Research is rarely created for private use; researchers publish their work so that others can read and use it, to advance the collective understanding of a field and impact people’s lives. Yet traditional approaches to scholarship, which emphasize publication in subscription-based rather than open access journals, inhibit not only the dissemination of research but also its usefulness, particularly outside of academia. Across all fields, scholars, educators, and members of the public benefit from scholarship which is easily accessible. Open science and public, social scholarship can break down these barriers to accessibility and utility. In this age which calls for a more informed citizenry, the use of social media to share and promote discussion of research could change not only the nature of scholarly communication but also the nature of scholarship and scholars’ roles. In this conceptual article, we argue that practicing public, social scholarship and increasing the use of social media to promote scholarship are the civic responsibility of citizen-scholars, so that research becomes more widely accessible, shareable, and usable in the public sphere.

This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the online delivery of a spiritual–mind–body (SMB) wellness intervention previously delivered and validated in person, Awakened Awareness for Adolescents (AA-A), designed for spiritual individuation among emerging-adult undergraduates. Undergraduates aged 18–25 (N = 39) participated in an open trial study. Enrollment, retention, and engagement rates were calculated to assess the feasibility of delivering AA-A online. Thematic analysis on qualitative feedback was conducted to assess acceptability. Clinical and spiritual well-being were assessed before and after AA-A delivery using self-report measures and pre-to-post-intervention changes examined. Results were compared to previous findings from AA-A delivered in person. Interactions between sexual and gender minority (SGM) status and AA-A delivery method on spiritual well-being change scores were explored. Significant improvements were seen in anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms and spiritual well-being. Affordances and constraints of the online format were identified across three themes. SGM students showed significantly greater improvements than non-SGM students in depression and anxiety symptoms and spiritual well-being. AA-A is feasible and acceptable in an online format and can support students’ spiritual individuation and mental health in a way that is comparable to its in-person format. Furthermore, the online format may be particularly beneficial for SGM students to actively participate and engage.

This chapter discusses how the very design of social media impacts the civic sphere. Social media is not neutral, and from its algorithms through manipulation and disinformation from its individual users, social media has threatened civic life. This chapter also includes ways in which these concerns have been addressed through media literacy education. Further, this chapter explores two concepts which impact both civic education and social media use: civic perspective-taking and political polarization. The chapter concludes by arguing that students need to be taught about the potential harm of social media, for themselves and the civic sphere, through critical digital citizenship.

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