Social Media Responses Research Articles

Pulling through together: social media response trajectories in disaster-stricken communities

Disasters are extraordinary shocks that disrupt every aspect of the community life. Lives are lost, infrastructure is destroyed, the social fabric is torn apart, and people are left with physical and psychological trauma. In the aftermath of a disaster, communities begin the collective process of healing, grieving losses, repairing damage, and adapting to a new reality. Previous work has suggested the existence of a series of prototypical stages through which such community responses evolve. As social media have become more widely used, affected communities have increasingly adopted them to express, navigate, and build their response due to the greater visibility and speed of interaction that these platforms afford. In this study, we ask if the behavior of disaster-struck communities on social media follows prototypical patterns and what relationship, if any, these patterns may have with those established for offline behavior in previous work. Building on theoretical models of disaster response, we investigate whether, in the short term, community responses on social media in the aftermath of disasters follow a prototypical trajectory. We conduct our analysis using computational methods to model over 200 disaster-stricken U.S. communities. Community responses are measured in a range of domains, including psychological, social, and sense-making, and as multidimensional time series derived from the linguistic markers in tweets from those communities. We find that community responses on Twitter demonstrate similar response patterns across numerous social, aspirational, and physical dynamics. Additionally, through cluster analysis, we demonstrate that a minority of communities are characterized by more intense and enduring emotional coping strategies and sense-making. In this investigation of the relationship between community response and intrinsic properties of disasters, we reveal that the severity of the impact makes the deviant trajectory more likely, while the type and duration of a disaster are not associated with it.

An Examination of the Relationship between Social Media Sentiment and Housing Market Information

<p>透過社群網路搜尋人們的看法評價作為參考已成為現代人做決策的一種方式，過去文獻已發現傳統媒體是影響市場的重要因素，本文進一步了解社群媒體與房市變化是否有關聯。本文使用OpView社群口碑資料庫2016年至2020年有關房市的臉書 (Facebook) 與論壇 (PTT) 貼文，建構社群媒體情緒聲量指標，與房價、交易量、流通天數、議價空間等四個房市交易資訊以進行關係的實證測試。結果顯示Facebook與PTT社群總情緒聲量或區分為正面、負面、中立情緒之測試，可發現對房價與房屋交易量有顯著影響力，但對房屋流通天數與議價空間就只有PTT社群情緒聲量發現影響力。在Granger因果關係檢定方面，房價與交易量與社群情緒聲量互為因果，也就是發生回饋的情況，然社群情緒聲量僅單向影響流通天數，並與議價空間有很弱的因果關係。透過觀察衝擊反應函數，Facebook社群情緒聲量對房價在衝擊發生的初期有正向且顯著的影響，PTT社群情緒聲量則是對房價、議價空間分別有相對較長期間的正向、負向影響。本文證實社群媒體對於房市具有一定程度的影響力，透過觀察社群情緒聲量能對房市變化更有掌握。</p> <p> </p><p>Online social networks have become a popular channel through which individuals obtain opinions and evaluations that enable them to make informed decisions. Studies have determined that traditional media are a key factor influencing various markets. The present study explored the relationship between social media and housing market changes. The OpView database was searched to retrieve online responses posted between 2016 and 2020 on various social media platforms (i.e., Facebook and PTT). Social media sentiment indices, which were constructed on the basis of the collected online responses, were used to analyze the correlations of the responses with housing price, transaction volume, time-on-the-market, and price concessions. The results indicate that the general, positive, negative, and neutral online responses posted on Facebook and PTT significantly influenced both housing prices and transaction volume. However, only the online responses posted on PTT significantly affected time-on-the-market and price concessions. The results of a Granger causality test revealed the two-way causal relationships of housing prices and transaction volume with online responses, indicating the presence of a feedback mechanism. However, online responses only affected time-on-the-market in one direction, and their causal relationship with price concessions was weak. The results obtained using the impact response function indicate that the effect of Facebook online responses on housing prices was only significant and positive during the initial period of shock. By contrast, the positive and negative effects of PTT online responses on housing prices and price concessions, respectively, persisted for a longer period. We determined that online social media responses influenced the housing market. Through an analysis of social media sentiment, we obtained a clearer understanding of housing market fluctuations.</p> <p> </p>

