SMART Team members

SMART Conference Abstract

This symposium brings together five scholars from the EdUHK’s Social Media Analytics Research Team (SMART) to explore the psychological, linguistic, and sociocultural mechanisms underlying social media use/misuse and online (mis)behavior, along with their implications for guiding practitioners to cultivate trust, truth, and wisdom in digital contexts. Through a series of short presentations and an open discussion, this symposium will address the needs of specific social media users across various settings to enhance online well-being and mutual support.

The team members will each deliver a talk on some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities in today’s digital world, with a focus on identifying fake news, combating cyberbullying and stigmatization, building self-awareness, reducing attention fragmentation, and improving media literacy. The presentations will address the role of language in detecting and tracking misinformation and fake news on social media, as well as the implications for developing effective strategies to raise public awareness and improve media literacy. We will also discuss intercultural misunderstandings and conflicts to promote harmony, examine how social media affects youth well-being and identity formation, and the importance of family and intergenerational support in making digital spaces more welcoming for older adults. Additionally, the symposium will investigate the impact of cyberbullying on young people, exploring strategies to support those affected and create safer, more trustworthy online communities.

Together, these presentations offer new insights into how digital and social media shape our lives. By connecting theoretical insights with practical strategies, the symposium aims to deepen our understanding of how digital developments transform individual experiences, ultimately fostering a more inclusive society and a safer online environment.

Cultivating Trust, Truth, and Wisdom in Social Media

SMART Team Members

Professor Chiu Ming Ming

Chair Professor of Analytics and Diversity

Professor Chiu is an analytics expert, integrating statistics, computer science and mathematics to develop theories and test them in diverse fields, including education, psychology, sociology, linguistics, criminology, economics, and management. Professor Chiu is a prolific researcher with 175 publications (97 refereed journal articles). He invented an artificial intelligence expert system, Statistician, and two statistical methods, Multilevel Diffusion Analysis and Statistical Discourse Analysis, which was recognised as one of the best 50 learning science ideas by the International Society for the Learning Sciences. He is also an outstanding academic leader; as Associate Chair of the Department of Learning and Instruction in University at Buffalo, he helped nearly triple his colleagues’ publications from 0.5 to 1.4 per year.

Professor Lin Mei Yi Angel

Chair Professor of Language, Literacy, and Social Semiotics in Education

Angel M. Y. Lin is Chair Professor of Language, Literacy and Social Semiotics in Education at The Education University of Hong Kong. She is also Co-Editor-in-Chief of Language Policy (2025–present). A pioneering scholar in plurilingual education and critical literacies, Dr. Lin's research spans translanguaging, trans-semiotizing, CLIL, critical media literacies, and Human-AI relationality. Her classroom-based research since the 1990s has reshaped English language education in multilingual contexts globally. With over 200 publications, she has garnered over 17,700 citations and an impressive h-index of 63. Dr. Lin has been named among Stanford University’s top 1% most cited scientists from 2022 to 2025, and is also the first Chinese scholar selected to receive the Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award by the American Association for Applied Linguistics. Her intellectual leadership has profoundly influenced the field and scholars across Asia and Canada.

Professor Gu Mingyue Michelle

Assistant Vice President (Research); Professor, Department of English Language Education

Professor Gu is a renowned sociolinguistics researcher investigating the interplay between individuals and their contexts through languages and semiotics with prolific publications in top academic journals. Her valuable research advances our understanding of multilingualism, language identity, second language-learning motivation, and the interaction between language, culture, and ethnicity. Professor Gu has secured multiple competitive external research grants as Principal Investigator (PI), including the General Research Fund (GRF) and the Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (HSSPFS) from the Research Grants Council, the PICO-funded Public Policy Research Grant, and the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (Research and Development) Grant. She is listed among Stanford University’s world’s top 2% most-cited scientists and is an elected Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of the Humanities.

Professor Chan Ka Shing Kevin

Professor, Department of Psychology

Professor Chan is a psychologist who studies the impact of stigma on the health and wellbeing of social minorities. His recent work focuses on examining the stigma experienced by individuals with mental disorders and families of children with developmental disabilities. By investigating how stigma affects these disadvantaged populations and developing targeted interventions to address it, Professor Chan’s research aims to enhance their wellbeing and promote equity and inclusion. Professor Chan has successfully secured numerous competitive research grants, including the Early Career Scheme and the General Research Fund from the Research Grants Council. He has authored many papers in top-tier international journals. Additionally, he has served as the lead editor for the book Mindfulness for Child and Adolescent Well-Being: International Perspectives and has acted as an Academic Editor for esteemed international journals, such as Depression and Anxiety and Health and Social Care in the Community.

Dr Leung Nga Man Angel

Associate Professor, Department of Psychology

Dr Leung, Nga Man Angle received her doctoral degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. She then completed her postdoctoral training at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore as a research fellow. She has received over HK$2M of internal and external grants on projects. Dr Leung’s research centers on the psychosocial well-being and development of children and adolescents. Her research interests include cyberbullying, online social interaction, E-learning education, family relationship, parenting, filial piety and hope intervention.

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