Search Results

This week, we bring you the third installment of the SASA Research Blog Series #1: Social Media. Titled Social Media Theory and Strategies , this post addresses some theories and strategies surrounding the usage of social media by organizations. Last week’s post dissected the barriers to social media use in the humanities; it was concluded that whilst tangible obstacles to the utilization of social media do exist, social media is gradually cementing itself as a mainstay and key player in the realm of academia and is adopting a role that is not to usurp but to supplement conventional papers, lectures and emails. However, it is of the utmost importance that one examines the manner in which social media is used by academic organizations such as SASA in order to assess how it can reach its full potential in regards to efficacy. Whilst social media certainly has a place in the academic realm, according to academics like Brady Lund, “posting alone is not sufficient to acquire a useful audience; rather, engagement (reactions and comments) is necessary to see substantial change.” An organization may well establish spaces on social media to represent its brand, advertise itself, and disseminate educational material, but, without two-way interaction between creator and consumer, the endeavor becomes largely superficial. Engagement is paramount for the objectives of any organization. What engagement is, and what it means for SASA and other non-profits, must first be examined. Engagement refers to ‘actions that reflect and measure how much your audience interacts with your content’ (Jamia Kenan, 2022). It can be in the form of likes, comments, and shares. Learning how engagement can be garnered is important for organizations to be able to use social media tactically by prioritizing certain platforms, formats and mediums. The requirements for engagement on the behalf of the consumer are illustrated in Petri Hallikainen’s five category model, which shows the values of content that influence consumer choice– essentially, what types of content motivate people to engage. An equilibrium should be cultivated between these values, preferably in a tested and curated combination for maximal consumer engagement (Hallikainen 2015). The five category model consists of: functional value; social value; emotional value; epistemic value; conditional value. The functional value denotes the capacity of social media to provide functionality, such as providing ease of access for the consumer. The social value is the value a consumer receives from associating with a network of different groups of people, a common example being networking opportunities between geographically or conceptually distant communities. The emotional value indicates evocation of certain feelings in the consumer, such as creating positive or negative emotional associations. The epistemic value fulfills the cycle of curiosity and knowledge acquisition– especially important for academic organizations that aim to spread awareness such as SASA. The conditional value applies to special situations such as birthday offers or “VIP” content, which can make an organization feel more personable and relatable. A combination of these particular values are what creators and organizations should strive for, as they encourage continued user consumption and long-term engagement. This model is further supported by a survey taken by SASA of 267 undergraduates. The study pointed to three ultimate factors that predict a user’s time spent on Facebook: expressive information sharing, entertainment value, and social interaction. These factors align with the five values of Hallikainen’s model, and highlight the importance of these elements in inspiring engagement on social media platforms. Companies that use social media must thus appeal to these elements and values in their social media practices to garner any sort of two-way engagement. For example, posts that acquire the most engagement include photo content and quality, calm coloring, lower contrast and a professional quality. This indicates that “aesthetics” play a significant role in engagement. Visual content that feels personalized and human, rather than clinical and mechanical, is important as “promotions [are] not enough to engender engagement, but rather, engagement [requires] companies to make things personal” (Brian G Smith, Tiffany Derville Gallicano, 2015). Studies find that posts using human faces, natural settings, and positive emotions perform better than those without. An organization’s efforts to enhance social media practices must also be able to distinguish which mediums are superior. Studies have shown that video posts encourage active engagement through users commenting their own opinions, while photo posts stimulate a more passive engagement through likes. This suggests that solely photo-posts are becoming outdated, especially owing to the emergence of platforms such as TikTok. Organizations might consider accommodating this shift by creating more video content. However, this is still a growing field, with conflicting studies, such as that referenced in the Media Richness Theory: posts with photo content stimulated higher engagement compared to video posts (Kim et al, 2015). This lack of clarity and irresolution complicates matters for academic departments that wish to tentatively enter the already complex world of social media. The complexity of such elements points to how so many academics and institutional departments might find themselves unable to make the correct content to engage users and consumers– which in their case, are young, hip students who are likely to already be well-versed in technology and social media. It is clear that, to ensure online longevity, organizations and academic entities that wish to create content must adapt to the advancements made in social media. They should aim to create content that incites personal connections in a broad audience, and try to cultivate a network for those who have engaged with their content. Research by Emma Renz Written by Mia Felt Edited by Yuna Kim References A Model of Social Media Engagement: User Profiles, Gratifications, and Experiences Universities engaging social media users: an investigation of quantitative relationships between universities’ Facebook followers/interactions and university attributes Terms of engagement: Analyzing public engagement with organizations through social media Social Media Engagement Theory Why People Use Social Media Platforms: Exploring the Motivations and Consequences of Use The Role of Social Media Content Format and Platform in Users' Engagement Behavior Public engagement with nonprofit organizations on Facebook Effective Social Media Engagement for Nonprofits: What Matters? Visual Representations in Organizational Instagram Photos and the Public’s Responses: Focusing on Nonprofit Organizations

