Social Media Contexts Moderate Perceptions of Animals

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior and welfare
• Media psychology
• Human-animal interactions

Background:

• Social media platforms increasingly feature animal representations.
• These representations may influence public perception and behaviors, such as the demand for exotic pets.
• Understanding this influence is crucial for animal welfare and conservation efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how social media narratives affect perceptions of exotic animals.
• To examine the impact of pro- and anti-exotic pet keeping content on viewer interpretations.
• To explore the role of social networks in moderating discussions about human-animal interactions.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to 211 participants (aged 18-44).
• Participants viewed a social media post featuring a primate.
• They were randomly assigned to either a pro or anti exotic pet keeping narrative condition.

Main Results:

• Presenting an anti-exotic pet keeping narrative led participants to perceive the primate as more stressed (χ² = 13.99, p < 0.001).
• Participants expressed reservations when exposed to narratives they disagreed with in free-text comments.
• Evidence suggests social networks influence discussions on human-animal interactions.

Conclusions:

• Social media content significantly impacts perceptions of animal welfare.
• Narrative framing within social networks can alter views on exotic pet keeping.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the complex dynamics of social media's influence on human-animal interactions.