly. The fourth variable was star-rating, defined as how many stars the customer
had rated the iPhone5. The full codebook can be seen in Appendix A.
Results
A variety of statistical tests were applied to examine the research questions posed in this
paper1
. In order to understand the extent to which customers had perceived the iPhone5 to be a
good value for their money, a one sample t test was used. The analysis revealed that the mean
value (M=2.79, SD= 1.65) did not differ significantly from the midpoint (neutral) value of 3.0,
t(18) = -.56, p=.586 thereby showing that customers were generally natural when it came to as-
sessing their iphone5 in terms of a bad or good value for their money.
1 Ga young Linda Yoo has submitted the Master SPSS file on behalf of her group.

In addition, a bivariate correlations test was used to examine the relationship between star rating
and value for money. Amongst 20 reviews, a positive relationship was found at the significant level
(r=.97, p<.001). There was a strong tendency of an increase in star rating as value for money increased.
An independent t test was used to examine the relationship between attitudes regarding the
iPhone5’s battery with star rating. Customers were grouped into as having either 1) positive attitude or 2)
negative attitude. Although there was a tendency for negative battery reviews (M=3.2, SD=2.04) to be
correlated with higher star ratings than those who gave a positive battery review (M=2.5, SD=2.12), this
relationship was non-significant, t(5)=-.405, p=.571.
Finally, an independent t test was used to examine whether there was a relationship between a
positive or negative review revolving around user-friendliness of the iPhone5 with value for money.
Value for money was assessed on a 5 point scale with 1 indicating very poor and 5 indicating very good.
Although there was a tendency for those who gave a positive user-friendly review (M=.433, SD=.5) to
perceive that the iPhone was a good value for money than those who gave a negative review (M=1.22,
SD=.667), this was found to be non-significant, t(16)=11.20, p=.789.
Discussion
Currently, there are a variety of competing smartphones in the market. A few of the behemoths of
smartphone companies include Apple and Samsung. Some of the features that one can find between
various different smartphones may be similar or different to each other in regards to camera, interface,
and operating software which may serve as significant advantage when attracting loyal customers. Yet,
this study revealed that generally, customers perceived the iPhone5 in terms of value for their money
neutrally. This may shed light into the fact that the brand image may serve as an important factor in
securing customers in addition to the quality of the product.
In addition, it was also found that those who rated the iPhone5 battery in negative terms gave
higher star ratings than those who rated the battery in positive terms. Although this relationship appears a
bit odd, it may be explained by the relationship the study had found regarding tendency of those who gave

positive user-friendly reviews to also give higher ratings when it came to value for money. Specifically, a
poor battery appears not to be a strong deterrent. This may be because of the fact that there are usually
numerous outlets available these days (indoor settings and portable battery charger) that can allow one to
sufficiently recharge as needed. Indeed, one made a lavishing comment praising its features, “The iPhone
5 is packed with many new features .Typing an email or text message goes very swiftly. This A6
processor works in hand in hand with the phone's newly integrated 4G LTE speeds, so uploading pictures
to Instagram, updating Facebook and watching videos on YouTube was very fast.” Indeed, this same user
acknowledged and defended the battery with the following, “These phones come packed with so much
greatness that sometimes the batteries installed just do not suffice to keep with the phone. However,
turning down the brightness level of the screen when the full capacity is not needed can definitely save
you some battery life.”
An important consideration are the limitations of this paper which includes a small sample size,
and lack of involving important variables such as gender and age, which all can affect perceptions
regarding the iPhone5.

Bibliography
Anderson, E. W., Fornell, C., & Lehman, D. (1994) Customer satisfaction, market share, and
profitability: findings from Sweden. Journal of Marketing,58(4), 53-66. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/1252310
Chevalier, J.A., & Mayzlin, D. (2006). The effect of word of mouth on sales: online reviews.
Journal of Marketing Research,43(3), 345-354. Retrieved from http://
www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/30162409
Jang, S., Prasad, A., & Ratchford, B. (2012). How consumers use product reviews in the pur-
chase decision process. Marketing Letters, 23(3), 825-838. Retrieved from
Luo, X., Homburg, C. (2007). Neglected outcomes of customer satisfaction. Journal of Market
ing,71 (2), 133-149. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/
30162188
Park, D., Lee, J., & Han, I. (2007). The effect of on-line consumer reviews on consumer
purchasing intention: the moderating role of involvement. International Journal of Elec
tronic Commerce,11(4),125-148. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/
stable/27751234