Understanding public perceptions in social media responses to posts about acute severe hepatitis of unknown etiology in Indonesia: a qualitative study

BackgroundAcute Severe Hepatitis of Unknown Etiology (ASHUE) emerged as a new global outbreak in Indonesia early May 2022, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to understand public reactions and responses to the emergence of ASHUE Indonesia and to Government-led disease prevention responses. Understanding how the public perceived government-led preventive messaging about the hepatitis outbreak is crucial to controlling viral spread – particularly given the rapid and unforeseen emergence of ASHUE coincided with COVID-19 and public trust in the Indonesian Government to manage health outbreaks was already tenuous.MethodsSocial media users’ responses to information disseminated via Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter were analyzed to understand public perceptions about ASHUE outbreak and their attitudes toward Government-led prevention measures. Data were extracted on a daily basis from 1st May 2022 to 30th May 2022 and analyzed manually. We inductively generated the codes, from which we formed a construct and then grouped to identify themes.ResultsA total of 137 response comments collected from 3 social medial platforms were analyzed. Of these, 64 were from Facebook, 57 were from YouTube, and 16 were from Twitter. We identified 5 main themes, including (1) disbelief in the existence of the infection; (2) suspicion about a potential new business after COVID-19; (3) suspicion that COVID-19 vaccine(s) are the cause; (4) religion-related fatalism and (5) trust in government measures.ConclusionsThe findings advance knowledge about public perceptions, reactions and attitudes towards the emergence of ASHUE and the efficacy of disease countermeasures. The knowledge from this study will provide an understanding of why disease prevention measures might not be followed. It can be used to develop public awareness programs in Indonesia about both the ASHUE and its possible consequences and the available healthcare support.

Time Series Analysis of Sentiment: A Comparison of the US and UK Coronavirus Subreddits

In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of the social media response on Reddit to the COVID-19 pandemic during its first year (February 2020–2021). The emergence of region-specific subreddits allows us to compare the reactions of individuals posting their opinions on social media about the global pandemic from two perspectives — the UK and the US. In particular, we look at the volume of posts and comments on these two subreddits, and at the sentiment expressed in these posts and comments over time as a measure of the public level of engagement and response. Whilst an analysis of volume allows us to quantify how interested people are about the pandemic as it unfolds, sentiment analysis goes beyond this and informs us about how people respond towards the pandemic based on the textual content in the posts and comments. The research looks to develop a framework for analyzing the social response on Reddit to a large-scale event in terms of the level of engagement measured through post and comment volumes, and opinion measured through an analysis of sentiment applied to the post content. In order to compare the subreddits, we show the trend in the time series through the application of moving average methods. We also show how to identify the lag between time series and align them using cross-correlation. Moreover, once aligned, we apply moving correlations to the time series to measure their degree of correspondence to see if there is a similar response to the pandemic across the two groups (UK and US). The results indicate that both subreddits were posting in high volumes at specific points during the pandemic, and that, despite the generally negative sentiment in the posts and comments, a gradual decrease in negativity leading up to the start of 2021 is observed as measures are put in place by governments and organizations to contain the virus and provide necessary support the affected populations.

