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Social Media User Behavior and Emotions during Crisis Events
Mingyun Gu1,2, Haixiang Guo1,2,3, Jun Zhuang4
1College of Economics and Management, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
Summary
Social media platforms facilitate information sharing during emergencies. Verified accounts and trusted sources like government agencies and experts are crucial for positive user engagement during crises, as seen in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Social Media Analysis
- Crisis Communication
- Public Health Informatics
Background:
- Smart mobile devices and Web 2.0 services enable widespread information dissemination and user expression on social media.
- Social media platforms can facilitate the spread of rumors and emotional venting during public emergencies.
- The COVID-19 epidemic highlighted the critical role of social media in information flow and public sentiment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine social media user behaviors and emotions during an emergency.
- To analyze user interactions and sentiment on the Sina-Weibo platform, focusing on the "Dr. Li Wenliang" reports during the COVID-19 epidemic in China.
- To provide insights into trust and social media usage during crises for government agencies.
Main Methods:
- Collected over 190,000 messages from the Chinese Sina-Weibo platform.
- Conducted sentiment analysis to understand user emotions and reactions.
- Examined interactions between verified accounts and general users.
Main Results:
- Verified accounts exhibited the strongest user interactions.
- Sentiment analysis indicated that news from government agencies had a positive user effect.
- Users favored national media and trusted experts during the emergency.
- The "Dr. Li Wenliang" reports during COVID-19 showed significant user engagement patterns.
Conclusions:
- Social media platforms play a significant role in shaping public perception and behavior during health crises.
- Trust in official sources, national media, and expert opinions is paramount for effective crisis communication.
- Government agencies can leverage insights from social media analysis to improve emergency response and public engagement strategies.
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