Capturing Engagement with Cancer Information on Facebook: The Social Media Content and Context (SoCo) Elicitation Method (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonaira M. Rivera ◽  
Meghan B. Moran ◽  
Johannes Thrul ◽  
Corinne Joshu ◽  
Katherine Smith

UNSTRUCTURED Most of what is known regarding cancer information engagement on social media stems from quantitative methodologies. Public health literature often quantifies engagement by Most of what is known regarding cancer information engagement on social media stems from quantitative methodologies. Public health literature often quantifies engagement by measuring likes, comments and/or shares of posts within cancer organizations’ Facebook Pages. Yet, this content may not represent the cancer information generally available to and consumed by platform users. Furthermore, some individuals may prefer to engage with information without leaving digital traces researchers can quantify. This article discusses the limitations of current approaches to assess cancer information engagement on Facebook and presents the social media content and context (SoCo) elicitation method, a qualitatively-driven mixed methods approach to understanding engagement. Two case studies are presented to highlight important findings elicited through this novel approach. The SoCo elicitation method allows for a better representation of how persons engage with cancer information. This method may be applied to future studies regarding how to best communicate health information on social media. 

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272199545
Author(s):  
Areej Khokhar ◽  
Aaron Spaulding ◽  
Zuhair Niazi ◽  
Sikander Ailawadhi ◽  
Rami Manochakian ◽  
...  

Importance: Social media is widely used by various segments of society. Its role as a tool of communication by the Public Health Departments in the U.S. remains unknown. Objective: To determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media following of the Public Health Departments of the 50 States of the U.S. Design, Setting, and Participants: Data were collected by visiting the Public Health Department web page for each social media platform. State-level demographics were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention was utilized to collect information regarding the Governance of each State’s Public Health Department. Health rankings were collected from “America’s Health Rankings” 2019 Annual report from the United Health Foundation. The U.S. News and World Report Education Rankings were utilized to provide information regarding the public education of each State. Exposure: Data were pulled on 3 separate dates: first on March 5th (baseline and pre-national emergency declaration (NED) for COVID-19), March 18th (week following NED), and March 25th (2 weeks after NED). In addition, a variable identifying the total change across platforms was also created. All data were collected at the State level. Main Outcome: Overall, the social media following of the state Public Health Departments was very low. There was a significant increase in the public interest in following the Public Health Departments during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: With the declaration of National Emergency, there was a 150% increase in overall public following of the State Public Health Departments in the U.S. The increase was most noted in the Midwest and South regions of the U.S. The overall following in the pandemic “hotspots,” such as New York, California, and Florida, was significantly lower. Interesting correlations were noted between various demographic variables, health, and education ranking of the States and the social media following of their Health Departments. Conclusion and Relevance: Social media following of Public Health Departments across all States of the U.S. was very low. Though, the social media following significantly increased during the early course of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it still remains low. Significant opportunity exists for Public Health Departments to improve social media use to engage the public better.


Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 758
Author(s):  
Katie Christine Gaddini

The popularity of digital media has spurred what has been called a “crisis of authority”. How do female evangelical microcelebrities figure in this crisis? Many of these women belong to churches led by male pastors, have amassed a large following online, and are sought-after speakers and teachers. This paper analyses how gender, religious authority, and the digital sphere collide through the rise of female evangelical microcelebrities. Bringing together ethnographic data, textual analysis, and social media analysis of six prominent women, I emphasize the power of representation to impact religious practices and religious meaning. This article examines how evangelical women are performing and negotiating their legitimacy as the Internet and fluid geographical boundaries challenge local models of religious authority. Moving away from a binary perspective of “having” or “not having” authority, this paper considers the various spheres of authority that evangelical microcelebrities occupy, including normative womanhood, prosperity theology, and politics. Finally, by examining the social media content put forth by female evangelical microcelebrities, I interrogate the political stakes of evangelical women’s authority.


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