ABSTRACT
This study investigated what (risk) information related to COVID-19 was most amplified through online discussions in environment-focused communities and how amplification and ripple effects evolved over time. The population of posts and comments (N = 14,156 observations) posted to 135 environment-focused subreddits from Dec. 1, 2019-Aug. 31, 2020 containing key terms related to COVID-19 was downloaded and subjected to computational content analysis via Leximancer to observe conceptual phenomena that emerged in the data and extract themes based on word-like associations. To examine how online discussion evolved over time, stepwise segmented regression was employed to identify revolutionary breakpoints – significant changes in the volume of conversation over time. Analysis revealed five time periods in the dataset, and concept maps were generated to understand prominent themes in each. Omnibus results revealed themes highlighting positive and negative environmental consequences associated with COVID-19. Analysis revealed a more nuanced trajectory of how the frequency and content of conversations evolved over time.
ABSTRACT
The manner in which scientific information related to the COVID-19 pandemic has been shared and discussed in similar venues has, to date, been largely neglected. Considering the role that such discourse plays in knowledge sharing and knowledge production, it is essential to understand such communication processes as they relate to global health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study examines communication expressed by participants in the r/COVID19 subreddit, a community that facilitates scientific discussion of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A computational content analysis was performed to identify the primary themes of users' communication on r/COVID19, while stepwise segmented regression was used to assess identify longitudinal changes in the volume of user contributions. Findings showed that while conversations were centered on scientific conversations, they were catalyzed by sociological and political developments rather than scientific breakthroughs. Future studies should examine the effects of pandemic-related communities on lurkers, the effects of visibility on scientific and medical contributions, and the implications of pseudonymity and ambiguous credentials in a community addressing a volatile health and scientific topic.
ABSTRACT
Online communities are increasingly important discursive spaces in which individuals obtain health information and engage in sensemaking, and they play an especially essential role during viral outbreaks in which social distancing requirements may preclude engagement with other communities and information sources. However, the manner in which those communities evolve in response to a rapidly developing public health crisis, as well as in reaction to one another, is not well-understood. This longitudinal study uses latent Dirichlet allocation to assess the co-evolution of three subreddits focused on COVID-19 during the earliest, most volatile stages of the outbreak. The results demonstrate the power of being the first online community addressing an emerging health crisis as well as the manner in which latecomers to the conversation gravitate toward distinct niches to differentiate themselves with respect to both topical foci and associated communication styles. The results also highlight individuals' detachment toward developments in even an unprecedented crisis such as a global pandemic, which represents a critical barrier that health communication professionals must overcome to persuade audiences to take health crises seriously. Future studies should examine the potential role of coordination among community administrators as well as the extent to which users are aware of and exert agency over the co-evolutionary processes spanning multiple communities.