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Rio Oktora Nanda Putra (李勇俊) and Professor Trisha (林翠絹) were in attendance at the Pacific Telecommunication Council (PTC) 2023 Annual Conference held in Honolulu Hawaii from January 15-18, 2023. Rio was presented a research paper (Understanding Social Media Echo Chamber, Socialbots and Trust: Theory of Planned Behavior Perspectives) as second author under Professor Trisha's supervision. The conference, which attracted over 2,000 participants from around the world, offered a platform for scholars, researchers, and professionals to exchange ideas and discuss the latest advancements in the field of telecommunication.
The research paper presented by Rio and Professor Trisha addressed the issue of socialbots, which are fake accounts on social media that mimic human behaviors and rapidly disseminate disinformation that endangers elections, democracy, and public health.
“Attending the PTC'23 Annual Conference was a challenging but rewarding experience. I contributed as the paper's second author while working under Professor Trisha's supervision. Our study focused on the relationship between socialbots and echo chambers and how the theory of planned behavior was applied to explain this relationship,” according to Rio.
The research examined the echo chamber effects that are exacerbated by social media algorithms, which send distinct perspectives to targeted social groups, leading to socio-political polarization.
Professor Trisha continued, “We specifically looked at how echo chambers and socialbots influenced people's intention to interact with socialbots in crisis situations, including pandemic and Taiwan's election. And this is important since Taiwan has faced increasing challenges of bot-driven disinformation campaigns during elections and COVID-19 pandemic.”
The conference was a valuable opportunity for Rio and Professor Trisha to present their research findings and engage with other experts in the industry. The conference has also inspired Rio to continue his research as a first author and make significant contributions to the field of international communication studies.
Rio stated that it was an honor to participate in such a prominent event, which brought together top academics and industry experts in the fields of technology and communications. The presenters' passion and enthusiasm as well as the amount of participation among the audience particularly surprised him. Rio added, “I must admit that I was initially quite nervous about giving my first presentation at an international conference. But as the presentation went on, I was able to handle my nervousness and deliver the presentation with confidence. I felt grateful for the opportunity given by Professor Trisha, and proud of my work.”
PTC 2023 Annual Conference provided a platform for the exchange of ideas and advancements in the field of telecommunication. The conference was a great success and helped to strengthen the connections between researchers, professionals, and academics from around the world.
“Each presentation was dynamic and exciting, and it was obvious that the speakers were deeply committed to their work and contributing to the academic and professional. Their passion was contagious, and the experience of presenting our research as the second author was incredibly valuable, and I was encouraged by the positive feedback and engagement from the audience. This has inspired me to want to take on more leadership roles in my future research and to contribute to the industry in a more meaningful way. I've been motivated by this experience to work even harder toward my goals and make greater contributions to the academic and industry communities,” Rio concluded.
Profile:
Harvard Yenching Visiting Scholar & Fulbright Scholar (2022-2023)
Professor, College of Communication, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
Research fellow, Taiwan Institute for Governance and Communication Research
The Indonesian Education Scholarship Awardee
Graduate student, International Master Program in International Communication Studies,
National Chengchi University, Taiwan