This week, we bring to you the second post of SASA Research Blog Series #1. The intention of Series #1 ( Social Media Utilization for Engagement of Humanities-Based Non-Profit Audiences: Opportunities, Models, and Barriers ) was to develop research that may assist evidence-based strategy for non-profit organizations and other audiences intending to maximize their online presence. Studies have been categorized into posters according to subtopics relevant to SASA, from broad introductions to specific approaches such as platform-dependent content. This post (2 of 5) is titled Barriers to Social Media Use in the Humanities . The first post of the series examined the benefits of social media use in humanities-oriented non-profits. However, a successful online presence is not always easy to achieve. The general impression in the media is that there are widespread reservations towards the intersection of social media and academic institutions: “Everything that social media communication represents- immediacy, impermanence, collectivism- is contrary and harmful to the thoughtfulness, permanence and individualistic experiences necessary to humanities discourse” (Adamek, 2010). There is a gatekeeping stigma, with emotional factors involving sacrality in the field of humanities, and personal and institutional reputation and values. Further factors include policy conflicts, pedagogical issues, privacy concerns, all of which are complex structures that have and will continue to require years of discussion, proposal and approval. After all, discussion and education in the humanities require room for nuance and complex thinking, which are elements not often associated with social media. Though these many barriers may sound discouraging, instead of focusing on whether social media should have a place in the humanities at all, the focal point should be on how scholars can overcome said barriers and connect with a broader, more accessible audience. Social media should complement rather than compete with traditional media forms. Though social media might not be able to adequately compete with the research forms that have traditionally shaped the humanities, it can still complement them. For example, social media content can heavily influence consumers’-- and thus students’-- views towards organizations and societal structures (Smith and Gallicano, 2015). If academic institutions can create a social media-incorporated curriculum that balances education and entertainment values, dense materials of history, philosophy, and more might be presented in a more accessible and relevant manner. When it comes to nonprofits and organizations in the humanities, there are also complex elements of engagement to consider for effective social media usage. Organizations that either exclusively post about themselves or post unrelated content are “bemoaned” by millennials, but companies whose content is “interactive or funny” – as opposed to strictly “information-based” – are more appealing (Smith and Gallicano). Consumers associate engagement with “using the company,” and they are more likely to follow a company if they can get something in return, whether promotional (i.e., coupons and special offers) or pro-social (i.e., the satisfaction that comes with supporting a social mission with which you agree). Studies also show that social networking tools are increasingly being used between academics as well, to “enhance scholarly communication by strengthening relationships, facilitating collaboration among peers, publishing and sharing research products, and discussing research topics in open and public formats” (Manca and Ranieri). These tools are enabling academics to more easily connect and exchange information with others. Facebook, for instance, is popular among scholars as a tool to keep in touch with colleagues. Non-profit organizations, too, have been using Facebook to engage stakeholders. After all, in order to better involve supporters, it is important to provide contact information such as an e-mail address to an organizational representative (71% of non-profits) or an organizational phone number (9%). Further crucial points of contact include message boards (44%), current volunteer opportunity lists (13%), and of course, a site for donations (13%). Today, many teachers and professors have positive attitudes toward integrating social media into teaching, but do not have tangible plans due to low returns compared to risk, and incompatibility with current practices. Higher perceived risk and external pressure serve as a barrier to adopting social media usage in an educational context, though Stefania Manca and Maria Ranieri found that over 40% of faculty at an Italian university used one or more tools for teaching on at least a monthly basis. As attitudes begin to shift, the future of social media use in the humanities seems optimistic. While there is still plenty of room for development, social media is gradually securing its role in the realm of academia, both in classrooms and in non-profits. The goal, however, should not be to replace the conventional papers, lectures, and e-mails that facilitate communication in the humanities but to supplement it. Especially in the field of Ancient Studies, which is heavily rooted in traditionalism, the transition to social media will not be easy, but understanding its barriers will prove to be vital when creating content to increase engagement. Research Performed By Emma Renz Written By Justin Rosenthal Edited By Yuna Kim References Social Media Flaws and the Humanities Researching Social Media in the Digital Humanities Terms of engagement: Analyzing public engagement with organizations through social media Social Media Flaws and the Humanities Networked Scholarship and Motivations for Social Media use in Scholarly Communication Facebook and the others. Potentials and obstacles of Social Media for teaching in higher education The value of social media: are universities successfully engaging their audience? Engaging stakeholders through social networking: How nonprofit organizations are using Facebook Use of Social Networking Tools for Informal Scholarly Communication in Humanities and Social Sciences Disciplines

We are excited to announce the beginning of the SASA Research Series! The Research Series will present different issues in the field of Ancient Studies, examined by our very own SASA Research Team. This inaugural post is the first of eight posts, all part of Series #1, titled Social Media Utilization for Engagement of Humanities Based Non-Profit Audiences: Opportunities, Models, and Barriers . The intention of Series #1 was to develop research that may assist evidence-based strategy for non-profit organizations and other audiences intending to maximize their online presence. The researcher has categorized the studies into posters according to subtopics relevant to SASA, from broad introductions to specific approaches such as platform-dependent content. This post covers the first subtopic of the series: Benefits of Social Media Use in Humanities Oriented NonProfits. With the growth of social media and its platforms, there has been an upward trend in social engagement. As a result, disagreement over the use of social media in the field of humanities has become a topic we cannot ignore. Both popular blogs and scholarly writings suggest that professionals in the field of humanities aim to preserve a certain sacredness or complexity by rejecting the use of social media, which inherently upholds values that at best differ from those in the field. However, the result is that the general population is not sufficiently reached, resulting in a lack of engagement with topics and discussions. In the cases of topics and discussions that require popular support, such as efforts to rescue a heritage site, this lack of engagement can be largely