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The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to unprecedented transformations in consumer behaviour. Less is known about how consumers react to privacy stress while being compelled to continuously purchase online during the pandemic. Therefore, underpinned by the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory, this paper aims to examine the impacts of perceived Internet risk, self-efficacy, privacy stress, and trust on consumers' continuous purchasing intention in China. Few studies have examined the mediating roles of privacy stress and brand trust in continuous purchasing intention. This research thus adds value by exploring the underlying mechanisms that explain how these factors affect purchasing intention where consumers have little choice but to make purchase online continuously. It employs a quantitative research design and uses a survey questionnaire to collect data. A total of 535 consumers responded and the data were analysed via PLS-SEM. We found mixed results for the direct and indirect paths. Perceived Internet risk, platform trust, and self-efficacy showed significant impacts on privacy stress and brand trust. While brand trust had a significant impact on continuous online purchase intention, contrary to previous literature, privacy stress did not. Moreover, while brand trust was found to be a significant mediator, privacy stress exerted no mediating effect. The results assist marketing practitioners, organizations, and policymakers in improving consumers' online shopping experience in uncertain times by addressing the issues of trust and privacy. Specifically, we provide the foundation for future policies and strategies that build consumers' trust and secure consumers' privacy, especially in highly uncertain contexts., Author(s): Jiankun Gong [sup.1] , Fareyha Said [sup.2] , Hiram Ting [sup.3] [sup.4] , Amira Firdaus [sup.1] , Iffat Ali Aksar [sup.5] , Jinghong Xu [sup.6] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.10347.31, [...]

Purpose: The unstoppable and exponential growth of social media use has given rise to concerns about the consequent effects on users. Among the major concerns are the psychological consequences, which have received considerable academic attention. The current mixed-methods research aims to examine women's social media use and its effects on their psychological well-being in a patriarchal culture, namely Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a mixed-method research methodology. The quantitative section collected data from 240 women and used structural equation modelling to test the proposed hypotheses. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the in-depth interviews with ten women. Findings: The integration of the findings revealed increased use of social media by women and its beneficial effects (communication and socialisation, escapism and self-presentation), though qualitative findings revealed the cultural implications and obstacles that women face (online anonymity and digital asylum). The study calls attention to women's social media usage patterns and the resulting effects on women's psychological well-being in a low-income country with a patriarchal social structure. Originality/value: Most research remains limited to Western societies and young populations. The situation is somewhat different in developing economies with traditionally preserved cultures compared to Western societies. This study uniquely examines the influence of social media on psychological well-being in a developing country with a special cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One primary concern in researching journalistic practice and media production is the difficulty of gaining research access to media organizations and their media professionals. This paper theorizes Small World Sampling method for identifying and recruiting participants for qualitative research. Based on an ethnographic interview study involving 32 journalists at six different international news organizations, our Small World Sampling method created a direct research path into journalists' professional occupational networks without having to negotiate indirect access through their non-journalist organizational gatekeepers (e.g. PR executives, HR department, managers). Small World Sampling allows the participant selection process to be guided by media practitioners' expert and in-group knowledge of their professional network of media colleagues and acquaintances. More methodologically important, our Small World Sampling protocol offers a novel technique for demonstrating the qualitative reliability of the sampling process and for establishing the qualitative validity of the sample under study. Additionally, the paper introduces the concept of 'contextual case studies' offering additional nuance and insights enriching the conclusions drawn from the project's main case studies. Beyond media and journalism research, we propose that Small World Sampling may also prove useful for other fields to facilitate research access into closed organizations, elite networks, and hidden communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the major venues for articulating and disseminating national agendas and opinion discourse, national newspapers play a critical role in promulgating ideology. Underpinned by Intertextuality and Social Actor Theory, this study explores intertextual aspects of China Daily' s reporting of COVID-19 to unearth hidden ideology behind texts. The analysis reveals diversified voices from multiple actors around the globe, with China's official leaders appearing most frequently. In the portrayal of social actors, some strategies like impersonalisation, and genericisation are utilised to add impersonal authority or power to an actor's activity, actant's engagement, and increase the trustworthiness of news. These reprsentational strategies belies a transformation in Chinese media discourse with a softer approach is used in wielding ideological intentions through journalistic practices of intertextuality. Our findings help to unravel how news texts draw on, echo, and bring together multiple intertextual resources realised in the forms of discourses. The circulations, dissemination and incorporation of these intertextual relations and practices construct specific understandings of ideology consolidation and public relations within the context of China and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presentation and performance of women's selfhood and identity in Pakistan, in both the real and the virtual