Investigation of Social Media Literacy Skills In The Context of Advertising Credibility And Attitude Towards Advertising

Öz

The simplest use of the term literacy is that it means a person’s ability to read, comprehend and interpret the written word. However, this definition remains quite simple and shallow when today’s media is considered. Today, with the transfer of messages to electronic media, the process of message transfer through printed material has changed. Therefore, the understanding of literacy is now divided into many subcategories such as visual literacy (the ability to process flat two-dimensional pictures or our three-dimensional world), story literacy, film literacy to understand television or movie plots, computer literacy (the ability to save one’s own messages, send messages to others electronically, search for messages, and understand and process messages on electronic screens), social media literacy, advertising literacy, and skills literacy (Potter, 2016, p. 56). Media literacy has emerged as a part of the concept of mass culture as a result of the emergence of mass media. In this context, media literacy is defined as the ability to understand and use any form of mediated communication effectively and efficiently (Baran, 2011, p.18). The media literacy skill, which is built on a certain level of skill in the mass communication process, is basically not concerned with simple skills such as turning on a computer or switching to a channel on television. It is quite difficult to conceptualize literacy in the context of social media. Because unlike traditional media use, social media use involves social interactions between users and content creation (Livingstone, 2014; Vanwynsberghe, Vanderlinde, Georges & Verdegem 2014, s. 284). Vanwynsberghe et al. (2014, p. 284) define social media literacy as “not only the practical and cognitive competencies that social media users possess, but also the motivation to use these media effectively and appropriately for social interaction and communication on the web”. Social media literacy skills have been investigated by many researchers and this issue is becoming increasingly important as the media is based on interaction and carries some features from life, as well as the existence of technical usage skills. At the same time, the questioning of whether social media content is real or unreal gains importance in this regard. Considering the presence of advertisements in social media in the context of persuasive communication, it is thought that evaluating them in terms of trust in advertisements and attitudes towards advertisements within the scope of social media literacy will contribute to social media literacy skills. When the concept of credibility in terms of advertising is evaluated; it is known that the purposes of advertising are to inform consumers about the advertised product, service or idea and then to ensure that they buy it. With the knowledge of these objectives by consumers, it is natural that consumers reflexively tend to distrust the advertisement. Therefore, in order for the advertisement to fulfill its purposes and fulfill its functions, consumers need to trust the advertisement. Social media environments are among the advertising channels that have a very popular use in today’s media. With the increasing number and diversification of social media environments day by day and the fact that social media contains many different information, consumer attitudes towards advertising can differentiate both towards the information contained in social media and towards advertisements in social media. Many factors can be found on the basis of this differentiation. In particular, there may be a distinction according to the social media literacy skill levels of consumers in terms of advertising credibility and attitudes towards advertisements on social media. Therefore, in the context of contributing to social media advertising research, it is important to determine the social media literacy skill levels of consumers and to reveal the effect of literacy skills on advertising credibility and attitude towards advertising. In this context, the aim of this study is to examine the effect of consumers’ social media literacy skills on advertising credibility and attitude towards advertising. Therefore, this study is important for social media literacy to be a guide for both social media users and advertising practitioners and to better understand the concept of social media literacy that has emerged in recent years and to reveal its effects. From this point of view, the study seeks to answer the questions “Do social media literacy skills affect advertising credibility?” and...

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Social Media
• Social Media Literacy
• Social Media Advertisements
• Advertising Credibility
• Attitude Towards Advertising.