detrimental. A balance is required between existing research forms and new ones in order to successfully reach the current world. Social media has the capability to capture audiences in a more engaging way than traditional methods. Classic approaches to studying humanities solely rely on absorbing information even though new forms of research exist such as microblogging, discussion forums, and museum iPads. These methods provide individuals with a more hands-on experience to properly comprehend and interact with presented information. Many professors, scholars, and experts have acknowledged the power these methods hold, especially in the case of university libraries and museums that aim to increase or create digital repositories. There are flaws when bringing humanities to social media, as there is with most everything. It is commonly discussed that social media is working to create a hive mind, where everyone who is engaging with online platforms is being fed the same information and follow one way of thinking. Openness is required in an open-sharing platform. If audiences can utilize this mindset, then they can further their education by being able to question information given at face value. Our organization, among others, have conducted multiple studies to truly understand who is using social media and what those platforms are being used for. Results show that social media use is still rather limited and restricted. Academics are not inclined to integrate devices into their practices for several reasons. These reasons include cultural resistance, pedagogical issues or institutional constraints. Many teachers have a positive outlook on the use of social media for educational purposes, but do not have a plan to start the initiative. Our study reports the results of a survey addressed to the Italian academic staff, with the aim of identifying the uses of Social Media in the field of university teaching practices. The response rate was 10.5%, corresponding to 6139. With higher perceived risk and external pressure, there is a lower likelihood of adopting social media usage in an educational context. Analyses of data tested which socio-demographic variables mostly affected frequency of use, and the relationships between motivations, ways of use, barriers to use and the scientific discipline. (elaborate on these risks and pressure)Without a collective beginning to start the move of social media usage for education, traditional academia, particularly the world of Ancient Studies, will struggle to embrace this side to technological advancements. Social media can serve many purposes not only for research purposes, but as a way to form connections, network, and engage others. It is important to recognize that despite downfalls, a useful approach for the purpose of preservation and strengthening of the humanities can be identified and accepted. Research performed by Emma Renz, Research Team Spring 2023 Intern Written and edited by Erin Carlson and Yuna Kim References Taking social media seriously in the humanities The Value of Social Media for Small Businesses Networked Scholarship and Motivations for Social Media use in Scholarly Communication Social media for digital humanities and community engagement Social Media Effectiveness for Public Engagement: Examples of Small Nonprofits A social network analysis of Twitter: Mapping the digital humanities community

Virtual Engagement Models in the Humanities This week, we bring you the fourth installment of the SASA Research Blog Series #1: Social Media. Titled Virtual Engagement Models in the Humanities , this post addresses some methods and strategies through which the fields of humanities and ancient studies might better employ social media as a tool for engagement and education. In this post, we shift the focus from specific social media content to a broad range of virtual platforms. When it comes to humanities-based nonprofits, there exists a plethora of ways to engage audiences with the use of technology, even beyond the Twitter updates and mass emails to which we are all accustomed. These strategies enable more people to actively take part in discussions surrounding the humanities, bridging the wide gap between scholars and the general public. The first virtual engagement model uses social media in a rather distinctive manner: microblogging. According to Claire Ross, microblogging is a form of digital communication that can occur in academic conferences and organizational settings, in which individuals take notes, share resources, and convey real-time reactions via backchannels like Twitter (Ross, 2011). It extends commentary and discussion without the need for interruptions, complementing sharings and encouraging participation. For instance, if an attendee of an event had a question but was uncomfortable asking it out loud, the attendee could instead raise the question on Twitter using a conference-specific hashtag. Though participation through microblogging does remain low, it nonetheless is an available tool that can help individuals connect with colleagues during conferences. Another model comes from the rising popularity of interactive platforms in museums, most notably iPads. These devices can host discussion boards about exhibits, providing visitors the opportunity to write comments and engage with other visitors. They create an individualized experience that will be different each time and help visitors form personal connections with the affiliated material. The concept of museum iPads might, at first glance, seem limited to in-person experiences. However, the experience can be emulated quite easily through online discussion boards. Interactive platforms promote community interaction, which is important for humanities-based non-profits because they subsequently facilitate cooperative interpretations of humanities content. Findings are more accessible, and individual narratives are constructed. Especially for object-based content, the latter can be incredibly important, as the “unpredictability of multiple narrative forms [...] introduces new considerations to the process by which [organizations] convey object and collection interpretation” (Ross, 2011). As such, the collaborative creation of narratives can lead to independent analyses that are more creative, personal, and engaging than any traditional approaches. The final model is crowdsourcing. This strategy involves enlisting a large number of people to work on a project, typically remotely. It is an effective way to engage the general public in humanities-oriented initiatives, such as transcription projects. A new audience can help transcribe historical manuscript papers, creating a temporary structured community and allowing more people to take part in an endeavor seemingly closed off to non-specialists. Virtual platforms enable everyday people to make use of exciting opportunities that reward both the non-profit itself as well as the individual. Whether projects backed by crowdsourcing attract starry-eyed students eager to gain more experience in a field that interests them, working adults who want to rekindle a passion for the humanities, or restless retirees looking to occupy their time productively, there exists a broad audience whom humanities-based projects on the internet can bring together. Digital humanities open up a whole new realm of possibilities for community engagement, specifically regarding accessibility and enjoyment. Microblogging connects colleagues and complements sharings, discussion boards increase interaction and foster a personal connection to associated material, and group transcription projects via crowdsourcing help projects progress at a faster rate and close the gap between the general public and scholars. While the internet is an excellent means to spread the word about the current goals and projects of one’s non-profit organization, it can be used for far more than just updates; it can get the public to actively take part in projects, too. Engagement is key for nonprofits, and the more approachable and immersive a project is, the better each participant’s overall takeaway will be. References Chapter 2: Social media for digital humanities and community engagement