Appendix A
Sample Codebook
Coding iPhone5 Reviews for Apple
Rating: 1 = very poor, 2 = poor, 3 = neutral, 4 = good, 5 = very good, 99 = missing data (not mentioned)
Value for money
Coding Unit Value for Money (Latent)
Definition
Overall, does the comments suggest that the iphone5 is worth the price?
Key Words
Good value: “Best iphone” “Ido like the iphone a lot” “I love it.”
“impressed”
Poor value: “expensive” “costly” “I’d gladly trade” “junk” “garbage”

Concrete
Examples
Good value:
“The iphone 5 adds more features in the iphone brand”
“I am currently an Iphone owner and I love it.”
“the iphone can surely satisfy anyone.”
Poor value:
“The price for IPhone 5 is also considered as expensive, even with these
defects.”
“I'd trade my iPhone 5 for another model or any other phone, ifit didn't
cost me so much”
“it’s a piece ofjunk, don’t waste your money.”
“I regret ever paying a dime for this piece oftrash”
“I could say something good, ifit actually worked”
“Wouldn’t take this phone for free”
“Will never buy another one ever”
“it doesn’t work”
User-friendly
Rating: 1 = positive, 2 = negative, 99 = missing data (not mentioned)
Coding Unit User-friendly (Latent)
Definition Overall, does the comments suggest that the iphone5 is user-friendly?

Key Words
Good value: “brings much enhancements” “best iPhone created” “very
intuitive app.” “efficient” “friendly”
Poor value: “failed consistently” “I’d gladly trade” “faulty”
Concrete
Examples
Good value:
“The iPhone 5 can surely satisfy anyone looking for a fast processor, an
upgraded mobile camera and video recorder, and whoever wishes to be on
top of the smartphone game”
“very friendly efficient user-friendly iphone”
Poor value:
“it's almost impossible to check email, edit messages and email, and lots of
other things without the calendar from continuously dropping down.”
“next to nothing, it’s not even user friendly”
“Apps crash”
“Poor product”
Battery
Rating: 1 = positive, 2 = negative, 9= missing data (not mentioned)
Coding Unit Longevity of Battery (Latent Variable)
Definition
Overall, does the comments suggest that customers are satisfied with
the lifespan of the battery?
Key Words
Good value: “long lasting battery life.”
Poor value: “drain”

Concrete
Examples
Good value:
“The battery life of the iPhone 5 has been ok for a smartphone of
2012”
“Good battery”
Poor value:
“ its battery lasts only 3-4 hours”
“Web browsing is definitely a major consumer in battery life, since I
am a devoted Facebook, Twitter and Instagram user, I've noticed
the drain”
“my phone is not even2 years old and the battery does not hold
charge”
“battery life is way shorter than what’s described”
“All iPhone 5 batteries have a flawed battery design”
“The battery of this iPhone is also a disadvantage”
Star Rating
Rating: 1 star, 2 stars, 3 stars, 4 stars, 5 stars
Coding Unit Star Rating (Manifest)
Definition Overall, howmany stars has a user given the rating?
Key Words
N/A
Concrete
Examples
“1 star” “5 stars”

Appendix B
Sample of reviews found on https://www.cnet.com/products/apple-iphone-5/user-reviews/
"I hate my iPhone 5!!!"
2 of 2 found helpfulde23
Pros
lots of good stuff, but a major flaw
Cons
The drop down calendar is a total nuisance!
Summary
It's almost impossible to check email, edit messages and email, and lots of other things without the
calendar from continuously dropping down. Who cares about checking their calendar every 5 seconds
when you need to other more important things? I'd trade my iPhone 5 for another model or any other
phone, if it didn't cost me so much
I'd never buy another iPhone model, unless the idiots at Apple got rid of this major flaw.
Also, 99% of the reviews on this site must have been written by Apple employees, because 99% of
them are positive. Nothing is that good.
Wake up Apple !!!
Fix this bug!
Helpful?Yes|NoShareMore
August 17, 2014
"iphone 5 allows me to run my business from home and streamline all my data with very intuitive app."
1 of 1 found helpful150characters
Pros
siri
Cons
android app!!
Summary
150characters:Me personally i think that ;the iphone 5 is the best app based phone.
www.150characters.com like the iphon 5
March 11, 2014
"It's good"
1 of 1 found helpfulmliao
Pros
It's an iPhone, still has better touch screen than androids
Cons
Not significantly better than androids now, I feel like they're catching up. Also, the camera could be
better.
I do like the iPhone 5 a lot, but androids are now definitely closing the gap.