world, is dictated and shaped by the male-dominated cultural mores of Pakistan. Therefore, drawing upon Goffman's notion of self-presentation and everyday performance of selfhood, this paper explores digitally active Pakistani women's selfhood and identity presentation through qualitative interviews with ten Pakistani women from diverse backgrounds. Participants' narratives revealed identity conflicts between their offline and online identities due to the control exhibited by the prevalent cultural norms and values. Similarly, offline cultural mores of the veil seeping into the online world operate as a patriarchal means of controlling women online akin to the male-protected family and home as a sacred sanctuary providing security to the family women. Pakistani women's experience of the online world is also defined in terms of "digital veil" and "digital sanctuary". Findings reveal that Pakistani women social media users' offline self-presentation clashes with their performance of selfhood in their virtual lives. This divergence and resulting identity crisis of selfhood is shaped by cultural regulation which adversely affects Pakistani women's lives. Extended research on social and cyber culture in offline and online identity formation with respect to psychosocial implications is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the correlation between social media usage and psychological wellbeing among university students as well as the moderating role of gender between this relationship. A conceptual model was developed to empirically test and explore the effects of five social media needs derived from the Uses and Gratification theory on Ryff's six dimensions of psychological wellbeing. Structural equation modeling analysis results revealed that social media needs vary between males and females. The significant moderating effect of gender was thus found on the relationship between social media needs and psychological wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Films are an astonishing entertainment medium and a fantastic storytelling device. It is an influential, constant and a perfect coordination of filmic communication. It endorses also reality truthfulness or unreality and total falsehood. Movies are the most prevalent medium of show business. Big screen play an energetic role in the construction of civilization. This role becomes more significant in a nation who have low reading ability rate. Therefore the films in Pakistan have become a standard and influential medium of entertainment. This Study examines the Pakistani movies; Bol, Dukhtar, Bachana and Khuda ke liye, particularly from the feminist perspective and patriarchal ideologies. Descriptive analysis is the method used by the researchers for this study. After analyzing the selected films the researchers find that the theme of the films is very courageous, sensitive and very important in today's situation. The subject of the movies is no doubt very bold and challenging the patriarchy also feminist ideology is portrayed very beautifully. The films create lot of queries in viewer's mind and are a thought provoking. The researchers find that the film directors and producers of the selected movies have projected feminism very strongly and also challenged the patriarchal ideologies in our society. In our society women are not treating equally. The examination of the movies shows that liberal feminist ideology and patriarchal issues is the base of the script. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various investigations have explored the uses and impacts of new media technology. Particularly after the introduction of internet, the global village has undergone multiple changes. Initially the researchers conducted studies to find out the uses of internet but gradually the scholars shifted their interest in the domain of Social Networking Sites (SNS). This trend is still in progress and the researchers are deeply concerned with the uses of SNS among youth. This study also intends to find out the uses of SNS (Facebook is selected for this current exploration) among women. Facebook is usually considered as an interactive, time wasting and communicative activity for youth. With male, the female use of Facebook is visibly growing rapidly in Pakistan. In Pakistan where combined gathering of different genders is not appreciated, in this situation SNS have removed their barriers. The specific objective of this study is to measure the time spent on Facebook, mostly the activities in which they are involved and needs which they gratify through the use of Facebook. Students of Fatima Jinnah Women University and International Islamic University (Female Campus) were participants of the study. Like previous investigations, the present study found out that women use Facebook for interaction, communication, pastime, socialization, visual sharing and escapism. One growing factor ie for the development of romantic relations and searching and contacting unknown people is also considerably important according to Pakistani culture. In short, the findings of the present study are consistent with the Uses and Gratification investigations that women in Pakistan also use Facebook to gratify their social integrative needs mostly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media use has been increasing apace regardless of geographical and economic boundaries. In particular, its penetration has occurred more rapidly in developing and low-income countries with abounding health and psychological disadvantages. Given the understanding that women are more prone to psychological disorders than men, the current research is an effort to examine social media motives and subsequent effects on the psychological well-being of women social media users in Pakistan. The study is based on an online survey conducted to ascertain as to what extent social media use contributes to women's psychological well-being or otherwise. The survey recorded responses of 240 women selected through purposive sampling technique. SEM-PLS analysis of the collected data revealed that social media usage plays a meaningful role in women's psychological health. However, results exposed that Pakistani women, under the traditional patriarchal social pressure, not only have to observe cultural norms in online practices but are also forced to adhere to socially constructed gender roles in online spaces. The mixed results suggest conducting extensive research for a deeper insight into the role of social media in psychological well-being of women in other low-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]