Don’t Make My Entertainment Political! Social Media Responses to Narratives of Racial Duty on Competitive Reality Television Series

ABSTRACT To what extent should scholars view competitive reality television series as a politically relevant medium for transmitting messages about race, racial identity, and politics in the United States? Cultivation theory argues that the depiction of social issues and groups on television influences how individuals perceive the world around them. Drawing on this theory, I argue that the increasingly diverse casts of American competitive reality series are a heretofore underexplored site for studying the transmission of narratives related to race and racial justice to ostensibly unsuspecting American television audiences. In this article, I analyze viewers’ reactions to Black contestants discussing their feelings of racialized social obligations when playing the game – what I refer to as narratives of racial duty. Employing a sentiment analysis as well as an inductive thematic content analysis of tweets reacting to four episodes from the 41st season of Survivor, I found that audience members overwhelmingly reacted negatively to embedding narratives of racial duty into the series. Specifically, they described the season as too political – the worst in the show’s history – and even vowed to stop watching. These findings suggest that broadcasting exemplars who challenge prevailing narratives of racial progress may stoke feelings of racial backlash that could ultimately prompt individuals to tune out of these entertainment programs at best, and stoke racial discord at worst. Thus, I conclude that bringing race to the center of communication research offers scholars in both traditions a new vantage point for studying trends in American racial attitudes.

Early career teachers’ expansion of professional learning networks with social media

ABSTRACT Early career teachers (ECTs) face numerous challenges during their transition from preparation programmes into professional employment contexts. Social media platforms have created many new opportunities for teachers’ ongoing professional learning by putting them in contact with other teachers from anywhere in the world. However, being connected to more people also means that ECTs must navigate an increased number of potentially conflicting messages about what and how to teach. Thus, entering the profession presents ECTs external conflicts as they adjust to new colleagues and internal conflicts as they encounter cognitive dissonance between old and new ideas. This study explores how and why ECTs expand professional learning networks (PLNs) – that is, the supports, people and spaces useful for improving teaching and learning – with social media in response to early career challenges. Interviews with nine ECTs demonstrate that they expand PLNs to navigate change, scarcity of resources and conflicting teaching beliefs. Interviewees use social media to look for supports for instructional practise and for connecting socially, but they also described how they maintain boundaries around their social media use. Implications are discussed for ECTs, administrators and education leaders – especially regarding how stakeholders can help alleviate early career pressures on ECTs.

The boundary setting of Chinese netizens’ citizenship identity: social media responses to the Regulations of the PRC on the Administration of Permanent Residence of Foreigners

Since Reform and Opening Up, the Chinese government has been under pressure regarding policy on the residence of foreign migrants to the country. In response, the Chinese government released a document entitled the Regulations of the PRC on the Administration of Permanent Residence of Foreigners in February 2020, which has roused fierce social opposition, as reflected in Chinese netizens’ attitudes towards foreign immigrants and citizenship identity. Based on online discussions in the Zhihu community, in this paper, we investigated the exclusive and inclusive boundaries of Chinese netizens’ citizenship identity through quantitative and thematic textual analyses. The exclusive boundary includes racial and historical discourses that raise insurmountable walls between Chinese people and foreign immigrants, while the inclusive boundary is reflected in citizenship rights and access criteria. The issues of ‘super-national treatment’ (privileges enjoyed by foreign nationals with permanent Chinese residency) and ‘low access criteria’ (the relative ease with which foreign immigrants can obtain permanent residence in China) for foreign immigrants have weakened the openness of the inclusive boundary, causing netizens who were once willing to accept foreign immigrants to oppose the presence of non-native groups in the country. This study deepens our understanding of Chinese netizens’ citizenship identity and contributes to citizenship identity theory.

Creating Commonality Through Storytelling? Social Media Responses to Identity Appeals in Thrifting Narratives

ABSTRACT This article examines reactions to government officials’ disclosures about buying secondhand clothing to manage the financial obligations associated with “looking the part” when holding office. I refer to these disclosures as “thrifting narratives.” This study adopts a novel approach to analyzing the political relevance of elected officials’ physical appearance by asking: to what extent does public officials sharing thrifting narratives make them appear more relatable and help forge political commonality with the public? To answer this question, I analyze Twitter responses to a thrifting narrative shared by newly elected Representative Cori Bush in November 2020. Results of the analysis reveal that Twitter users most frequently responded to the socioeconomic dimensions of Bush’s thrifting narrative and, in this context, perceived her as an authentic leader. These findings contribute to existing literature by showcasing how wardrobe choices can operate as social class markers and be used to foster rapport with ordinary citizens.