February 27, 2014
"I am a current iPhone 5 owner and love it!"
1 of 1 found helpfulbraylinm
Pros:
-Long lasting battery life
-larger screen
-New faster charging charger
-Portable no wifi FaceTime
-Better camera
-more efficient structure
-the new model makes it harder for your screen to crack
Cons:
-I have had a few times where my phone has turned off randomly while I was using it when i have had
full battery (never had this problem with my other phone)
Summary:
Overall, if you are debating whether or not to buy the iPhone 5, I would definitely recommend this
product to you. I have had my phone for about 1 and a half years now and i have had little to no
problems with this product! Apple switched up the model and design for this phone and some might
debate whether it was good or bad that they did, but I am all for the switch up! I have seen great
improvements starting for the 3GS and making my way up to the 5 and i feel that the changes were for
the best! Honestly right now i would not switch my phone for any other!
September 24, 2013
"User friendly efficient smartphone"
1 of 1 found helpfuldennise1222
Pros:
- Retina Display
- iOS6
- iSight Camera
Cons:
- Battery life
- Fragile
Summary:
Product Review: Apple iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 is packed with many new features compared to it's predecessor, the iPhone 4s. It is available
in two color selections of black or white. Ranging between $200-$400 in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. It is
one of the first out of the iPhone models to feature an aluminum back covering. It has a new operating
system, iOS 6 which can be upgraded to the new iOS 7 and a larger retina display.
One of things that really stood out to me was the whole new design of the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 boasts
an aluminum back, with glass surrounding it, a larger and optimized retina display of 1136 x 640
pixels, a new 8MP camera with iSight and the new placement of the front camera right above the ear
piece.
"The phone is fine"
Robborg

Pros
Larger screen
Cons
I had to buy new adapters
Summary
I thought the phone was fine. My biggest complaint is that whenever a new product comes out, all you old
adopters don't work any more. Seriously. That's it.
Transformation Tuesday: Do Progress Photos Motivate Individuals
To Participate In A Fitness Program?
Ga Young Yoo

Transformation Tuesday: Do Progress Photos Motivate Individuals
To Participate In A Fitness Program?
It has been shown that the United States is a leading country when it comes to having a
significant proportion of its members become susceptible to obesity(Morrill & Chinn, 2004).
Indeed, obesity serves to be an enduring epidemic today (Morrill & Chinn, 2004). Obesity is
formally defined as a body mass index that exceeds the numerical point 30 (Morrill & Chinn,
2004). Interestingly certain populations and demographic groups have been shown
to experience obesity more so than other groups (Boardman, Saint Onge, Rogers & Denney,
2005). Indeed, obesity varies according to ethnic background and even geographic locations
(Boardman, Saint Onge, Rogers & Denney, 2005). Alarmingly, The Center for Disease Control
has issued the statement that the obesity epidemic is found in children as well which appears to
be progressing at an alarming rate (“CDC Grand Rounds: Children and Obesity, 2011).
Unfortunately it has been documented time and time again that obesity comes with
various risks factors (“What are the Health Risks,” 2012). This includes diabetes and coronary
heart disease (“What are the Health Risks,” 2012). Hence, regardless of the population is affect
ed, it appears to be of dire concern to provide possible solutions in order to protect those who
may be at risk for a shortened longevity and who are experiencing a deceased quality of life.
Several solutions have been recommended and proposed. Many seem to address the importance
of diet and making significant dietary changes such as the elimination of processed foods and

