Publications

@article{,

title = {Same Platform, Different Stories: TikTok and the Battle Over Immigration Narratives},

author = {William Hollingshead and Anatoliy Gruzd and Philip Mai},

editor = {Esteve Del Valle, Marc, Heinrich, Ansgard, & Quan-Haase, Anabel },

doi = {https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.11409},

year  = {2026},

date = {2026-01-28},

urldate = {2026-01-28},

journal = {Media and Communication},

volume = {14},

abstract = {In an era defined by overlapping global crises, immigration has become a key fault line in what scholars term a “polycrisis.” Within this context, social media platforms serve as digital battlegrounds for competing narratives about immigration, with TikTok occupying a distinct and understudied niche. This article examines how immigration-related content in Canada is framed on TikTok and how the platform’s logic of mimesis and interactivity, grounded in its affordances, shape immigration discourse. From a dataset of 5,305 public TikTok videos containing immigration-related terms and hashtags, we selected a sample of 344 English-language videos posted in 2025, each with over 100,000 plays and likely shown to Canadian users. Through a mixed-methods content analysis, we found that, contrary to expectations, the content leaned toward positive portrayals of immigration, accounting for 41% of the sample. Furthermore, despite expressing differing perspectives on immigration, users used TikTok’s affordances in comparable ways. That is, the same affordances that can support immigrants’ information seeking and sense of belonging through practical guidance and relatable storytelling, respectively, can be weaponized to amplify xenophobia by way of manipulated statistics and racist humour performed in skits and AI-generated videos. This highlights how TikTok’s affordances can simultaneously support digital inclusion and community building while also enabling exclusion and hostility. The findings, although rooted in Canada, hold broader relevance for understanding how short-video platforms mediate contentious issues across digitally connected societies.},

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@article{kulandaivelu_analyzing_2025,

title = {Analyzing Instagram Food and Nutrition Posts Through a Food Literacy Lens: Content Analysis of Instagram Posts},

author = {Yalinie Kulandaivelu and Jill Hamilton and Ananya Banerjee and Anatoliy Gruzd and Jennifer Stinson},

url = {https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e22272},

doi = {10.2196/22272},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-11-01},

urldate = {2025-12-02},

journal = {Journal of Medical Internet Research},

volume = {27},

number = {1},

pages = {e22272},

abstract = {Background: Dietary behaviors are directly linked to health and well-being. Food literacy education may improve poor dietary behaviors and thus, health and well-being. Social media is a popular source of food literacy education through content delivered by influencers and experts alike. Characterizing food and nutrition content on social media using a food literacy framework can identify gaps in public food literacy knowledge and opportunities for improving food literacy education. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to systematically characterize and categorize publicly available food- and nutrition-related Instagram content according to food literacy concepts. Methods: We conducted a mixed methods study using content analysis. We collected Instagram posts that used hashtags related to the term “healthy eating” via CrowdTangle. We completed our content analysis using Netlytic to categorize posts according to our framework of food literacy and topics of interest. Then, we completed a descriptive qualitative content analysis of a sub-sample of posts from each category. Results: Our analysis included 100,000 Instagram posts. We categorized the Instagram posts using 19 categories related to food literacy and attitudes to healthy eating. The most frequent categories were (1) information about foods to consume (38,500/100,000, 38.5%), (2) cooking and preparing food (36,007/100,000, 36%), and (3) planning and managing food intake (33,262/100,000, 33.3%). Protein-rich foods, fiber, vegetables, juicing and smoothie diets, and spices were commonly promoted as foods to consume, while selecting organic and fresh foods was encouraged more frequently than canned or frozen foods. Processed and prepared foods were discouraged. Baking was frequently portrayed as a cooking method, as well as quick and easy recipes, and cooking with friends and family. Planning food intake was frequently discussed in relation to weight loss and holidays. Cultural foods were portrayed as healthy foods and with healthier variations, and in the context of holidays and religious observances. Low-cost and affordable foods were portrayed with minimal time requirements, minimal ingredients, and depicted as family-appropriate. Conclusions: Instagram content frequently portrayed healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle and impacting physical health, activity and energy levels, and mood. However, prescriptive information regarding foods to consume was still pervasive. Encouragement to cook together and share recipes together indicates the social aspect of eating and cooking as important to users and may be an important aspect of food literacy guidance and programs in the future. Our descriptive analysis of Instagram content demonstrates several opportunities for supporting and improving food literacy education on social media.},

