Cross-platform analysis of public responses to the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence on Twitter and Reddit

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Disaster Response
• Computational Social Science

Background:

• Online social networks (OSNs) are crucial for studying collective responses to extreme events.
• Previous research often focused on single platforms, limiting understanding of cross-platform user behavior.
• The Uses and Gratification theory suggests users select platforms aligning with their self-perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a cross-platform analysis of public responses to earthquakes on Twitter and Reddit.
• To identify similarities and differences in user engagement and topics across platforms.
• To explore unique insights gained from Reddit compared to Twitter in disaster contexts.

Main Methods:

• Collected 510,579 tweets and 45,770 Reddit posts related to the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes.
• Performed a comparative analysis of user responses across Twitter and Reddit.
• Investigated platform-specific topics of interest, sentiments, and misinformation patterns.

Main Results:

• Users exhibit distinct topics of interest and sentiments towards earthquakes on Twitter versus Reddit.
• Reddit, particularly the r/conspiracy subreddit, was a significant venue for earthquake discussions.
• Different misinformation narratives, such as "Big one is coming" (Twitter) and "Nuclear test" (Reddit), emerged on each platform.

Conclusions:

• Cross-platform analysis of OSNs is essential for a comprehensive understanding of public responses to natural hazards.
• Platform-specific user behaviors and information dissemination patterns necessitate multi-platform research approaches.
• Understanding diverse responses and misinformation across OSNs is critical for effective disaster communication and mitigation.