Facebook as a Community Building and Marketing Tool Facebook has remained, since its debut in 2003, a formidable social networking giant; boasting nearly 3 billion monthly active users, it is a locus for discussion on topics in the media, pop culture and politics. Despite the looming popularity of rival networking sites uprearing their heads from the murky depths of the internet, Facebook has retained a relatively strong hold on its user base. It continues to exhibit promising growth, with its total number of users each month in the 3 months leading up to April 2023 increasing by roughly 26 million (0.9%). It is thus evident that Facebook is a key component in the theme of engagement that has been explored throughout this series, continually proving itself to provide its users with relevant content that is frequently interacted with, building network links for creators. Facebook insights recorded in June 2021 found that the typical global Facebook user aged 18+, in the prior 30 days, had liked a median of 11 Facebook posts, left a median of 5 comments on Facebook posts, and clicked or tapped on a median of 12 Facebook ads (including sponsored posts). This proves that even almost 20 years later, Facebook remains a hub for interconnectivity, ‘providing an environment that provokes users to have active engagement behaviour’. (1) However, it is also important to dissect Facebook’s role in the realm of academics, specifically in regard to the humanities departments of schools and universities. Facebook ‘provides timely updates on social and cultural issues and current trends’ (2), making its presence in the humanities all the more significant. Humanities subjects such as history are constantly-evolving, latent spaces, where new research means that they are constantly being knocked out of stasis by new discoveries and schools of thought. Platforms such as Facebook lend themselves to this fluidity, especially through their propensity to cultivate and host academic communities where information and opinions can be shared, contributing to general scholarship. In previous posts, the importance of community to engagement has been discussed, notably how it maximises engagement through the fostering of groups of people with common interest where passion and resources can be shared- Facebook therefore is the perfect case study for how community begets engagement, with its ‘Groups’ function allowing scholars to share information and resources with each other and network amongst themselves, as well as allowing for prospective students interested in the humanities to interact with scholarship they otherwise would not have access to. It can therefore be seen to be integral for humanities departments across the world and for the future of enrolment in humanities degrees. In order to maximise Facebook’s utility, it is important for academic organisations and departments to understand intimately and take advantage of Facebook’s algorithmic and technical workings. This can best be summarised as ‘best practices’, of which there are six major components: The first is user generated content. Studies have shown that content shared by the employees of a brand receives 8x the engagement of brand shared content, with a considerable 85% of consumers finding this user-generated content more influential and personal than brand produced content. It is thus necessary for organisations and companies to directly involve employees in content creation and sharing, as engagement is more likely to be generated if social network users can interact with the individual rather than a company or organisation that may seem to them too inaccessible and impersonal. Employees should share content themselves, therefore, in order to better appeal to audiences who feel alienated by brand-generated content. The second component is the use of images in posting; this is likely to generate more engagement than merely text-based content which does not appeal to users of social networking sites who often use these platforms to be visually stimulated. Psychological nudges can also influence Facebook users to interact with posts; by giving audiences direct instructions, such as to respond to a prompt, or to click, comment, and like, they are more inclined to do so, thus furthering the reach of content by appealing to the Facebook algorithm as the content generates more ‘likes’. Time of day is another important factor companies and organisations must consider when posting. People most often check their social media accounts during ‘downtime’, like whilst on break from work and whilst commuting. Rather than posting at times when people are unlikely to view content, leading content to stagnate and eventually fall out of favour with the Facebook algorithm, creators should post at noon and 7pm. As more people are likely to be online during these hours, they are more likely to see the freshly-posted content. They will thus be more likely to interact with it as it is new and active, maximising engagement. Refining which type of organisational messaging a creator uses via Facebook is another way through which best practices can be exercised. The above chart based on an analysis of 1000 updates from organisations on the Nonprofit Times 100 list indicates that individuals prefer dialogic and mobilising messages from non-profits on Facebook (3). This means that companies and organisations are more likely to be successful with engagement if their posting and messaging includes calls to action, motivating users to interact and like, and not necessarily with posting alluding to events and promotion, which often goes ignored. The final variable of ‘best practices’ influencing engagement on Facebook is frequency of posting. A study carried out by Buddy Media in 2011 found that pages that only post once or twice a day receive 40% higher engagement compared to pages with more than three posts a day. This is indicative of an upper limit for posting, and implies that creators must be careful to monitor post frequency so that they do not overwhelm followers to the point of disinterest and disengagement. Whilst these best practices indicate that, if used correctly, Facebook is an effective social networking platform for organisations, notably those in the realm of humanities. However, this does not mean the absence of significant drawbacks that may point to other platforms as being a better host for humanities organisations. One predominant drawback of Facebook is its monetary demands. Peruta and Shields, in their content analysis