0000000001035221
AUTHOR
Julia Nuckols
The use of the Dark Web as a COVID-19 information source : A three-country study
The Dark Web (i.e., the anonymous web or Darknet) contains potentially harmful COVID-19-related information and content such as conspiracy theories and forged certificates. The Dark Web may particularly attract individuals who are suspicious about the pandemic, but there is no research concerning the use of the Dark Web as a COVID-19 information source. In this study, we investigated the role of COVID-19 skepticism, online activities, and loneliness in the use of the Dark Web platforms as a COVID-19 information source. The data (N = 3000) were gathered in April 2021 from 18 to 75-year-old respondents from Finland (n = 1000), Sweden (n = 1000) and the United Kingdom (n = 1000). The responden…
An Ethical Perspective on Loot Box Purchasing : Examining Psychosocial Antecedents and the Association with Indebtedness
Loot boxes are popular random reward mechanisms in digital games, attracting players to invest real money to enhance their gaming experiences. Loot boxes share striking similarities to gambling and might contribute to one’s economic strain, but more research is needed on the underlying vulnerabilities and motivational traits in loot box purchasing. This paper examines associations with self-reported increase in loot box purchasing and debt problems during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. International survey data were collected in 2021, consisting of Finnish, Swedish, and British respondents (N = 2,991) aged 18 to 75. Partial least squares modeling was used as an analytical techniqu…