REKLAM GÜVENİRLİĞİ VE REKLAMA YÖNELİK TUTUM BAĞLAMINDA SOSYAL MEDYA OKURYAZARLIK BECERİLERİNİN İNCELENMESİ

Öz

Günümüzde sosyal medya belirli bir teknoloji hizmeti olmanın ötesinde insanların yaşamlarının büyük bir bölümünü geçirdiği dijital yerlerdir. Bu bağlamda ele alındığında insanların kullanıcı olarak sosyal medya platformlarında ne yaptıklarını ve bu ortamları ne kadar bilinçli bir şekilde değerlendirdikleri oldukça önem taşımaktadır. Bugüne kadar çoğunlukla bilgi paylaşımı için kullanılan sosyal medya platformları artık pazarlama ve reklam aracı olarak da işletmeler tarafından sıklıkla kullanılmaktadır ve işletmeler söz konusu platformları genellikle de çevrimiçi ağızdan ağıza (E-WOM) iletişimi tanıtım faaliyetlerinin bir formu olarak görmektedir. Dolayısıyla sosyal medya içeriklerinin kullanıcılar tarafından nasıl okunduğu ve kullanıldığı, biliş düzeyleri reklam uygulayıcıları için önem arz etmektedir. Kullanıcılar olarak tüketiciler tarafından dijital temelli sosyal medya platformlarına yaklaşım şekilleri onların bu platformlarda yapılan reklamlara olan güvenleri ve tutumları üzerinde etkilidir gerçeği yadsınamaz. Bu araştırmada sosyal medya okuryazarlığı becerilerinin reklam güvenirliği ve reklama yönelik tutum üzerindeki etki düzeyi irdelenecektir. Bu bağlamda araştırmada nicel araştırma yöntemi benimsenmiş olup nicel yöntemin alt kategorilerinden biri olan tarama araştırması modeline başvurulmuştur. Araştırma bulguları sosyal medya okuryazarlığının alt boyutları olan gizlilik ve algoritmik farkındalığın ve teknik yeterliliğin reklam güvenirliğini; reklama yönelik tutum üzerinde ise gizlilik ve algoritmik farkındalığın etkili olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Dolayısıyla reklam uygulayıcılarına, sosyal medya platformlarında gizlilik ile ilgili seçenekleri kullanıcıların algılayacağı şekilde düzenlemeleri, bu konuda açıklayıcı ve şeffaf olmaları önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sosyal Medya
• Sosyal Medya Okuryazarlığı
• Sosyal Medya Reklamları
• Reklam Güvenirliği
• Reklama Yönelik Tutum.

Kaynakça

1. Aaker, D.A., Kumar, V., Leone, R.P., & Day, G.S. (2013). Marketing Research. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
2. Ahn, J. (2013, Nisan). What Can We Learn From Facebook Activity? Using Social Learning Analytics to Observe New Media Literacy Skills. (İçinde) Third International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge (ss. 135-144).
3. Akyüz, A. (2010). Reklama Yönelik Tutum: Belirleyici Faktör Olarak İnançlar. Marmara İletişim Dergisi, 17(17), 214-227.
4. Arifin, W. N. (2015). The Graphical Assessment of Multivariate Normality Using SPSS. Education in Medicine Journal, 7(2), 71-75.
5. Baran, S.J. (2011). Introduction to Mass Communication. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
6. Barger, V., Peltier, J. W., & Schultz, D. E. (2016). Social Media and Consumer Engagement: A Review and Research Agenda. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 10(4), 268-287.
7. Baydeniz, D.& Temel, M. (2022). Sosyal Medyanın Tüketim Kültürüne Etkisi: Instagram Örneği. Ulakbilge, 77(2022 Ekim), 1055–1073. doi: 10.7816/ulakbilge-10-77-06
8. Cotte, J., Coulter, R. A., & Moore, M. (2005). Enhancing or Disrupting Guilt: The Role of Ad Credibility and Perceived Manipulative Intent. Journal of Business Research, 58(3), 361-368.