of Facebook post types and formats, find that organic reach- being the spread of social media content which has not been paid for or promoted- is very poor on Facebook, with it hovering at only 2.11% for pages with over 500,000 (4). This makes organic reach negligible or even obsolete in its entirety for pages with less than half a million followers, which encompasses many university and humanities organisations’ pages. This makes Facebook a ‘pay to play’ network, where Facebook brand page managers must pay to promote or ‘boost’ their posts to reach a larger percentage of their audience (5). This demand for monetary investment as a prerequisite for Facebook makes it less than ideal for smaller humanities organisations and especially departments in schools and universities, which are already deprived of resources and funding as it is. Another significant drawback to the reliance on Facebook as a social networking platform is its lack of accessibility compared to other platforms such as Twitter. Facebook is optimised for desktop use, with good security measures to allow it to adapt well to this medium. However, it cannot compete with Twitter in terms of functions on a mobile phone, which is the preferred medium for social media consumption in the present. Kwon, Park and Kim find that not only is communication via Facebook more passive than via Twitter, where users can communicate with others in a more casual, conversational manner, but ‘Twitter’s simpler user interface, greater openness to the public, and more conversational interaction makes it ideal for mobile-based platforms such as smartphones and tablet computers’ (6). This indicates that Facebook cannot surpass Twitter’s accessibility, especially in the age of the smartphone. This is furthered by the fact that mobile phones better lend themselves to social media users’ ‘downtime’ which has previously been established as on their commute or on their breaks at work; one is far more likely to use their phone during these short intermissions between tasks and work than a desktop. Therefore, Twitter would be a superior platform for posting to reach an audience organically during these hours. Whilst the study also states that ‘Facebook offers more diverse functions in a full capacity as well as stronger privacy and security measures, making it more suitable for desktop users’, this point is made inconsequential when one is called to question as to whether it can even be seen as an advantage that Facebook translates better to desktop platforms when, in the domain of social media, the desktop computer is quickly being rendered redundant, discarded in favour of the mobile phone. In addition to being less suitable for mobile use than other platforms, there is also suitable evidence to support the fact that Facebook, by virtue of the ages of its target demographic, is quickly fading into internet obscurity. Even by 2021, Facebook’s market share among social networks in the US dropped to 50.8% from where it stood at 54.3% in 2019. Furthermore, in 2023, it was found that only 2.9% of people between the ages of 13-17 use Facebook, and 18.1% of people between the ages of 18-24. This is a worrying demographic; the point would not necessarily stand if it were not for the fact that many humanities organisations and humanities departments of schools and universities specifically aim to target those of student age. Their main reason to use Facebook as a social networking site is to incite interest in and engage with those who are young and who will be influenced to enrol on humanities courses at school and university. If only 21% of Facebook’s users are student age, it greatly limits the engagement for creators who target this population. It can therefore be concluded that, whilst there are many benefits to be found in using Facebook regarding the cultivation of community, a creator’s success as a humanities organisation or department is wholly dependent on the extent to which they abide by ‘best practices’. Even then, due to monetary restrictions and the fact that much of the target demographic is not active on Facebook, it is easy to fail in achieving the relevant engagement. There are many other platforms which still include ‘Group’ functions that are more attractive to and accessible for the younger, student-aged generation. It is still worthwhile for organisations to set up a Facebook page as its security measures mean it is good for establishing a reputable online presence, but this must only form a small fraction of an organisation's efforts to garner engagement on social networking platforms. Research by Emma Renz Written by Mia Felt References Hamidreza Shahbaznezhad, Rebecca Dolan, Mona Rashidirad, ‘The Role of Social Media Content Format and Platform in Users' Engagement Behavior’, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1094996820300992 Kwak et al, 2010 Gregory D. Saxton, Richard D. Waters, What do Stakeholders Like on Facebook? Examining Public Reactions to Nonprofit Organizations’ Informational, Promotional, and Community-Building Messages, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1062726X.2014.908721?casa_token=Ss0rqLoUKGsAAAAA%3A-IKJRUnKSqxU902d9HvLro-fc8TH8rSNWZqBGdRb_UapU39TgSaFJ78yWf7BCEVz6MlPnxKc1mk&journalCode=hprr20 Adam Peruta, Alison B. Shields, Marketing your university on social media: a content analysis of Facebook post types and formats, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08841241.2018.1442896?scroll=top&needAccess=true&role=tab (as above) Adam Peruta, Alison B. Shields Sang Jib Kwon , Eunil Park , Ki Joon Kim, What drives successful social networking services? A comparative analysis of user acceptance of Facebook and Twitter, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S036233191400041X

SASA will be hosting more Archaeogaming Live events this summer! First coined by Andrew Reindhard in 2013, "Archaeogaming" is a marriage of the concepts of archaeological study and videogames. With input from experts in various fields related to ancient studies, SASA’s Archaeogaming Live Team engages our viewers by discussing the ways in which classical concepts are represented within popular game franchises while playing the games live on stream. We aim to find the happy medium between being instructional and entertaining!  Join Madigan Shepherd over on Twitch  on Friday July 18th, 3 PM EDT, for our “Ghost of Tsushima” stream as we explore the historical themes the game was founded on. Set during the First Mongol Invasion of Japan in 1274, we’ll follow the story of Jin Sakai as he sets out to defend Tsushima island. This will be an engaging opportunity to learn more about the time period as well as the history of Tsushima island itself.  Starting on Saturday, August 2nd 12:00 PM EDT Julie Levy will be picking up where we left off with “Outer Wilds” back in June. Keirnan Acquisto, a professional art historian specializing in ancient Greek and Roman art, will be joining Julie to provide live commentary for the game. The playthrough will focus on what the material culture of a people can tell you about their lives, as well as exploring the technical aspects of archaeology itself.  We keep our playthroughs up on Twitch as long as possible, and you can also catch our Archaeogaming Live playthroughs on SASA’s YouTube channel . We hope to see you there for an informative and fun time!

