Abstract
BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous countries, including China and France, have implemented lockdown measures that have been effective in controlling the epidemic. However, little is known about the impact of these measures on the population as expressed on social media from different cultural contexts.ObjectiveThis study aims to assess and compare the evolution of the topics discussed on Chinese and French social media during the COVID-19 lockdown.MethodsWe extracted posts containing COVID-19–related or lockdown-related keywords in the most commonly used microblogging social media platforms (ie, Weibo in China and Twitter in France) from 1 week before lockdown to the lifting of the lockdown. A topic model was applied independently for three periods (prelockdown, early lockdown, and mid to late lockdown) to assess the evolution of the topics discussed on Chinese and French social media.ResultsA total of 6395; 23,422; and 141,643 Chinese Weibo messages, and 34,327; 119,919; and 282,965 French tweets were extracted in the prelockdown, early lockdown, and mid to late lockdown periods, respectively, in China and France. Four categories of topics were discussed in a continuously evolving way in all three periods: epidemic news and everyday life, scientific information, public measures, and solidarity and encouragement. The most represented category over all periods in both countries was epidemic news and everyday life. Scientific information was far more discussed on Weibo than in French tweets. Misinformation circulated through social media in both countries; however, it was more concerned with the virus and epidemic in China, whereas it was more concerned with the lockdown measures in France. Regarding public measures, more criticisms were identified in French tweets than on Weibo. Advantages and data privacy concerns regarding tracing apps were also addressed in French tweets. All these differences were explained by the different uses of social media, the different timelines of the epidemic, and the different cultural contexts in these two countries.ConclusionsThis study is the first to compare the social media content in eastern and western countries during the unprecedented COVID-19 lockdown. Using general COVID-19–related social media data, our results describe common and different public reactions, behaviors, and concerns in China and France, even covering the topics identified in prior studies focusing on specific interests. We believe our study can help characterize country-specific public needs and appropriately address them during an outbreak.
Highlights
Since the identification of the first cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the epidemic has quickly spread throughout China and many other countries worldwide
Using general COVID-19–related social media data, our results describe common and different public reactions, behaviors, and concerns in China and France, even covering the topics identified in prior studies focusing on specific https://formative.jmir.org/2021/4/e23593
As global online discourse has shown rapid evolutions over time during the pandemic [14], we considered three periods related to the start and end date of the lockdown in each country to analyze the evolving topics on Chinese and French social media: 1. Prelockdown period: 1 week before the lockdown started 2
Summary
Since the identification of the first cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the epidemic has quickly spread throughout China and many other countries worldwide. In response to the rising numbers of cases and deaths, China, followed by many other countries, implemented measures to control the epidemic and preserve their health systems. China enforced the quarantine and lockdown of cities and, subsequently, whole provinces at the end of January 2020. Traffic within urban areas was restricted, and all inner-city travel was prohibited unless permitted. The most affected countries included Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous countries, including China and France, have implemented lockdown measures that have been effective in controlling the epidemic. Little is known about the impact of these measures on the population as expressed on social media from different cultural contexts
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