‘Psst, We’re Losing our Jobs’

Employee downsizing has often been claimed as helping to improve firm performance and competitiveness. However, the results of many previous studies point to downsizing initiatives that have failed to achieve the expected results. Part of the explanation for such poor results relates to the formal and informal communication processes and the employee emotions that precipitate and accompany the change. For instance, downsizing might generate a range of negative employee social media responses that impact firm reputation. Unfortunately, prior research has largely neglected the often-encountered grapevine activity’s role during employee downsizing. Given rumor’s ability to impact negatively on firm downsizing, the paper’s aim is to theoretically emphasize the factors that precipitate employee attention to rumor before, during and after the downsizing process. In doing so, we develop a model of how individuals rely on rumor to appraise and make sense of their environment during layoffs. This paper extends and contributes insights into contingencies of employee downsizing, emotion, and informal communication. This knowledge will help organizational leaders in a more digital and hybrid world of work to respond better to salient employee issues during downsizing.

Coming together in a digital age: Community twitter responses in the wake of a campus shooting.

Campus mass shootings have become a pressing policy and public health matter. Twitter is a platform used for processing events among interested community members. Examining the responses of invested community members to a mass shooting on a college campus provides evidence for how this type of violence affects the immediate community and the larger public. These responses may reflect either content (e.g. context-specific) or emotions (e.g. humor). Aims Using Twitter data, we analyzed the emotional responses as well as the nature of non-affective short-term reactions, in response to the April 2019 shooting at UNC Charlotte. Methods Drawn from a pool of tweets between 4/30/19-5/7/19, we analyzed 16,749 tweets using keywords related to the mass shooting (e.g. "shooting," "gun violence," "UNC Charlotte"). A coding team manually coded the tweets using content and sentiment analyses. Results Overall, 7,148 (42.67%) tweets contained negative emotions (e.g. anger, sadness, disgust, anxiety), 5,088 (30.38%) contained positive emotions (e.g. humor, hope, appreciation), 14,892 (88.91%) were communal responses to the shooting (e.g. prayers, healing, victim remembrance), 8,329 (49.73%) were action-oriented (e.g. action taken, policy advocacy), and 15,498 (92.53%) included information (e.g. death/injury, news). All tweets except positive emotions peaked one day following the incident. Conclusions Our findings point to peaks in most emotions in the 24 hours following the event, with the exception of positive emotions which peaked one day later. Social media responses to a campus shooting suggest college preparedness for immediate deployment of supportive responses in the case of campus violence is needed.

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND AWARENESS ABOUT ORAL CANCER AMONG DENTAL STUDENTS IN CHENNAI, TAMILNADU- A QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY.

Aim and objectives; To assess the knowledge, attitude and awareness about oral cancer among dental students in Chennai. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted Materials and methods; among the undergraduate dental students between 3rd, 4th & those who are pursuing internship in Chennai, Tamilnadu. A questionnaire consisted of 15 questions regarding the knowledge, attitude and awareness towards oral cancer. The questionnaire was circulated among the dental students as Google forms through various social media modes and responses were noted and evaluated for statistical analysis by SPSS software version 24.0. Results; of all the 121, (57.03%) were intern students followed by (29.75%) nal years and (13.22%) third years. About(70.2%) of the dental students were aware of the diagnostic tool for oral cancer and about (80.2%) were aware of oral squamous cell carcinoma as the most commonly occurring oral cancer. While (74.4%) agreed that there is a need for additional training or information regarding oral cancer. Conclusion; The current study implies that knowledge, especially about the causes, symptoms and best modes of treatment has to be reinforced throughout the undergraduate dental students so that it helps in better diagnosis and proper treatment.

