Expressions of pandemic fatigue on digital platforms: a thematic analysis of sentiment and narratives for infodemic insights
Abstract Background The infodemic accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an overwhelming amount of information, including questions, concerns and misinformation. Pandemic fatigue has been identified as a concern from early in the pandemic. With new and ongoing health emergencies in 2022, it i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17718-4 |
| _version_ | 1797272924982345728 |
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| author | Becky K. White Atsuyoshi Ishizumi Lucy Lavery Amy Wright Tom Foley Rhys O’Neill Kimberly Rambaud Ravi Shankar Sreenath Cristiana Salvi Ryoko Takahashi Marcelo D’Agostino Tim Nguyen Sylvie Briand Tina D. Purnat |
| author_facet | Becky K. White Atsuyoshi Ishizumi Lucy Lavery Amy Wright Tom Foley Rhys O’Neill Kimberly Rambaud Ravi Shankar Sreenath Cristiana Salvi Ryoko Takahashi Marcelo D’Agostino Tim Nguyen Sylvie Briand Tina D. Purnat |
| author_sort | Becky K. White |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The infodemic accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an overwhelming amount of information, including questions, concerns and misinformation. Pandemic fatigue has been identified as a concern from early in the pandemic. With new and ongoing health emergencies in 2022, it is important to understand how pandemic fatigue is being discussed and expressed by users on digital channels. This study aims to explore and report on key narrative themes associated with expressions of pandemic fatigue by users on digital platforms. Methods This paper describes the collection of publicly available data over a 3-month period from multiple online sources using the Meltwater and CrowdTangle platforms to source data from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Product Reviews, Twitch, blogs & forums. A comprehensive search strategy was developed and tested. A total of 1,484,042 social media posts were identified during the time-period that included the defined search terms for pandemic fatigue. These data were initially sorted by highest levels of engagement and from this dataset, analysts reviewed the identified posts to isolate and remove irrelevant content and identify dominant narratives. A thematic analysis was carried out on these narratives to identify themes related to expression of pandemic fatigue. Two researchers reviewed the data and themes. Results The thematic analysis of narratives identified six main themes relating to expression of pandemic fatigue, and one theme of counter narratives against pandemic fatigue. Data volume increased concurrent with the time of the mpox emergency announcement. Emergent themes showed the different ways users expressed pandemic fatigue and how it was interlaced with issues of trust, preventative measure acceptance and uptake, misinformation, and being overwhelmed with multiple or sustained emergencies. Conclusions This paper has identified the different ways users express pandemic fatigue on digital channels over a 3-month period. Better understanding the implications of the information environment on user’s perceptions, questions, and concerns regarding pandemic and more broadly emergency fatigue is vital in identifying relevant interventions and, in the longer term, strengthening the global architecture for health emergency preparedness, prevention, readiness and resilience, as evidenced in this paper. There are clear pathways for further research, including incorporating additional languages and reviewing these themes over longer time periods. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:36:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-da988143bd294a50af1617b25210f9b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:36:17Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-da988143bd294a50af1617b25210f9b12024-03-05T20:37:59ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582024-03-012411910.1186/s12889-024-17718-4Expressions of pandemic fatigue on digital platforms: a thematic analysis of sentiment and narratives for infodemic insightsBecky K. White0Atsuyoshi Ishizumi1Lucy Lavery2Amy Wright3Tom Foley4Rhys O’Neill5Kimberly Rambaud6Ravi Shankar Sreenath7Cristiana Salvi8Ryoko Takahashi9Marcelo D’Agostino10Tim Nguyen11Sylvie Briand12Tina D. Purnat13Department of Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Prevention, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health OrganizationDepartment of Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Prevention, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health OrganizationMarble Global LTDMarble Global LTDMarble Global LTDAfrica Infodemic Response Alliance, WHO Regional Office for AfricaRisk Communication & Community Engagement, Health Emergencies, WHO Regional Office for EuropeRisk Communication & Community Engagement, Health Emergencies, WHO Regional Office for EuropeRisk Communication & Community