Join us for SASA’s fifth annual “Opening the Ancient World” virtual conference! This year’s theme is “Body and Medicine in Antiquity: Health Care, Knowledge & Practice,​” and will be live streamed here  on July 20th & 21st, 2025. Anyone may sign up for this public event – plus, it’s free! You can also catch the livestream of this event on SASA’s YouTube  and Facebook  pages. The event will also be made available on any of our streaming partners’ pages, such as History with Kayleigh  and Digital Hammurabi . Here at SASA, we are always committed to making ancient scholarship accessible to all that are interested in antiquity. Our goals for this conference are to present excellent academic information from scholars around the world and researchers who did not follow a traditional career path, as well as to foster discussion and action towards inclusivity.   Joining us will be two distinguished keynote speakers, Bronwen L. Wickkiser and Dr. Casey L. Kirkpatrick. You can find out more about them, their accolades, and published works on the official virtual conference page , where you can also see our full schedule of talks from scholars around the world working on anthropology, archaeology, religion, and ancient healthcare. We also have two special sessions this year:  “Snake Oils and Magic Herbs: The Art of Ancient Quackery”  and “Close Reading Workshop: How to Diagnose a Text” .. The first special session (Jul 20, 2025, 1:00 PM EDT – Jul 21, 2025, 2:30 PM EDT) will focus on the creative ways, both alien and familiar, that ancient civilizations sought to treat illnesses. This discussion will go beyond just the medicinal practices employed and delve deeper into the cultural, religious, and political implications of these remedies. The second special session (Jul 21, 2025, 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM EDT) is a workshop on how to analyze both modern and ancient texts the way a doctor might, paying careful attention to elements such as tone, word choice, and structure. This workshop will include guided presentations by scholars before leading into a hands on experience with a set of English texts.  Registration is open on our conference page, and if you’d like to participate in the Close Reading Workshop, you can register for that too!  Please sign up ahead of time so that you will have access. Perhaps the subject of ancient medicine excites you, or maybe you’re hungry for more pointers on how to closely read texts and form better arguments. No matter the reason, this year’s conference has a little bit of something for everybody to look forward to. We here at SASA sincerely hope to see you there!

Welcome to the Team, SASA Interns! We’re excited to welcome a brilliant new cohort of interns to the team! Our interns bring diverse skills and fresh perspectives across communications, event and conference planning, data analysis, blog writing and more. Say hello to a few of our newest recruits: Om Jade Om Jade (he/him) Research Team B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science What inspired you to join SASA's internship? As someone passionate about both technology and education, I was inspired by SASA’s mission to preserve and promote ancient studies through modern tools. As a research intern working on a qualitative project involving data analysis, the opportunity to contribute to digital, AI-driven research in the humanities really stood out to me. What are you hoping to get out of this internship? I’m hoping to gain hands-on experience in research collaboration, sharpen my data storytelling skills, and make a meaningful contribution to digital humanities initiatives. What is your favourite ancient-inspired media? I’ve always been fascinated by Troy  (2004 film). The blend of mythology and historical storytelling sparked my interest in ancient cultures. I also really enjoyed The Prince of Egypt  for its powerful narrative and stunning animation rooted in ancient history. Kyle Moore Kyle Moore (he/him) Executive Team What is your favourite ancient-inspired media? Gladiator Rosie Batsford (she/her) Mass Communications Team What is your favourite ancient inspired media? Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land by Marina - it's always on my playlist when I'm research the ancient world as a reminder of why I do what I do! Philip Fowler Philip Fowler (he/him) Fundraising Team Jalen Green (she/her) Mass Communications Team What is your favourite ancient inspired media? Hercules (Disney, 1997) and Horrible Histories of course Alexis Lamb (he/him) Executive Team What is your favourite ancient inspired media? Relic Hunter (I was obsessed with this growing up and used to watch the reruns on repeat) Gregory Urayama (he/him) Executive/Recruitment Team What is your favourite ancient inspired media? The Waste Land by TS Eliot or Indiana Jones Name Team Name Team Cambria Roberts Executive Neel Tatapudi Executive Mackaelan Songco Creative Yanzhe Xu Fundraising Guy Brill Inspire Suzanne McGoldrick Inspire Muskan Kumari Inspire Daria Kesselmann Mass Communications Cait Gurley Outreach Bianca Egan Research Claudia Sanchez Arias Outreach Ryan Huang Outreach Sai Sowmya Reddy Tech Conan Esson Virtual Conference Jhanvi Solanki Research Breanna Barrerea Social Media