STOCK MARKET PREDICTION USING BIG DATA

Big data is a new and emerging buss word in today’s times. Stock market is an up and ever evolving, volatile, uncertain and intriguingly potential niche, which is an important extension in finance and business growth and prediction. Stock market has to deal with a large amount of vast and distinct data to function and draw meaningful conclusions. Stock market trends depend broadly on two analyses; technical and fundamental. Technical analysis is carried out using historical trends and market values. On the other hand, fundamental analysis is done based on the sentiments, values and social media data and responses. Since large, complex and complicated and exponentially growing data is involved, we use big data analysis to help assist in the prediction and drawing accurate business decisions and profitable investments. Keywords: Big data, prediction, Stock Market, Machine Learning.

Changing masculinities? Using caring masculinity to analyse social media responses to the decline of men in Australian primary school teaching

Commentators have predicted that Australian male primary school teachers will be extinct within 50 years. Drawing upon sociological ideas about the emergence of ‘caring masculinities’, this article qualitatively examines popular Australian understandings about male primary school teachers, their importance, why they are declining and whether, and how, this gender imbalance can be addressed. The study analyses data from 541 comments posted in response to nine online media pieces on male primary school teachers in Australia. The article shows that commenters believe men teaching young children experience stigmatised masculine identities but misplace the cause of this as the result of women and anti-feminist ‘anti-male bias’ rather than the constraining impact of hegemonic masculinity. The article suggests that until more caring and progressive forms of masculinity are culturally and economically valued in Australia we will see little change in the numbers of men entering primary school teaching.

Toward an Anti-Caste and Feminist Vision of Transformative Justice: Analyzing Social Media Activism Against Sexual Violence

This article attempts to understand how ideas of justice are conceptualized within social media discourses around gender and sexual violence in India through an intersectional analysis of two case studies: the case of the rape and murder of a Hyderabad veterinarian and the List of Sexual Harassers in Academia, or LoSHA, which generated many conversations on sexual violence and justice on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. While a cursory reading of these two social media responses might see both as a rejection of due process and as seeking justice outside the structures of the judicial system, we argue that a closer reading of both is necessary to understand the different contours that these calls for justice have taken. In addition, we study how these two different social media conversations on sexual violence have centered the victim/survivor of sexual violence differently to understand how they engage with carcerality and anti-carceral politics. We conclude by attempting a definition of transformative justice based on anti-caste feminist interventions on social media, specifically drawing on the work of Dalit feminists, including those who created LoSHA.

The Role of Legacy Media and Social Media in Increasing Public Engagement About Violence Against Women in Turkey

Evidence that women have paid the price of what has been labeled the “shadow pandemic” is found in the increase in violence against them. The rates of femicide and lack of trust in the Turkish judicial system of the authoritarian government are worrisome. Protests have been made in the streets and through social media in response. Our goal was to determine the role of legacy news media and social media in bringing awareness of the femicide issue to the public and how affective publics function surrounding a relatively unaddressed societal problem using datasets created by women’s organizations. We conducted a content analysis on 150 sampled femicide cases in Turkey before and during the pandemic taken from online news sources. We investigated the quality of traditional news media coverage and the volume of social media users expressing emotional reactions to individual femicides over time. Results suggest that the journalistic performance of covering the issue of femicide fails to detail essential facts, and awareness and concern for the issue are evident in the Likes, retweets, shares, and expressions of emotional engagement provided to the victims, while online reactions to femicide have increased substantially since 2019, contributing to the formation of affective publics. The study makes a conceptual contribution to the understanding of legacy media and social media’s roles in spurring public engagement about serious social problems in autocratic political contexts while advancing the methodological tools of combining social scientific techniques with computational ones.

Who Said What: A Multi-Country Content Analysis of European Health Organisations' COVID-19 Social Media Communication.