Engagement, Health Emergencies, WHO Regional Office for EuropeDepartment of Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Prevention, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health OrganizationInformation Systems for Health, Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health, Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Regional Office for the AmericasDepartment of Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Prevention, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health OrganizationDepartment of Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Prevention, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health OrganizationDepartment of Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness and Prevention, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health OrganizationAbstract Background The infodemic accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic has led to an overwhelming amount of information, including questions, concerns and misinformation. Pandemic fatigue has been identified as a concern from early in the pandemic. With new and ongoing health emergencies in 2022, it is important to understand how pandemic fatigue is being discussed and expressed by users on digital channels. This study aims to explore and report on key narrative themes associated with expressions of pandemic fatigue by users on digital platforms. Methods This paper describes the collection of publicly available data over a 3-month period from multiple online sources using the Meltwater and CrowdTangle platforms to source data from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Product Reviews, Twitch, blogs & forums. A comprehensive search strategy was developed and tested. A total of 1,484,042 social media posts were identified during the time-period that included the defined search terms for pandemic fatigue. These data were initially sorted by highest levels of engagement and from this dataset, analysts reviewed the identified posts to isolate and remove irrelevant content and identify dominant narratives. A thematic analysis was carried out on these narratives to identify themes related to expression of pandemic fatigue. Two researchers reviewed the data and themes. Results The thematic analysis of narratives identified six main themes relating to expression of pandemic fatigue, and one theme of counter narratives against pandemic fatigue. Data volume increased concurrent with the time of the mpox emergency announcement. Emergent themes showed the different ways users expressed pandemic fatigue and how it was interlaced with issues of trust, preventative measure acceptance and uptake, misinformation, and being overwhelmed with multiple or sustained emergencies. Conclusions This paper has identified the different ways users express pandemic fatigue on digital channels over a 3-month period. Better understanding the implications of the information environment on user’s perceptions, questions, and concerns regarding pandemic and more broadly emergency fatigue is vital in identifying relevant interventions and, in the longer term, strengthening the global architecture for health emergency preparedness, prevention, readiness and resilience, as evidenced in this paper. There are clear pathways for further research, including incorporating additional languages and reviewing these themes over longer time periods.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17718-4Pandemic fatigue; COVID-19MpoxInfodemicPreparednessPrevention |
| spellingShingle | Becky K. White Atsuyoshi Ishizumi Lucy Lavery Amy Wright Tom Foley Rhys O’Neill Kimberly Rambaud Ravi Shankar Sreenath Cristiana Salvi Ryoko Takahashi Marcelo D’Agostino Tim Nguyen Sylvie Briand Tina D. Purnat Expressions of pandemic fatigue on digital platforms: a thematic analysis of sentiment and narratives for infodemic insights BMC Public Health Pandemic fatigue; COVID-19 Mpox Infodemic Preparedness Prevention |
| title | Expressions of pandemic fatigue on digital platforms: a thematic analysis of sentiment and narratives for infodemic insights |
| title_full | Expressions of pandemic fatigue on digital platforms: a thematic analysis of sentiment and narratives for infodemic insights |
| title_fullStr | Expressions of pandemic fatigue on digital platforms: a thematic analysis of sentiment and narratives for infodemic insights |
| title_full_unstemmed | Expressions of pandemic fatigue on digital platforms: a thematic analysis of sentiment and narratives for infodemic insights |
| title_short | Expressions of pandemic fatigue on digital platforms: a thematic analysis of sentiment and narratives for infodemic insights |
| title_sort | expressions of pandemic fatigue on digital platforms a thematic analysis of sentiment and narratives for infodemic insights |
| topic | Pandemic fatigue; COVID-19 Mpox Infodemic Preparedness Prevention |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17718-4 |
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