This summer, Save Ancient Studies Alliance (SASA) invites you to delve into the wonders of the ancient world through our lineup of Reading Groups and Master Classes. Whether you’re a returning participant or a curious newcomer, there’s something for everyone.  Reading Groups SASA's 3-week Reading Groups are free, online, and open to all. With sessions led by passionate scholars, these groups dive into discussions on primary sources. This season includes: Posted to @saveancientstudies on Instagram, 27/05/25 Germanic Myth and Legend: The Saga of the Volsungs Led by Dr. Irina-Maria Manea Sundays at 12 PM ET (June 15, 22, 29). RSVP here The Zodiac: Babylonian Astronomy and the Origins of Modern Astrology With E.L. Meszaros Mondays at 2 PM ET (June 16, 23, 30). RSVP here The Wars of Lady Six Sky: Reading Hieroglyphs About a Maya Warrior-Queen Presented by Zachary Lindsey Thursdays at 2 PM ET (June 19, 26; July 3). RSVP here How to Survive in an Authoritarian State – The Book of Esther With Dr. David Danzig Wednesdays at 12 PM ET (July 2, 9). RSVP here Liminal Spaces in the Ancient Roman World With Yentl Love Tuesdays at 2 PM ET (July 8, 15, 22). RSVP here Deciphering Community Identities Through Paleography: The Serabit el-Khadim Inscriptions Hosted by Sherouk Shehada Thursdays at 10 AM ET (July 10, 17, 24). RSVP here Roots of Healing – Medical Systems of Ancient India With Shrangi Mishra Fridays at 12 PM ET (July 11, 18, 25). RSVP here Posted to @saveancientstudies on Instagram, 29/05/25 Master Classes Our 2-hour Master Classes offer one-time intensive sessions with expert scholars. Topics this season span from early medieval art to demonic lore: Before Romanesque: Understanding the Art of the Early Middle Ages Dr. Lillian Cespedes Gonzalez June 18 at 10 AM ET. RSVP here Shakespeare and the Ancient World Dr. Kenneth Connally June 27 at 4 PM ET. RSVP here Never Has There Ever: Royal Propaganda in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia Dr. Briana Jackson July 12 at 12 PM ET. RSVP here The Sources of Evil: Monsters and Demons in Ancient Mesopotamia Jinyan Wang July 16 at 12 PM ET. RSVP here The Fragile Legacy: Climate Change and the Future of Ancient Civilizations Mariam Fawzy Ahmed Abdelsalam July 23 at 12 PM ET. RSVP here Posted to @saveancientstudies on Instagram, 30/06/25 All sessions are hosted online, making it easy to join from anywhere in the world. Once you RSVP, you’ll receive a Zoom link. Come learn, offer fresh perspectives and engage in meaningful conversation. SASA would like to thank you for your ongoing support and hopes that you will continue to support us as we expand and are able to reach more people in our goal to make ancient studies accessible to all. See how you can become a SASA Supporter today!

This summer, the Inspire Team at SASA are continuing their mission to inspire students and young adults to foster an interest in the Ancient World. Through engaging educational social media content, we’ve been connecting learners who are eager to explore ancient history, archaeology, mythology, and more. In an effort to drum up more direct engagement with our audience, we are proud to announce something very exciting! 🎉 Announcing the Ancient Fanfiction Writing Contest!  🎉 We're calling on writers, students, and fans of history to submit well-researched, imaginative historical fiction that brings the ancient world to life. This is your chance to tell your own story: whether it’s a reimagined myth, a hidden moment in history, or the personal journey of someone long forgotten. Winning entries will be published across SASA Inspire’s social media platforms, so your story can reach fellow enthusiasts around the world! Check out the contest announcement here and get inspired by our latest . What is Fanfiction? Fanfiction is fiction created by fans that reimagines or expands on existing stories, characters, or settings. In our case, ancient fanfiction takes the characters, events, and myths of the past and breathes new life into them using research, imagination, and a love of storytelling. You might have already read some ancient fanfiction!  The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller The Song of Achilles  by Madeline Miller  Inspired by The Iliad  and other ancient Greek texts, retelling the events of the Trojan War from the perspective of Patroclus  The Red Tent  by Anita Diamant  Inspired by the biblical story of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, in the book of Genesis Pandora  by Susan Stokes-Chapman Loose interpretation of the Greek myth of Pandora’s Box, telling the story of aspiring jewellery artist Dora Blake and her encounter with an ancient vase  The Penelopiad  by Margaret Atwood Inspired by The Odyssey  told from the perspective of Penelope, Odyssey’s wife Nefertiti  by Michell Moran Inspired by historical figure of Queen Nefertiti and her life in ancient Egypt Whether you're drawn to myth, everyday life, political intrigue, or ancient battles, there’s a story waiting for you to tell. For tips on writing historical fiction check out ‘Writing historical fictions: tips for voice, character and story’ by the National Centre for Writing: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/writing-hub/four-tips-for-writing-historical-fiction/ Inspire Campaign on Instagram, posted June 2025 Key Dates & Contest Details Submissions Open: June 16th, 2025 Submission Deadline: July 14th, 2025 Rules: Between 2000-6000 words, single spaced Must be set in a real place and in the ancient period (between 3000 BCE and 500 CE) Must be historical fiction (the more rooted in real history the better) Submit your stories to this email: SASAInspires.submissions@saveancientstudies.org