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@article{gruzd_graphoptima_2025,

title = {GraphOptima: A graph layout optimization framework for visualizing large networks},

author = {Anatoliy Gruzd and Jingwei Zhang and Philip Mai},

url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2352711025000019},

doi = {10.1016/j.softx.2025.102034},

issn = {23527110},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-02-01},

urldate = {2025-12-12},

journal = {SoftwareX},

volume = {29},

pages = {102034},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

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@article{gruzd_digital_2024,

title = {Digital battleground: An examination of anti-refugee discourse on Twitter against Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine},

author = {Anatoliy Gruzd and Philip Mai and Omar Taleb},

url = {https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/13734},

doi = {10.5210/fm.v29i8.13734},

issn = {1396-0466},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-08-01},

urldate = {2024-09-23},

journal = {First Monday},

abstract = {Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has triggered Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II. In this case study, we investigate the prevalence and types of anti-refugee discourse about Ukrainian refugees on Twitter. Previous studies primarily focused on public discourse and attitudes toward racialized refugees and immigrants; the Ukrainian refugee crisis is unique in that it is one of the few instances of a recent refugee crisis involving people who do not come from mostly racialized communities. Using Communalytic, a computational social science tool for studying public discourse on social media, we automatically collected and identified toxic posts mentioning Ukrainian refugees during the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We focused on posts containing toxic language, as this is where we are most likely to find examples of anti-refugee sentiments. Based on a manual analysis of 2,045 toxic posts referencing Ukrainian refugees, the most prevalent ones were politically motivated and included partisan content (33 percent), followed by posts containing expressions countering anti-refugee narratives (20 percent). These findings highlight the escalating politicization and polarization of discussions about Ukrainian refugees both online and offline. Furthermore, 53 percent of the sample aligned with pro-Kremlin narratives against Ukraine. By exploiting anti-refugee sentiments and leveraging existing political and cultural fault lines in the West, pro-Kremlin messages on Twitter contribute to diminishing support for Ukrainian refugees, minimizing the severity of the war, and undermining international support for Ukraine.},

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@article{gruzd_lure_2024,

title = {The lure of decentralized social media: Extending the UTAUT model for understanding users’ adoption of blockchain-based social media},

author = {Anatoliy Gruzd and Alyssa Saiphoo and Philip Mai},

url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0308458},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0308458},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-08-01},

urldate = {2024-09-23},

journal = {PLOS ONE},

volume = {19},

number = {8},

pages = {e0308458},

abstract = {The study uses 31 semi-structured interviews to explore users’ motivations for adopting and using blockchain-based social media (BSM) platforms. The objective of the study is twofold—to collect empirical data on early adopters of BSM and to test the applicability of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model for explaining why some users are choosing BSM over mainstream social media (MSM) platforms. Manual content analysis of the interviews reveals that users are initially drawn to BSM due to social influence and financial incentives, but they continue to use it mainly because of the sense of community they experience. We also find that the steep learning curve, the absence of content moderation, as well as security and privacy concerns hinder the widespread adoption of these platforms. From the theoretical side, although the UTAUT model is generally suitable for examining why individuals use BSM, we suggest integrating two additional factors into the model: financial incentives and content moderation.},

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@article{gruzd_balancing_2024,

title = {A balancing act: how risk mitigation strategies employed by users explain the privacy paradox on social media},

author = {Anatoliy Gruzd and Ángel Hernández-García},

url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0144929X.2022.2152366},

doi = {10.1080/0144929X.2022.2152366},

issn = {0144-929X, 1362-3001},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-01-01},

urldate = {2025-12-15},

journal = {Behaviour & Information Technology},

volume = {43},

number = {1},

pages = {21–39},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

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@article{soares_falling_2023,

title = {Falling for Russian Propaganda: Understanding the Factors that Contribute to Belief in Pro-Kremlin Disinformation on Social Media},

author = {Felipe Bonow Soares and Anatoliy Gruzd and Philip Mai},

url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20563051231220330},

doi = {10.1177/20563051231220330},

issn = {2056-3051, 2056-3051},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-10-01},

urldate = {2025-12-15},

journal = {Social Media + Society},

volume = {9},

number = {4},

pages = {20563051231220330},

abstract = {As Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, social media was rife with pro-Kremlin disinformation. To effectively tackle the issue of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, this study examines the underlying reasons why some individuals are susceptible to false claims and explores ways to reduce their susceptibility. It uses linear regression analysis on data from a national survey of 1,500 adults (18+) to examine the factors that predict belief in pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives regarding the Russia–Ukraine war. Our research finds that belief in Pro-Kremlin disinformation is politically motivated and linked to users who: (1) hold conservative views, (2) trust partisan media, and (3) frequently share political opinions on social media. Our findings also show that exposure to disinformation is positively associated with belief in disinformation. Conversely, trust in mainstream media is negatively associated with belief in disinformation, offering a potential way to mitigate its impact.},

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@article{gruzd_trust_2023,

title = {Trust and Safety on Social Media: Understanding the Impact of Anti-Social Behavior and Misinformation on Content Moderation and Platform Governance},

author = {Anatoliy Gruzd and Felipe Bonow Soares and Philip Mai},

url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20563051231196878},

doi = {10.1177/20563051231196878},

issn = {2056-3051, 2056-3051},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-07-01},

urldate = {2025-12-16},

journal = {Social Media + Society},

volume = {9},

number = {3},

pages = {20563051231196878},

abstract = {The Special Issue on Trust and Safety on Social Media delves into two pressing and interlinked concerns: the growing prevalence of anti-social behavior and the widespread presence of misinformation within and across various social media platforms. The collection of articles featured in the issue collectively examines factors that contribute to these concerns and proposes potential strategies to mitigate their negative impact on social media users and society. The articles included in the issue are extended versions of research first presented at the 2022 International Conference on Social Media & Society (#SMSociety), organized by the Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University.},

