Articles

Social Media Leads to Stress and Depression for Working Adults

Today’s digital age has made social media platforms crucial to people’s everyday lives by facilitating many types of interaction, including communication, information dissemination, and professional networking. However, many people’s mental health has suffered as a result of the extensive use of social media, especially adults in the workforce. To what extent do working individuals’ social media habits contribute to their stress and mental health? That’s the question this report sets out to answer. The examine how the intrusive nature of social media, the pressure to maintain an online presence, and the constant exposure to curate online personas can lead to increased stress and vulnerability to depression through a comprehensive literature review and empirical analysis. The research highlights the need for more research into the effects of social media use on mental health and well-being and the significance of targeted interventions and digital literacy programs in helping to lessen the negative effects of social media use among this demographic. This research adds to the expanding body of information about the link between technology and mental health, providing insights that may help people and institutions encourage more positive online habits and cultivate a healthier perspective on technology.

The primary goals of this study are to investigate how much time spent on social media sites is associated with increased levels of stress and depression, to pinpoint specific social media behaviours that correlate with these adverse outcomes, and to investigate moderating factors that may influence the observed associations. This study used a mixed-methods strategy, combining quantitative survey data with qualitative interviews, to shed light on the intricate relationship between social media use, mental health, and the realities of today’s contemporary workforce.

Social media is a Product of a Consumer Society. Psychological Causes and Consequences

Social media platforms compete as marketers for our time, attention and data – in effect, we pay for it. But at a high price. This paper seeks to answer the question of how social media use (exploit) psychological phenomena to achieve their business goals and what the psychological consequences of this are, in the light of international research. The aim of the paper is to help understand why and how the excessive use of social media, while supporting self-protection mechanisms, causes addiction, anxiety and self-image disturbance. What is the reason for the aggressive tendencies that accompany social media use and how the superficial and rapid intake of information reshapes cognitive processing, attention, memory and decision-making processes. The paper also reviews the communication phenomena and socio-psychological effects that accompany excessive use of social media, such as peer comparison, changes in patterns of social behaviour, cyberbullying, echo chamber and opinion bubble phenomena, lack of empathy and the culture of erasure, and the impact of all these on users’ mental and physical health.

Empowering Sustainable Recycling: The Influence of Startups and Awareness Among Generation Z

Issues like urbanization, industrialization, and overconsumption have led to sustainability becoming a global priority. According to Schönherr & Pikkemaat (2023), social media, social norms, and the effects of COVID-19 played a role in shaping Generation Z’s environmental attitudes. Their dedication to sustainability manifests itself in low-emission travel, selective mobility, and waste management. Dobrowolski et al. (2022) and Schönherr & Pikkemaat (2023) are of opinion that Generation Z agrees that both consumers and businesses share the responsibility toward achieving sustainability. Nonetheless, applying ecological awareness toward concrete pro-environmental actions is an ongoing challenge for all sectors (Gazzola et al., 2020).

Even with Gen Z being highly environmentally conscious, barriers such as unclear recycling rules, insufficient systems, and complicated solutions prevent their ability to adopt consistent recycling practices.

Leveraging innovation, technology, and the entrepreneurial spirit, startups are tackling the recycling issues faced by Gen Z. With the help of mobile applications, AI, blockchain, and gamification, recycling becomes not only easier but more rewarding. Using incentive-based app recycling and smartphone waste collection systems, companies such as Trashie and RecycleSmart strive to make recycling more rewarding and convenient. Other than technological solutions, companies combine digital awareness campaigns alongside partnerships with government, industry, and educational institutions to make the public conscious of the negative impacts of waste on the ecosystem. This underscores the values of Generation Z regarding the need for honesty and responsibility in public concern over the environment.

This study focuses on the use of digital technologies by entrepreneurs and their deliberate attempts to investigate their role in promoting sustainable recycling among Generation Z. The goal is to find practical ways to increase Gen Z’s adoption of recycling by exploring the cooperation between entrepreneurs, legislators, educators, and the commercial sector. By encouraging the growth of a circular economy and long-term environmental accountability, the study ultimately hopes to support the larger sustainability goal.

The Effect of Recognition Language on Addictive Nature in The Use of Social Media

 Language of recognition is the act of retrieving existing knowledge, creates the possibility of seeing something or someone from a new perspective. The leading causes of addiction: the need to socialize, get pleasure, and get a sense of security and control over the situation. This research employs a mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design. To analyze the data quantitatively, the author employs a simple linear regression test on the results of the questionnaire. Activities in qualitative data analysis include reducing data, presenting data, and verifying data. Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that the desire for recognition from others has led social media users in Jakarta to become addicted to social media. This finding was further supported by an interview with Praz Teguh, a social media activist and a celebrity. He acknowledged that many social media users use social media as a platform to seek recognition.

Legal Certainty in the Management and Supervision of Donations for Humanitarian Purposes in Indonesia

The rapid progress of information technology has greatly enhanced public fundraising via donation-based crowdfunding platforms that use social media and digital channels. This innovation expands public access and fosters community involvement in social initiatives, yet it functions within a framework of legal ambiguity due to the lack of specific regulations governing the mechanisms, oversight, and accountability of online donation activities in Indonesia. This study seeks to examine the operational procedures of donation-based crowdfunding in Indonesia, identify regulatory deficiencies, and provide legislative remedies to enhance protection for contributors, platform operators, and recipients. This study utilizes a qualitative normative research technique, using legislative and conceptual methods, to analyze existing legislation and various instances of purported donation fund misappropriation. Research reveals that existing regulations, including Law No. 9 of 1961, Government Regulation No. 29 of 1980, and Minister of Social Affairs Regulation No. 8 of 2021, inadequately address the contemporary realities and risks of the digital donation landscape, leading to transparency deficiencies, opportunities for fraud, and diminished legal accountability. This thesis asserts that legislative change, enhanced supervisory mechanisms, and extensive legal literacy initiatives are essential to guarantee that donation-based crowdfunding functions in a reliable, responsible, and sustainable way within Indonesian society.

Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Entrepreneurial Branding: Small and Medium Enterprises in Lembang, Indonesia

This study aims to analyze the impact of social media on entrepreneurial branding in the Lembang area, West Bandung, focusing on 10 (ten) business units that use social media platforms to build their brand image. In today’s digital era, social media plays an increasingly important role in marketing strategies, allowing entrepreneurs to increase consumer engagement and expand market reach. Through a quantitative approach, this study uses simple linear regression analysis to identify the relationship between the intensity of social media use and the strength of branding perceived by consumers. Data were collected through surveys filled out by business owners and consumers who engage with the brand on social media. The results show that the use of social media has a significant influence on entrepreneurial branding and contributes to strengthening entrepreneurial branding. Several recommendations are given to small and medium business actors in utilizing social media to strengthen their brand image.

Cancel Culture: Unveiling the Dark Side of Social Media for Brands – A Systematic Literature Review

The phenomenon and terminology of cancel culture are proliferating with the increasing use of social media in Indonesia. Through these platforms, the cancel culture movement is widespread and poses a significant threat to brands and products. However, research related to cancel culture in marketing is still limited. This research aims to describe the cancel culture phenomenon in marketing through a systematic literature review of 53 articles published from 2014 to 2024, with sources from ABDC and Scopus-indexed journals (Q1-Q4). The research identified relevant themes, methodologies, theories, variables, antecedents, consequences, and existing research gaps through this analysis. Based on these findings, the research proposes an integrative framework that describes the influence of cancel culture on brands, particularly the role of social media. The results also identify future research directions, including knowledge gaps in theory, methodology, and research context. The implications of this research are expected to contribute to developing marketing theory and practice related to cancel culture.

Optimizing Instagram Management for SMEs: A Case Study of Indonesian Batik SMEs

A multidisciplinary approach is employed to explore the effectiveness of social media marketing by collaborating with Instagram experts and analyzing qualitative data from SMEs A, SMEs B, and SMEs C. The primary objective is to measure the impact of Instagram usage on SMEs business performance, both non-financial and financial. Additionally, this research offers social media management strategy recommendations that can be directly implemented in social media management experiments by these SMESs to observe their real impact on business performance.

This research findings show significant variations in Instagram adoption among SMEs A, SMEs B, and SMES C. SMEs A and SMEs B require substantial improvements, while SMEs C shows better adoption but still needs enhancement. Increased Instagram presence, better content strategies, and maximum utilization of Instagram features can improve interaction and business performance.

This research provides insights for SMEs to develop effective digital marketing strategies through Instagram. It also offers practical suggestions for academics for long-term research and exploration of other social media platforms like TikTok to provide more comprehensive insights. It is hoped that this study will assist SMESs and academics in developing effective and applicable digital marketing strategies.

Analyzing the Influence of Viral Marketing on Increasing Purchase Intention of High-End Cosmetic Products

This study investigates the influence of viral marketing on the purchase intention of high-end cosmetic products, emphasizing the mediating role of attitude on behavior. The rapid development of the internet and social media has significantly changed marketing strategies, with viral marketing currently being executed by many cosmetic brands. Viral marketing utilizes information, entertainment, irritation and source credibility to engage consumers and drive purchase decisions. However, preliminary research suggests a gap between theoretical benefits and practical outcomes, highlighting the skepticism of consumers of high end cosmetic products towards viral marketing. This study aims to bridge this gap by identifying the dimensions of viral marketing that have the most influence on purchase intention and attitude towards behavior. Despite its potential, not all viral marketing efforts are successful in driving purchase intention, so a deeper understanding of the factors at play is needed. This study employs a quantitative approach, using structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze data collected from 100 women who have purchased high-end cosmetic products in the past six months. Findings reveal that source credibility is the most significant variable in viral marketing that influencing both purchase intention and attitude towards behavior on high end cosmetics product, Source credibility enhances trust and perceived value, leading to a stronger positive attitude towards the product and higher purchase intentions.

The Role of Social Media in Improving the Effectiveness of Accounting Information Systems and the Organizational Performance of Banking Companies in North Sumatra Province

The main objective of the study is to measure the influence of social media (innovation and knowledge sharing) on the effectiveness of accounting information system, and the effectiveness of accounting information system on organizational performance on banking companies in North Sumatra. Simple random sampling method used and 178 respondents included in this study. SPSS and SmartPLS are used for data analysis for descriptive statistical analysis tests and SEM-PLS analysis. All 3 hypotheses were accepted. Then, the result of this study provide empirical evidence to support the resource based view theory on the variables innovation, knowledge sharing, effectiveness of accounting information system, and organizational performance. All measurement items in the questionnaires have been valid and reliable. The strongest influence is found in the innovation variable. Meanwhile, the weakest influence is found in the knowledge sharing variable. The findings of this study can contribute to the banking and goverment. This study provides empiricial data that can be used as consideration and reference in making future police and strategies. Especially related to innovation, knowledge sahring, effectiveness of accounting information system in improving organizational performance that is increasingly effective in the future.