scholarly journals Social reference cues can reduce misinformation sharing behaviour on social media

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Martin Jones ◽  
Daniel Diethei ◽  
Johannes Schöning ◽  
Rehana Shrestha ◽  
Tina Jahnel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Personal Network ◽  
Correct Information ◽  
Social Reference ◽  
Sharing Behavior

Misinformation on social media is a key challenge to effective and timely public health responses. Existing mitigation measures include flagging misinformation or providing links to correct information but have not yet targeted social processes. Here, we examine whether providing balanced social reference cues in addition to flagging misinformation leads to reductions in sharing behavior. In 3 field experiments (N=817, N=322, and N=278) on Twitter, we show that highlighting which content others within the personal network share and, more importantly, not share combined with misinformation flags significantly and meaningfully reduces the amount of misinformation shared (Study 1-3). We show that this reduction is driven by change in injunctive social norms (Study 2) but not social identity (Study 3). Social reference cues, combined with misinformation flags, are feasible and scalable means to effectively curb sharing misinformation on social media.

A shift from science to politics : a content analysis of COVID-19 Videos on YouTube (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chyun-Fung Shi ◽  
Matthew C So ◽  
Sophie Stelmach ◽  
Arielle Earn ◽  
David J D Earn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Conflicting Information ◽  
Social Media Platforms

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic is the first pandemic where social media platforms relayed information on a large scale, enabling an “infodemic” of conflicting information which undermined the global response to the pandemic. Understanding how the information circulated and evolved on social media platforms is essential for planning future public health campaigns. OBJECTIVE This study investigated what types of themes about COVID-19 were most viewed on YouTube during the first 8 months of the pandemic, and how COVID-19 themes progressed over this period. METHODS We analyzed top-viewed YouTube COVID-19 related videos in English from from December 1, 2019 to August 16, 2020 with an open inductive content analysis. We coded 536 videos associated with 1.1 billion views across the study period. East Asian countries were the first to report the virus, while most of the top-viewed videos in English were from the US. Videos from straight news outlets dominated the top-viewed videos throughout the outbreak, and public health authorities contributed the fewest. Although straight news was the dominant COVID-19 video source with various types of themes, its viewership per video was similar to that for entertainment news and YouTubers after March. RESULTS We found, first, that collective public attention to the COVID-19 pandemic on YouTube peaked around March 2020, before the outbreak peaked, and flattened afterwards despite a spike in worldwide cases. Second, more videos focused on prevention early on, but videos with political themes increased through time. Third, regarding prevention and control measures, masking received much less attention than lockdown and social distancing in the study period. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that a transition of focus from science to politics on social media intensified the COVID-19 infodemic and may have weakened mitigation measures during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended that authorities should consider co-operating with reputable social media influencers to promote health campaigns and improve health literacy. In addition, given high levels of globalization of social platforms and polarization of users, tailoring communication towards different digital communities is likely to be essential.

Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie auf die Maßnahmen zur Suchtprävention der Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA)

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 259-264
Author(s):  
Michaela Goecke
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Junge Erwachsene ◽  
Bundeszentrale Für Gesundheitliche Aufklärung

Zusammenfassung. Abstract: Hintergrund: Die Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA) ist als Fachbehörde unter anderem für die Umsetzung nationaler Programme zur Suchtprävention zuständig. Die jährlichen Arbeitsprogramme werden mit dem Bundesministerium für Gesundheit abgestimmt und sehen aktuell vor dem Hintergrund der Public-Health-Relevanz Schwerpunkte in der Prävention der legalen Substanzen Tabak und Alkohol vor. Vorrangige Zielgruppen sind Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene, da sich bei ihnen riskante Konsummuster entwickeln und festigen können. Die Präventionsprogramme der BZgA umfassen schulische Angebote, Webportale, Social Media und Printmedien wie Informationsbroschüren. Aktuelle Situation: Die Corona-Pandemie hat Einfluss genommen auf die Suchtprävention der BZgA. Zu nennen ist die thematische Verzahnung im Kontext von Corona und ein veränderter inhaltlicher Beratungsbedarf – telefonisch und online. Auch die durch die Corona-Pandemie bedingten Kontaktbeschränkungen während des „Lockdowns“ sowie die neuen Rahmenbedingungen für ein persönliches Miteinander haben die Suchtprävention verändert. Interaktive Präventionsangebote in Schulen wurden ebenso wie die Unterstützung von Mitmachaktionen in Sportvereinen oder die Durchführung von Peer-Programmen ausgesetzt. Dafür rückte die Nutzung digitaler Möglichkeiten sowohl bei der Umsetzung von suchtpräventiven Angeboten als auch in der Kooperation und Vernetzung mit den Ländern in einen neuen Fokus. Die Corona-Krise kann perspektivisch auch eine Chance für mehr Digitalisierung in der Suchtprävention werden.