decreasing caloric intake (Verduin, Agarwal, & Walkman 2005).
An even more significant factor to serve as a powerful buffer to the obesity epidemic
revolves around movement and fitness (Hussung, 2015). It has been shown that fitness leads to
lower cholesterol, positive moods, and protection from preventive diseases such as cancer and
diabetes (Hussung, 2015). Indeed, with the onslaught of various fitness programs available today
such as Cross-fits and endurance cycling, for example, an individual does not appear to be
experiencing a lack of opportunities. In addition, cost would not be a strong deterrent for there
are various fitness activities that are low cost and in some instances free of cost entirely. For
example, one would only need a pair of good running shoes to begin a running routine that can
begin as soon as an individual makes a decision to do so. Similarly, one can drive a distance to
one’s preferred hiking location for many hours of fitness outdoors. For strength training
activities, one can purchase a set of weights to be used at home according to one’s schedule.
The underlying factor then, it appears, that can result in a change of behavior for a given
individual to engage in a fitness routine rests on motive and desire. Indeed, Loeb, O’Neill, and
Gueldner have found that motivation can lead to increased participation in health programs
(2001). Motivation has been understood in the context of self-determination theory. Specifically,
self-determination states that both intrinsic and extrinsic cues can lead to motivation(Gagne &
Deci, 2005). In addition, motivation is viewed as a significant precursor to a given change in be
havior (Gagne & Deci, 2005).
By utilizing self-determination theory, this paper proses to create an experiment to
determine whether progress photos provide an extrinsic cue that motivates an individual to em
bark on a fitness routine. This paper makes the argument that progress photos serve as a strong
extrinsic cue for the reason that it effectively documents a change from an unfit body
composition to a fit body composition thereby providing a strong visual confirmation that change
is not only possible but also desirable. In light of these findings, the present study poses the

hypothesis of the following: H1: An advertisement including a transformation pho-
to would cause a viewer to feel motivated to exercise. H2: An advertisement including a
transformation photo would cause one to understand the benefits of exercise. and H3: An
advertisement with a transformation photo would cause a viewer to feel competent in engaging
in a fitness program.
Method
Participants
One hundred and twenty-five participants took part in the study (51 males and 70 females). The
majority of participants (42.4%) were aged between 22-32. Most participants were Caucasian (74.4%)
and Asia-American (6.4%). Participants primarily had a Bachelor’s degree (36.8%) and some college or
no degree (23.2%). The marital status of participants was 68, single and never been married (54.4%) and
37 participants married or domestic partnership (29.6%) Additionally, participants weren’t selected based
on any particular category; rather participation was selected randomly and solicited via Amazon Turk.
Materials and Procedure
An online survey was used to collect data from December 3, 2016 until December 4, 2016. The
independent variable was fitness advertisements. The dependent variables consisted of 9 questions. The
dependent variable had only 1 section. An example question from this section was “Referring back to the
advertisement, please rate the level of motivation you feel towards starting a fitness program.” The
majority of questions were answered via a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly
disagree.” The remaining questions used categorical questions such as yes or no.
Results
A chi-square test was used to test the hypothesis that an advertisement
supplemented by a progress photo would cause one to feelmotivated to exercise. Hypothesis 1
was confirmed. Particularly, the experimental group who was given the image of the progress
photos (Advertisement 1 with transformation image) were motivated to exercise

x2(1) = 18.25, p = <.001. This analysis was viewed in the context of having a control group who
were only given a slogan.
A chi-square test was used to test the hypothesis that an advertisement
supplemented by a progress photo would cause one to understand the benefits of exercise.
Hypothesis 2 was confirmed. Particularly, the experimental group who was given the image of
the progress photos (Advertisement 1 with transformation image) understood the benefits of
exercise. This analysis was viewed in the context of having a control group who were only given
a slogan. x2(1)= 40.87, p= <.001.
An independent t test was used to test the hypothesis that an advertisement supplemented
by a progress photo would cause an increase in levels of competence that a participation would
feel towards enrolling in a fitness program. Hypothesis 3 was confirmed. Particularly, the test
was significant, t(115.59) = 4.99, p = < .001. Those who viewed the advertisement with the I'm
age (M = 3.41, SD = 1.02) in general perceived themselves as more competent to engage in a f
itness routine than those who viewed the advertisement without the image (M = 2.40, SD =
1.97)
Discussion
Our experimental studies had confirmed the hypothesis that the inclusion of a fitness progress
photo would cause motivation for the group that saw them. The results were significant. Indeed, it appears
that a visual message is an highly important form of external cues that reinforces motivation. It is
reasonable to assume that by including photos of transformation of individuals who have embarked on a
fitness journey, the added photos add a personal element to an otherwise generic advertisement. The
added intimacy may serve as an attractive feature.
Hypothesis 2 was also confirmed. It seems then, that part of motivation is felt in the context of
perceived future rewards. It seems that the message of perceived future rewards can not be relayed via a
text based slogan alone. This may be for the reason that individuals may need a validation that a
perceived benefit is possible which the progress photos confirm.