As the Spring 2025 Internship session comes to an end, we want to take a moment to appreciate the amazing work done by our talented interns. Your hard work and enthusiasm over the past few months have surely helped SASA’s mission!  Let us hear from our interns about their experience at SASA! SASA gave me the courage to unite the best organization of the ancient world in Spain with the best divulgador of antiquity. The team has supported me all the time and I feel satisfied with having reached more people who are passionate about these studies. I have learnt more about the organization that social media requires to reach the largest number of interested people and I would love, even on my own, to continue spreading the word about SASA's incredible work. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of you! Claudia Sánchez Outreach Team Intern  During my time at SASA I worked as a Social Media Intern for the Inspire Campaign. While on this team I was in charge of all of the Inspire Campaign social media accounts and would work with other Inspire Campaign social media team members to come up with posts and schedule them every day. The most rewarding part of my role was being able to spread the joy of history through the social media accounts and interact with other team members on how to do so. As a result, I learned how to contribute to a team and successfully build a community of history lovers through social media. I am currently seeking a bachelor's degree in Anthropology so I will continue to spread the history of cultures in my future career.  Breanna Barrera Social Media Intern My time with SASA involved the Virtual Conference Team where I was able to work with supportive and very knowledgeable leaders while becoming an integral part of an upcoming event. During my time as an intern I learned the importance of not only the topics being covered in the conference, but also the very detailed tasks and communication that it takes to put such an event together. Truly a great life changing experience that I not only enjoyed but have decided to stay involved as a volunteer!  Billie McCarthy Virtual Conference Intern As a grant writing intern, I received hands-on experience drafting and editing grant LOIs and applications for review and approval by my Team Leaders and Director, while investigating existing possible grant foundations. Simultaneously, I learned what it takes to plan fundraising events and help write applications for the grants I find with my team. The weekly meetings were always helpful and enjoyable since I got to know my team a little better each week. I will carry my experience writing formal requests and further develop these skills as I become a more professional and efficient writer for future roles. Thank you for having me as an intern! Esha Bhat Grant Writing Intern  We are filled with pride and gratitude for the incredible contributions made by each of our interns. The passion, creativity, and commitment you brought to your roles have left an impact on our mission. We are excited to see where your journeys take you next and hope you continue to carry the spirit of SASA with you! Thank you for being a part of SASA!

As we mark a moment of transition within the SASA team, let's take a moment to appreciate and thank some of the outgoing team members for their amazing work and passion! From the Archaeogaming Live Team, we have Kate Minniti, Alex Vandewalle and David Serrano Lozano stepping down. Kate and Alex have been part of the Archaeogaming Live Team since 2021, and were joined by David in 2023. During their tenure they have played more than 300 hours of games set in antiquity and beyond, interviewed developers and book authors, presented at conferences, and organized a roundtable which resulted in an article recently published in Thersites . SASA Archaeogaming Live Team plays Assasin's Creed Origins with Dr. Briana Jackson For the trio, the most rewarding part of their role has been the unparalleled opportunity to be able to talk with many experts ranging from early-career scholars to ‘famous’ names in academia, up to game developers and directors, and to see and share everyone’s enthusiasm in discussing how the ancient world is depicted in video games. They have also, in no particular order, captured Pokémon during the Punic Wars, learned a lot about hippopotamoi, set the world on fire, unveiled bunny plots, deciphered languages, and zapped zebras! SASA Archaeogaming Live Team plays Total War: Attila with Dr. Christian Rollinger & Dr. Daniele Salvoldi After their very engaging time at SASA, Kate will continue to work as an archaeologist around the Mediterranean and work on Egyptian monsters in video games, Alex will keep exploring video game versions of history and mythology in his research, and David will keep trying to attract his students to antiquity, video games or, even better, both together! We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Samantha Ng from the Social Media team.  After a semester as an outreach intern in 2023, Samantha joined SASA again in 2024 as the co-leader of the Communications Team. Her work focussed mostly on developing new strategies for social media advertising, SEO optimisation, graphic design, and producing training materials for interns. For Samantha, the most rewarding part of the role was being able to collaborate with the numerous teams within SASA and getting feedback on her work from a variety of people.  For now, Samantha is going to be focusing on her studies as she enters her final year studying classical archaeology at UCL (University College London) while continuing to work on supporting ancient studies through Aôthen Magazine . Thank you so much for all the time and energy you’ve given to SASA. Your work has made a real difference—not just to our team, but to the larger goal of preserving and celebrating ancient cultures. You brought fresh ideas, a great attitude, and real dedication to everything you did, and we’ve been lucky to have you with us. As you head off to new adventures, we’re excited to see where your journey takes you. Thanks again for being such an important part of our team. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors and hope you stay connected with us!