Video review

• Privacy: It is important to protect the privacy of participants in social media research. This means anonymizing data whenever possible and taking steps to prevent the identification of participants.
• Harm: It is important to minimize the potential harm to participants in social media research. This means being mindful of the potential impact of the research on participants' emotions, reputations, and relationships.

Townsend also discusses a number of other ethical issues that are relevant to social media research, such as the use of deception, the disclosure of sensitive information, and the publication of research findings.

The most important ethical issue highlighted in the video is the issue of consent. This is because social media users may not be aware of the fact that their data is being collected and used for research purposes. Additionally, social media users may not be able to provide informed consent if they are not aware of the potential risks involved in participating in the research.

The issue of consent is particularly relevant to my proposed research topic, which is the use of social media by people with disabilities. This is because people with disabilities may be more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Additionally, people with disabilities may have different communication needs and may require additional support to understand and provide informed consent.

To address the issue of consent in my research, I will take the following steps:

• I will clearly explain the purpose of the research to all participants.
• I will explain how participants' data will be used and the potential risks involved.
• I will obtain written consent from all participants.
• I will provide participants with a way to withdraw from the research at any time.

I will also take steps to protect the privacy of participants and to minimize the potential harm to participants. For example, I will anonymize data whenever possible and I will avoid using any sensitive information in my research.

I believe that it is important to conduct social media research in a responsible and ethical manner. By following the guidelines provided in Townsend's video, I can help to ensure that my research is conducted in a way that protects the rights and well-being of participants.