Knowledge Contribution in Organizations via Social Media

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Behringer ◽  
Kai Sassenberg ◽  
Annika Scholl
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Expectancy Theory ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Abstract Knowledge ◽  
The Social ◽  
Willingness To Contribute ◽  
Social Media Tool

Abstract. Knowledge exchange via social media is crucial for organizational success. Yet, many employees only read others’ contributions without actively contributing their knowledge. We thus examined predictors of the willingness to contribute knowledge. Applying social identity theory and expectancy theory to knowledge exchange, we investigated the interplay of users’ identification with their organization and perceived usefulness of a social media tool. In two studies, identification facilitated users’ willingness to contribute knowledge – provided that the social media tool seemed useful (vs. not-useful). Interestingly, identification also raised the importance of acquiring knowledge collectively, which could in turn compensate for low usefulness of the tool. Hence, considering both social and media factors is crucial to enhance employees’ willingness to share knowledge via social media.

Exploring the Nexus between Online Alcohol Posters and Alcohol Drinking among Kenya’s Higher Vocational College students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Malechwanzi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Alcohol Drinking ◽  
Alcoholic Beverage ◽  
Vocational College ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
Higher Vocational College ◽  
Unrestricted Access

Alcohol drinking among young people is a major global public health concern. The situation has been aggravated further by the advent of the internet and subsequent development of social media as a tool for online alcohol marketing. Measures that aim at reducing substance abuse is a stride towards “2030 Agenda” for sustainable development goal number 3 set by the United Nation General Assembly. In this goal, attention is not only drawn to health and wellbeing but also to prevention and treatment of substance abuse. This descriptive study sought to find out the prevalence of alcohol advertisements on social media and its possible influence on alcohol drinking among Kenya’s higher vocational college students. Based on a field survey conducted in Nairobi (n=209), this study established that there was heavy presence of alcohol advertisements on social media scene in Kenya. Although statistically, there was huge gender disparity, the final results showed that there was significant association between alcohol ads on social media and college student’s possible alcohol drinking habits. This study concludes that there was heavy presence of alcohol ads on social media, and the likelihood of youth having unrestricted access to the alcoholic beverage products. This could have a far-reaching implication on their alcohol drinking habits. Therefore, the study recommends the stakeholders in public health promotions to formulate policies aimed at mitigating against the challenges posed by unrestricted access to online alcohol ads by the youth in order to prevent them from being lured into early alcohol drinking by the alcoholic beverage makers.　 Keywords: Alcohol abuse; Influence; Online ads; Youth; Kenya

Examining the accuracy of estimated smartphone use: How well-being and usage level predict discrepancies between estimated and actual use

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Sewall ◽  
Daniel Rosen ◽  
Todd M. Bear
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Mobile Device ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Actual Use ◽  
Smartphone Use ◽  
Usage Level

The increasing ubiquity of mobile device and social media (SM) use has generated a substantial amount of research examining how these phenomena may impact public health. Prior studies have found that mobile device and SM use are associated with various aspects of well-being. However, a large portion of these studies relied upon self-reported estimates to measure amount of use, which can be inaccurate. Utilizing Apple’s “Screen Time” application to obtain actual iPhone and SM use data, the current study examined the accuracy of self-reported estimates, how inaccuracies bias relationships between use and well-being (depression, loneliness, and life satisfaction), and the degree to which inaccuracies were predicted by levels of well-being. Among a sample of 393 iPhone users, we found that: a.) participants misestimated their weekly overall iPhone and SM use by 22.1 and 16.6 hours, respectively; b.) the correlations between estimated use and well-being variables were consistently stronger than the correlations between actual use and well-being variables; and c.) the amount of inaccuracy in estimated use is associated with levels of participant well-being as well as amount of use. These findings suggest that estimates of device/SM use may be biased by factors that are fundamental to the relationships being investigated. **This manuscript is currently under review**

Trend of Parental Refusal or Delay of Childhood Vaccinations

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meagan Marie Daoust
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Educational Context ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Parental Refusal

The healthcare trend of parental refusal or delay of childhood vaccinations will be investigated through a complex Cynefin Framework component in an economic and educational context, allowing patterns to emerge that suggest recommendations of change for the RN role and healthcare system. As a major contributing factor adding complexity to this trend, social media is heavily used for health related knowledge, making it is difficult to determine which information is most trustworthy. Missed opportunities for immunization can result, leading to economic and health consequences for the healthcare system and population. Through analysis of the powerful impact social media has on this evolving trend and public health, an upstream recommendation for RNs to respond with is to utilize reliable social media to the parents’ advantage within practice. The healthcare system should focus on incorporating vaccine-related education into existing programs and classes offered to parents, and implementing new vaccine classes for the public.