Hypothesis 3 was also confirmed. A reason for this may be related to self-efficacy. Specifically, it
may boost one’s confidence to engage in a fitness routine when they have witnessed others who have
gone through the journey themselves. The progress photos, by placing the viewer in the position of
witness, allows the viewer to believe the results are possible for themselves as well.
Limitations of this paper includes whether or not the effect is long lasting or limited to the
duration of the study. For example, weeks from now, would the participants feel the same? A longitudinal
study that follows up on these participants may be beneficial. In addition, another limitation of this study
includes the lack of addressing important variables such as gender ideology and beliefs systems regarding
femininity and masculinity which all may impact ideal body images.

Bibliography
Boardman, J., Saint Onge, J.M., Rogers, R., & Denney, J. (2005). Race differentials in obesity:
the impact of place. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 46(3), 229-243. Retrieved
from http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/4147669
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). CDC Grand Rounds: Childhood obesity in the
United States, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60(2), 42-46. Retrieved from
Gagne, M., & Deci, E (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation.
Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331-362. Retrieved from http://www.js
tor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/4093832
Hussung, T. (2015). The obesity solution: How exercise science approaches wellness. Concordia
University-Saint Paul. Retrieved from http://online.csp.edu/blog/healthcare/the-obesity-
solution-how-exercise-science-approaches-wellness
Loeb, S., O’Neill, J., & Guilder, S. (2001). Health motivation: A determinant of older adults’
attendance at health promotion programs. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 18(3),
151-165. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/3427909
Morill,A., & Chinn, C. (2004). The obesity epidemic in the United States. Journal of Public
Health Policy, 25(3/4), 353-366. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/
stable/3343494

What are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity? (2012). National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute. Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/risks
Wild, S.H., & Byrne, C.D. (2006). ABC of obesity: Risk factors for diabetes and coronary heart
disease. BMJ: British Medical Journal. 333(7576), 1009-1011. Retrieved
from http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/25689796
Verduin, P., Agarwal, S., & Waltman, S. (2005). Solutions to obesity: perspectives from the food
industry. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 82(1), 259-261. Retrieved from
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/82/1/259S.full.pdf+html

Appendix
Survey instrument can be found: https://login.qualtrics.com/jfe6/preview/SV_57j8zd7fgo6gXKl
Prompt: This study intends to understand the beliefs and motivation that underlies an individual's
decision to embark on a fitness program. Please feel free to answer as how you feel comfortable.
Your answers will be kept in the strictest confidentiality. The survey will take at most 10 minutes
of your time. We thank you for your participation.
After viewing the image, I feel motivated to exercise.
Yes
No
After viewing the image, I understand the benefits of exercise.
Yes
No
After viewing the image, I plan to enroll in a fitness program.
Yes
No
Please indicate your opinion regarding the following, "The advertisement helps me feel more
competent of whether or not I can engage in a fitness routine."
1- Strongly disagree
2-Disagree
3- Neither agree or disagree
4- Agree
5- Strongly agree
Referring back to the advertisement, please rate the level of motivation you feel towards starting
a fitness program.
1 - Not motivated
2 - Somewhat motivated
3 - Neither agree or disagree
4 - Motivated
5 - Strongly motivated
How often do you exercise?
1 - Never
2 - Not very often
3 - Somewhat often
4 - Often

5 - Very Often
What is your motivation to exercise?
1-To feel more confident
2- For my health
3- For my significant other/spouse
4- 2 or more of the reasons stated above
5- None of the above
Please indicate your opinion regarding the following, "I believe cost is an important factor as to
whether or not I can include a fitness routine to my lifestyle."
2- Disagree
4- Agree
5- Strongly agree
Please indicate your opinion regarding the following, "I believe having a flexible schedule will
allow me to include a fitness routine to my lifestyle."
2- Disagree
4- Agree
5- Strongly agree
>>
What is your gender?
Male
Female
Other
What is your age?
What is your ethnicity?
What is your highest degree level or school you've completed?

