Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
Published on: September 16, 2015
The people speak: social media on euthanasia/assisted dying
Chrystal Jaye1, Isabelle Lomax-Sawyers1, Jessica Young1
1General Practice and Rural Health, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Abstract:
In New Zealand, aiding and abetting a person to commit suicide or euthanasia even with consent is unlawful. The introduction of a third Bill on assisted dying to the House of Representatives following a high-profile court case afforded an opportunity for examining how assisted dying was discussed in the public sphere. In this article, we report on a discourse analysis of a selection of social media to illustrate the ways in which citizens participate in the voluntary euthanasia debate. The volume of social media posts that made up our data set suggests that the legalisation of assisted dying is a highly topical and deeply salient societal issue. Social media postings represent the voices of ordinary citizens who may not participate in formal public consultation processes. Based on our analysis, the assignment of binary conclusions about public opinion is simplistic and fails to adequately represent the intricacies of public debate. Contributors' posts reveal deeply held sociocultural values, as well as tensions about the relationship between citizens and the apparatus of government.
Related Concept Videos
Social Proof
Social Scripts
Social Traps
Social Exchange Theory
Social Facilitation
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison

