Each year, Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering asks our students engaged in summer research to tell us about themselves, their work and the goals of the research they are working with professors on. This year, the questionnaire was completed by intrepid scientists, mathematicians, engineers and tech experts on campus at Loyola Marymount University — and beyond the bluff!
Cameron Hajaliloo ’26, a statistics and data science student whose research was overseen by professors Junyuan Lin and Lanyu Shang, analyzed harmful content on Reddit, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok related to youth wellness this summer.
Can you describe your research for those outside your field of study?
We analyzed harmful content on social media related to youth wellness. We did this on Reddit, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok. We identified different topics, keywords, and subreddits associated with more negative sentiments and we identified specific topics and keywords apart of harmful content on social media.
What do you think readers will find most interesting about your project?
Social media is clearly used by a large amount of people, and many have concerns about the negative impacts social media use can have on others. Particularly, youth may be more vulnerable to harmful content on social media and it’s important to monitor that content for parents and anyone concerned/affected.
What advice would you give to someone on the fence about doing research?
What do you have to lose? Try it! Research is incredibly important and receiving funding for research in a time like this is an incredible blessing.