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@article{soares_troll_2023,

title = {To troll or not to troll: Young adults’ anti-social behaviour on social media},

author = {Felipe Bonow Soares and Anatoliy Gruzd and Jenna Jacobson and Jaigris Hodson},

editor = {Giulia Ballarotto},

url = {https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284374},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0284374},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-05-01},

urldate = {2025-12-15},

journal = {PLOS ONE},

volume = {18},

number = {5},

pages = {e0284374},

abstract = {Background 

 Online anti-social behaviour is on the rise, reducing the perceived benefits of social media in society and causing a number of negative outcomes. This research focuses on the factors associated with young adults being perpetrators of anti-social behaviour when using social media. 

 Method Based on an online survey of university students in Canada (n = 359), we used PLS-SEM to create a model and test the associations between four factors (online disinhibition, motivations for cyber-aggression, self-esteem, and empathy) and the likelihood of being a perpetrator of online anti-social behaviour. 

 Results 

 The model shows positive associations between two appetitive motives for cyber-aggression (namely recreation and reward) and being a perpetrator. This finding indicates that young adults engage in online anti-social behaviour for fun and social approval. The model also shows a negative association between cognitive empathy and being a perpetrator, which indicates that perpetrators may be engaging in online anti-social behaviour because they do not understand how their targets feel.},

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@article{bruns_pandemic_2023,

title = {PANDEMIC POLITICS: THE 2021 AND 2022 GERMAN AND AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS ON SOCIAL MEDIA},

author = {Axel Bruns and Nina Fabiola Schumacher and Moritz Mathieu and Christian Nuernbergk and Nicola Righetti and Fabio Giglietto and Azade Kavakand and Aytalina Kulichkina and Giada Marino and Massimo Terenzi and Daniel Angus and Timothy Graham and Ehsan Dehghan and Nadia Jude and Phoebe Matich and Mark Andrejevic and Bronwyn Carlson and Abdul Obeid and Philip Mai and Anatoliy Gruzd},

url = {https://spir.aoir.org/ojs/index.php/spir/article/view/12953},

doi = {10.5210/spir.v2022i0.12953},

issn = {2162-3317, 2162-3317},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-03-01},

urldate = {2025-12-16},

journal = {AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research},

abstract = {One of the effects of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has been to further accelerate the incorporation of social media activities into political and electoral campaigning. Especially as a result of lockdowns and other restrictions to offline public life, overall social media use has increased in many countries; health concerns have severely curtailed conventional in-person political campaigning activities, from doorknocking to mass rallies (even if some candidates are openly flouting health measures in order to appeal to fringe, COVID-denialist voters); and concerns about the safety of in-person voting processes have also led to a growth in postal voting well ahead of election day, potentially increasing the importance of political messaging early on in election campaigns. In addition, of course, the pandemic itself, and the health, economic, and social measures taken by different governments to address and manage its implications, have also become a dominant theme in most political contests. 

Political parties around the world have scrambled to keep up with and engage with these changing circumstances, voter behaviours, and political debates, and it is therefore time to re-examine the current state of affairs. This panel does so by focussing on social media campaigning in two of the most recent major national elections: the German federal election campaign in August and September 2021, and the Australian federal election campaign in March to May 2022. The four papers included in this panel examine political campaigning, public engagement, and journalistic coverage on Facebook and Twitter, as well as political advertising practices on Facebook, and in combination offer a very timely new perspective on electioneering in the final stages of a multi-year global pandemic.},

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@article{gruzd_facebook_2023,

title = {From Facebook to YouTube: The Potential Exposure to COVID-19 Anti-Vaccine Videos on Social Media},

author = {Anatoliy Gruzd and Deena Abul-Fottouh and Melodie YunJu Song and Alyssa Saiphoo},

url = {https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20563051221150403},

doi = {10.1177/20563051221150403},

issn = {2056-3051, 2056-3051},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-01-01},

urldate = {2025-12-15},

journal = {Social Media + Society},

volume = {9},

number = {1},

pages = {20563051221150403},

abstract = {This article examines the role of Facebook and YouTube in potentially exposing people to COVID-19 vaccine–related misinformation. Specifically, to study the potential level of exposure, the article models a uni-directional information-sharing pathway beginning when a Facebook user encounters a vaccine-related post with a YouTube video, follows this video to YouTube, and then sees a list of related videos automatically recommended by YouTube. The results demonstrate that despite the efforts by Facebook and YouTube, COVID-19 vaccine–related misinformation in the form of anti-vaccine videos propagates on both platforms. Because of these apparent gaps in platform-led initiatives to combat misinformation, public health agencies must be proactive in creating vaccine promotion campaigns that are highly visible on social media to overtake anti-vaccine videos’ prominence in the network. By examining related videos that a user potentially encounters, the article also contributes practical insights to identify influential YouTube channels for public health agencies to collaborate with on their public service announcements about the importance of vaccination programs and vaccine safety.},

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