This paper studies concepts from the uses and gratifications theory and gender theory amongst Lebanese VRChat players. It studies the concepts of catharsis, diversion, social utility, vicarious experience, and escapism, as well as the male gaze, gender identity, ego ideals, and toxic masculinity. The thesis objective is to determine the transcendence of the mentioned concepts into the virtual gaming world among Lebanese video gamers. The research was conducted qualitatively through semi-structured in-depth interviews as well as participant observation to further verify the obtained data. Findings ...

In light of the influence of fake news on the Lebanese revolution that was ignited on the 17th of October 2019, this research paper examines how Notre Dame University (NDU) students reacted, assessed and were affected by false information. Four focus groups were conducted with 24 NDU students from different faculties and majors to gather valuable results. To answer this study’s five questions and look deeper into the youth’s behavior, comprehension, and evaluation of fake news spread on social media, the researcher adopted the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) developed by Katz in 1959. The ...

The Beirut port explosion on the 4th of August opened countless windows and endless stories. Simultaneously, the effects of this tragic incident imposed itself on media channels, whereby everyone knows that media institutions were and still are subject to the authority and controlled by politicians because they are the main financiers. Without financiers the media channels will collapse, so the viewer falls under the influence of “rating” or what is known as raising viewership, and whatever the circumstances of the event. This research will address the causes and methods of covering ...

This study tackles the impact of self portrayal on Instagram on body image and self-esteem. Social media platforms have now become extremely diversified, having both positive and negative effects. Framing theory and hyper reality were used to help explain how social media platforms have made reality so hard to achieve by framing what they want to highlight and keeping a lot in the darkness. The quantitative research methodology was used because it is objective, and relies on concrete numbers which helps remove bias from the research. Results showed that the hypotheses stated weren’t completely ...