What is your martial status?
Advertisement for Control Group
Experimental Stimulus: IV for Experimental Group

Social media activism: Understanding the attitudes that revolve around
digital advocacy
Ga Young (Lin) Yoo

INTRODUCTION
A powerful topic that has reoccured repeatedly in social media has been related to
activism allowing the term “social media activism” to find a way into everyday vocabulary
(Gilbert, 2014). Yet, the definition of social media activism itself appears to be intuitively
understood and cannot be contained by a single term due to its inherent malleability of adjusting
to a particular social cause (Gilbert, 2014)(Yaverbaum, 2015). What appears to be the general
consensus, however, is that social media activism utilizes social networks specifically to address
a given social cause whether than involves human rights or environmental goals (Obar, Zube,
Lampe, 2012)(Yaverbaum, 2015). It has been shown that social media activism has been
incredibly powerful in generating not only awareness but also eliciting feelings of intense
empathy towards a given injustice (Obar, Zube, Lampe, 2012)(Sliwinski, 2016)(Yaberbaum,

2015). Given that there are currently 2.4 active billion users worldwide in social media, with the
added consideration of noting the viral success of prior social media activism events (Trainor,
2010)(Sliwinski, 2016) it can allow one to wonder what the dominating perceptions regarding
the efficacy of social media activism may be. For example, Do individuals find social media
activism to be effective? When well known celebrities jump onto social media activism how
does this add to the dynamic? These are the type of questions that this paper attempts to address
at the intimate level of the very people who care about them and where in some ways, social
media activism has become embedded in how they experience social media in their everyday
lives.
METHOD
Procedure
One online focus group was conducted that lasted 10 minutes. The group moderator was
a graduate student in the Communication Management program at Annenberg.
Participants
A total of 3 participants— 1 male and 2 females took part in this study.
Participants ranged from 25 to 35 years and belonged to middle class socioeconomic groups. The
ethnic backgrounds of participants consisted of Latino, African American, and Caucasian.
Participants had experience working for a company for at least 2 years. Participants spend a
minimum of five hours on social media each week and utilize at least 3 different social media
platforms.

Focus Group
The focus group consisted of three main questions. The first part focused on the degree of
frequency and type of social media activism that was encountered online. An example general
question was, “How often do you encounter social media activism online?” The second part of
the focus group focused on the perceptions regarding the efficacy of social media activism. An
example question was, “Do you find that social media activism supplements your understanding
of news that you obtain from traditional news outlet? How?” The third part of the focus group
focused on celebrities’ use of social media for activism related goals and whether or not
participants found this strategy effective. The question in particular included a detailed
description of three known examples of celebrities who have used their personal social media
account to spread awareness of a social cause. Participants were asked to choose one of the three
and discuss how it affected them.
RESULTS
Frequency and variety of activism encountered on social media.
Participants appear to have ongoing and frequent exposure to social media activism that are non-
voluntary. Generally, the reception towards these events tend to be positive.
I get a lot of emails from organizations like PETA and also from pet shelters that are
advocating for people to come down to the shelter and adopt a pet. I get a lot of those
emails. It helps me to be aware that there is a problem .
I have an experience like that everyday.. A lot of my friends are very informed about
things that happen across the world, and they are very up to date about what’s going on.
Coupled with the frequency of interaction with activism on social media platforms appear to be a
wide range and diversity of topics.
Personally, what I do see a lot of is black lives matter, how America stands on Muslims
in the U.S., a lot of tragedies that are happening in Paris and the Middle East.