9. Creswell, J. (2014). Araştırma Deseni. (Çev. M. Bütün). Ankara: Eğiten Kitap
10. Çepni Şener, B. (2022). Şüphecilik Bağlamında Sosyal Ağlar ve Reklam. İstanbul: Kriter Yayınevi.
11. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate Data Analysis. China: Cengage.
12. Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
13. Hajli, M. N. (2014). A Study of The Impact of Social Media on Consumers. International Journal of Market Research, 56(3), 387-404.
14. Hanseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A New Criterion for Assessing Discriminant Validity in Variance-Based Structural Equation Modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135.
15. Hoek, R. W., Rozendaal, E., van Schie, H. T., & Buijzen, M. (2021). Development and Testing of The Advertising Literacy Activation Task: An Indirect Measurement Instrument for Children Aged 7-13 Years Old. Media Psychology, 24(6), 814-846.
16. Hovland, C. I., Janis, I. L., & Kelley, H. H. (1953). Communication and Persuasion: Psychological Studies of Opinion Change. New Haven, NJ: Yale University Press.
17. Hu, L., & Bentler, P. (1999). Cut Off Criteria for Fit Indexes in Covariance Structure Analysis: Conventional Criteria Versus New Alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55.
18. Işık Gültekin, S. (2023). Sosyal Medya Reklamlarının Tüketicilerin Plansız Satın Alma Davranışına Etkisi (Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Karabük: Karabük Üniversitesi. https://tez.yok.gov.tr Tez No:779008 (Erişim tarihi: 17 Temmuz 2023)
19. Kalaycı, Ş. (2017). SPSS Uygulamalı Çok Değişkenli İstatistik Teknikleri. Ankara: Dinamik Akademi Yayın Dağıtım.
20. Kietzmann, J. H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I. P., & Silvestre, B. S. (2011). Social Media? Get Serious! Understanding The Functional Building Blocks of Social Media. Business Horizons 54(3), 241–251. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005
21. Kim, H.Y. (2013). Statistical Notes For Clinical Researchers: Assessing Normal Distribution (2) Using Skewness and Kurtosis. Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics, 38(1), 52-54.
22. Lee, E. (2013). Impacts of Social Media on Consumer Behavior: Decision Making Process. Bachelor´S Thesis, Turku University of Applied Sciences, International Business, Bachelor of Business Administration.
23. Liu, C.-L., Sinkovics, R. R., Pezderka, N., & Haghirian, P. (2012). Determinants of Consumer Perceptions Toward Mobile Advertising — A Comparison Between Japan and Austria. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 26(1), 21–32.
24. Livingstone, S. (2014). Developing Social Media Literacy: How Children Learn to Interpret Risky Opportunities on Social Network Sites. Communications, 39(3), 283-303.
25. Livingstone, S., & Helsper, E. J. (2006). Does Advertising Literacy Mediate The Effects of Advertising on Children? A Critical Examination of Two Linked Research Literatures in Relation to Obesity and Food Choice. Journal of Communication, 56(3), 560-584.
26. Lutz, R. J. (1985). Affective and Cognitive Antecedents of Attitude Toward The Ad: A Conceptual Framework. Psychological Processes and Advertising Effects, 1985(1), 45-64.
27. MacKenzie, S. B., & Lutz, R. J. (1989). An Empirical Examination of The Structural Antecedents of Attitude Toward The Ad in an Advertising Pretesting Context. Journal of Marketing, 53(2), 48-65.
28. Menon, A. M., Deshpande, A. D., George, M. Z., & Perri III, M. (2004). A Model Assessing The Effectiveness of Direct-Toconsumer Advertising: Integration of Concepts and Measures From Marketing and Healthcare. International Journal of Advertising, 23(1), 91-117.
29. Mittal, B. (1994). Public Assessment of TV Advertising: Faint Praise and Harsh Criticism. Journal of Advertising Research, 34(1), 35-54.
30. Molly, A. (2021). Media Literacy in Commercials. J. Townsend (Ed.), Understanding Literacy in Our Lives: First-Year Writing Perspectives (s 487-490) içinde. Cleveland, OH: MSL Academic Endeavors.
31. Moorman, C., Deshpande, R., & Zaltman, G. (1993). Factors Affecting Trust in Market Research Relationships. Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 81-101.
32. O'Neill, B., Zumwalt, A., & Bechman, J. (2011). Social Media Use of Cooperative Extension Family Economics Educators: Online Survey Results and Implications. The Journal of Extension, 49(6), 18.
33. Polanco-Levicán, K., & Salvo-Garrido, S. (2022). Understanding Social Media Literacy: A Systematic Review of The Concept and Its Competences. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(14), 8807.
34. Potter, W. J. (2016). Media Literacy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.
35. Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon 9(5), 1-6.
36. Pütter, M. (2017). The Impact of Social Media on Consumer Buying Intention. Marketing, 3(1), 7-13.
37. Seçer, İ. (2015). SPSS ve LISREL ile Pratik Veri Analizi. Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık.
38. Silverblatt, A. (2008). Media Literacy: Keys to Interpreting Media Messages. Westport, CT: Praeger.
39. Şener, G. (2016). Reklam Bilgi İşleme Stratejilerinde Cinsiyet Farklılıkları: Seçicilik Hipotezi Çerçevesinde Rasyonel/Duygusal Reklam Tepkisine Yönelik Deneysel Bir Çalışma. Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 6 (1), 51-73.
40. Tabachnick, B., & Fidell, L. (2012). Using Multivariate Statistics (Global Edition). USA: Pearson.
41. Tandoc Jr, E. C., Yee, A. Z., Ong, J., Lee, J. C. B., Xu, D., Han, Z., ... & Cayabyab, M. Y. (2021). Developing A Perceived Social Media Literacy Scale: Evidence From Singapore. International Journal of Communication, 15, 22.
42. Usman, M., Ilyas, S., Hussain, M. F., & Qureshi, T. M. (2010). General Attitude Towards Advertising: Cultural Influence in Pakistan. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 2(2), 124-133.
43. Ustaahmetoğlu, E. (2015). Reklamlarda Kullanılan Kaynağın Güvenilirliğinin Satın Alma Niyetine Etkisi. International Journal of Economic & Administrative Studies, 8(15), 397-410.
44. Vanwynsberghe, H., Vanderlinde, R., Georges, A., & Verdegem, P. (2014). The Librarian 2.0: Identifying A Typology of Librarians’ Social Media Literacy. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 47(4), 283–293.doi:10.1177/0961000613520027
45. Voramontri, D., & Klieb, L. (2019). Impact of Social Media on Consumer Behaviour. International Journal of Information and Decision Sciences, 11(3), 209-233.