Estimating the number of cases during COVID-19 pandemics using a web-based tool: first week results of “COVID-19 TRENDS” social media project in the Araba-Alava province in Basque country, Spain. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Garitano ◽  
Manuel Linares ◽  
Laura Santos ◽  
Ruth Gil ◽  
Elena Lapuente ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Case Definition ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Health Action ◽  
Estimate Number ◽  
Media Project

UNSTRUCTURED On 28th February a case of COVID-19 was declared in Araba-Álava province, Spain. In Spain, a confinement and movement restrictions were established by Spanish Government at 14th March 2020. We implemented a web-based tool to estimate number of cases during the pandemic. We present the results in Áraba-Álava province. We reached a response rate of 10,3% out a 331.549 population. We found that 22,4 % fulfilled the case definition. This tool rendered useful to inform public health action.

scholarly journals What Drives Continuance Intention towards Social Media? Social Influence and Identity Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athapol Ruangkanjanases ◽  
Shu-Ling Hsu ◽  
Yenchun Jim Wu ◽  
Shih-Chih Chen ◽  
Jo-Yu Chang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
New Media ◽  
Social Influence ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Continuance Intention ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Social ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
Continuous Usage Intention

With the growth of social media communities, people now use this new media to engage in many interrelated activities. As a result, social media communities have grown into popular and interactive platforms among users, consumers and enterprises. In the social media era of high competition, increasing continuance intention towards a specific social media platform could transfer extra benefits to such virtual groups. Based on the expectation-confirmation model (ECM), this research proposed a conceptual framework incorporating social influence and social identity as key determinants of social media continuous usage intention. The research findings of this study highlight that: (1) the social influence view of the group norms and image significantly affects social identity; (2) social identity significantly affects perceived usefulness and confirmation; (3) confirmation has a significant impact on perceived usefulness and satisfaction; (4) perceived usefulness and satisfaction have positive effects on usage continuance intention. The results of this study can serve as a guide to better understand the reasons for and implications of social media usage and adoption.

Instagramming our way through public health communication: why and who is using it?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Vareda ◽  
T Garcia ◽  
J Rachadell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Healthy Lifestyles ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases

Abstract Background From disease prevention to health promotion, communication is key for Public Health (PH) practice and, according to the 9th Essential Public Health Operation its goal is to improve populations health literacy and capacity to access, understand and use information. Though social media is frequently presented as a potentially useful tool for PH communication, there is a lack of evidence about its effectiveness and impact on PH outcomes. This study researches Instagram® as a PH tool and aims to know who is using it, what content is shared on the platform and how much engagement there is. Methods This cross-sectional study regards information on 1000 Instagram® posts with the hashtags publichealth, publichealthpromotion, healthpromotion, publichealthmatters and publichealtheducation. Authors categorized post content and creators, and reviewed the number of likes and comments per post to determine engagement. Data analysis was performed on IBM SPSS® Statistics. Results The most common content categories were communicable diseases (n = 383), non-communicable diseases (n = 258) and healthy lifestyles (n = 143). Health professionals post more about communicable diseases (43,6%) and non-professionals about healthy lifestyles (36,1%). Non-professionals (n = 191) post about PH issues almost as much as health professionals (n = 220) and PH associations (n = 201). Most don't reference their sources (n = 821). Posts on communicable diseases have the most likes and comments per post (mean of 172 likes and 3,1 comments). Conclusions Half the Instagram® posts analysed in this study were made by health professionals or organizations. Communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and healthy lifestyles were the most frequent content categories and had the most engagement. The majority of posts didn't reference their sources. Though Instagram® seems to be a potential PH communication tool, further research is needed to confirm its benefits for PH. Key messages Social media platforms like Instagram® are potentially powerful tools for PH communication. There is a need to understand the efficacy of social media as health promotion tools.

scholarly journals A Panel Evaluation of the Changes in the General Public’s Social-Media-Following of United States’ Public Health Departments during COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272199545
Author(s):  
Areej Khokhar ◽  
Aaron Spaulding ◽  
Zuhair Niazi ◽  
Sikander Ailawadhi ◽  
Rami Manochakian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Public Health Department ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Departments ◽  
The Social ◽  
The U.S

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.

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