Objectives: As a risk communication tool, social media was mobilised at an unprecedented level during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined health authorities’ risk communication on social media in response to the pandemic in 2020. Methods: We analysed 1,633 COVID-19-related posts from 15 social media accounts managed by official health authorities in Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Results: The rate at which the authorities posted about COVID-19 on social media fluctuated throughout 2020. Each account’s posting frequency peaked between March and May 2020, before dropping considerably during the summer. The messages that the organisations focused on also varied throughout the year but covered most risk communication guidelines. Yet, our analysis highlighted themes that were communicated infrequently, such as long COVID or exercising during the pandemic. Conclusion: With more individuals now following health authorities on social media, platforms such as Instagram hold great potential for future risk communication campaigns and strategies.

Negotiating hybridity, inequality, and hyper-visibility: museums and galleries’ social media response to the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This article examines the impacts of COVID-19 on the digital work of museums and galleries in the UK, 2020–2021. Focusing on social media activity, we explore two questions: (1) How did approaches to, and institutional perceptions of, social media shift during the pandemic? and (2) Looking to the future, what practical and theoretical challenges do social media present for museums and galleries, and what are the related policy implications? The discussion draws on a mixed-methods study including an analysis of 9000 tweets, and reflective semi-structured interviews with 19 digital workers. Our findings can help shape global digital heritage practices as we emerge from the pandemic, enabling more dynamic and meaningful forms of cultural participation, and underpinning more confident and ethical social media trajectories.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding artificial intelligence in histopathology

Introduction: The era of artificial intelligence (AI) has dawned, and its influence on different aspects of our lives is now tremendously evident. The introduction of whole slide imaging in digital pathology has changed the face of histopathology (HP) and is in the process of paving a smooth platform towards the far-reaching telepathology. Aim: The present study was aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of Oral Pathologists (OPs) in India regarding the incorporation of AI in diagnostic HP. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among OPs across India. A structured online questionnaire comprising 27 questions was sent to each participant through email and social media platforms and responses were collected and analyzed. The relationship between demographic variables and good KAP was analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Results and Discussion: One hundred and seventy-one OPs participated in the study, with 8.8% having good knowledge, 70.2% having a positive attitude, and only 4.1% using AI in diagnostic HP. Knowledge regarding AI in pathology increased in a statistically significant way (P = 0.001) with respect to years of experience. 43.9% of OPs expect AI to be integrated into HP in India over the next ten years. Conclusion: OPs in India have a positive attitude towards the incorporation of AI in their pathology practice. Vital measures to enable the integration of AI into diagnostic HP and to improve its awareness are an absolute requisite in our scenario.

“It’s about time”: Twitter responses to gender change with Doctor Who’s 13th Doctor

ABSTRACT Quantitative content analysis was used to examine social media responses to the BBC’s announcement of the first female Doctor in the science-fiction show Doctor Who. Tweets reacting to the BBC’s framing of the decision (N = 2,971) were coded for mentions of representation, impact on the character, political correctness, feminism, impact on ratings, and impact on younger generations. Results indicated that audience responses did not reflect the BBC’s framing but were generally supportive of the casting choice. Explanations for the lack of correspondence between the BBC and responses are explored.

Performing race and remaking identity: Chinese visual artists in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic

The mass shooting in Atlanta that killed eight people including six Asian women in March 2021 marked the new peak of the unceasing waves of anti-Asian violence since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States. In this context, this article examines how a group of Chinese visual artists in New York perform and remake their Asian identity on social media in response to a surge in hatred towards and violence against Asians in the United States following the outbreak of COVID-19. Based on my analysis of their visual rhetoric and media activism, I identify three approaches that this group of Chinese visual artists use to perform and remake their Asian identity. First, they performed their Asian identity by developing various visual rhetorics to combat and denounce anti-Asian discourse and hate crime. Second, their Asian identity emerged when they created new visual rhetoric to reimagine what it meant to be Asian in the United States. The new visual rhetoric enriched the understanding of Asian-ness and diversified the experiences of being Asian in the United States by overtly or subtly challenging Asian stereotypes as a product of the western imagination. Lastly, they claimed their Asian identity through seeking racial justice in a larger social context in collaboration with other racial minority groups.