The capacity of digital technologies to facilitate both anti-social and prosocial behaviors has become a pressing challenge with significant science and policy implications.
How do we stem the tide of negative interactions while actively promoting positive interaction? Understanding effective mechanisms for encouraging pro-social behavior in digital spheres requires disciplinary breadth and depth. Co-led by the SML director Natalie Bazarova and Communication Professor Drew Margolin, this project sponsored by the Cornell Center for Social Sciences advances Cornell’s leadership in this area. The proposed set of studies links scholars, including SML faculty Janis Whitlock, with expertise across an array of topics, disciplines and methodologies. It will permit integration of existing work among scholars while simultaneously creating opportunities for new and innovative collaboration across campus. One of the team’s current projects investigates stress and online social support in university subreddits. This study will look both within and between university subreddits and investigate how students discuss topics related to stress.