I do see things about natural disasters going on so they will say pray for Haiti, Thailand,
hurricane Matthew is happening right now, the Louisiana flood has happened, there are a
lot of hashtags involving that as well..
Encounter of social media activism includes those that have been distributed by companies as
well.
The most recent thing that I saw was interesting was Ben and Jerry, and they stood a
stance on Black lives Matter and they used a hashtag on twitter, a lot of people
appreciated it because a lot of companies aren’t speaking out at regarding this dilemma.
How social media activism is perceived to be different than traditional news
Social media activism is appreciated for its role in being administered towards justice
I hate to say this but when you are watching it from news that are more conservative,
sometimes, they make the victims they were up to something bad, and when we think of
liberal, and this is in regard to black lives matter, they are like our police should be better
trained, where are the camera footage. If you are getting it from your group of friends, it
depends on the friends that you have , and for us, injustice is injustice and that’s it.
Social media activism is generally perceived to be more authentic than traditional news
News from your general typical television station feels generic. What I see on social
media, the good stuff you see on social media, it feels more real and more critical. t can
be watered down and overly melodramatic on news and sometimes take a stance , and
when you see it on social media it feels more real.
Social media activism is praised for its worldwide coverage
What I like about social media and particularly Facebook because there are a lot shared
news, I get to see news from all over the country and internationally, I get to see what’s
going on in North Carolina and South Carolina or George , wherever, versus just seeing
what’s going on in our local news station.
Perceptions towards celebrity oriented social media activism
There appears to be a positive reception towards celebrities who are involved in social media
activism for the reason that celebrities are able to bring a social cause to a global audience.
I personally really liked Chris Rock’s Oscarssowhite. He did this segment that was
genius. I personally related to it. I noticed it years ago and that he brought attention to it
at such a large event, it’s the Oscars you know, I thought it was very good on his part, it

made the people with money, the producers and directors see that you’re missing out on a
large audience.
However, participants are aware that a greater risk is involved for the celebrity when they engage
in social media activism.
I’m a 49ers fan and I’m thinking of Colin Kapernick and his response to police brutality,
I want to say how other people have really derailed his attempt and formed it to be
against him, that he is a celebrity that should not have stood up for a cause. I feel like
using celebrities depending on who they are sacrifice their personal image.
Concerns about authenticity appears to also be an important factor.
One part of me says wow I hope he really cares and he’s just not doing it for some
publicity campaign. so I do know that there are a lot of artists who jump on that
bandwagon for the purpose of promotion so if it’s just people being posers and not being
genuine then Im totally against it.
DISCUSSION
It appears that in some cases, social media activism has become heavily embedded in
participants’ daily social media activities due to its frequent nature. Social media activism that
participants frequently encounter appear to include a wide variety of topics that include but are
not limited to: animal welfare, environmental causes, and human rights. More importantly, the
reception towards activism displayed in the context of their social media platforms are generally
positive.
Part of the positive reception appears to be related to their own personal networks where
insights regarding social causes are similar to the participants’ own views. In addition, positive
attitudes towards social media activism appears to be due to the a slight distrust of traditional
news outlets. Participants generally find activism that occurs in the context of social media to be
refreshingly authentic, critical, and justice oriented.
There have been mixed reviews regarding whether or not participants positively view the
role of celebrities in social media activism. Participants generally agree that an advantage of

celebrities involve their ability to bring a cause to a global audience, yet, participants are
generally concerned whether or not motives of celebrities are authentic.
Positive attitudes towards social media activism shows that it is generally effective. It is
hence advised that non-profits and NGOs implement social media activism along with traditional
strategies. Two important limitations however revolve around the sample which may not be
representative. In addition, considerations should be taken in the future regarding the longevity
of the positive attitudes and whether they stay consistent within the individual over time.
REFERENCES
Gilbert, B. (2014, July 2). What you need to know about social media activism. Engadget.
Retrieved from https://www.engadget.com/2014/07/02/social-media-activism-explainer/
Obar, J.A., Zube, P., & Lampe, C. (2012). Advocacy 2.0: An analysis of how advocacy groups in
the united states perceive and use social media as tools for facilitating civic engagement
and collective action. Journal of Information Policy, 2(1), 1-25. Retrieved from http://
www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/10.5325
Sliwinski, M. (2016, January 21). The evolution of activism: From the streets to social media.
Law Street Media. Retrieved from http://lawstreetmedia.com/issues/politics/evolution-
activism-streets-social-media/
Trainor, C. (2010). Will social media activism reverse the fortunes of besieged libraries? Ameri
can Libraries, 41(5), 18. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.usc.edu/stable/
20700493
Yaverbaum, E. (2015, December 9). #Hashtag activism— Turning whispers into shouts and
fighting stigma with story. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.
com/eric-yaverbaum/hashtagactivism-turning-w_b_8751204.html

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