Upholding dignity during a pandemic via Twitter

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Communication Studies
• Public Health

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted societal discourse.
• Dignity emerged as a key concept in online discussions.
• Older adults and issues of aging were a specific focus within this discourse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the invocation of dignity on Twitter during the pandemic's first year.
• To analyze dignity-related themes, particularly concerning older adults and aging.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining text analytics and interpretive analysis.
• Analysis of a cross-national sample of 1,946 original Twitter messages from 2020.
• Identification of word clusters and dignity-based themes.

Main Results:

• Five major themes of dignity discourse were identified: dignity as a fundamental right, upholding essential worker dignity, preserving dignity for at-risk populations, preventing dignity decline from cascading disasters, and addressing death and the sanctity of life.
• Discussions on older adults highlighted disproportionate death tolls and poor conditions in long-term care.

Conclusions:

• Twitter discourse during the pandemic framed dignity as a crucial element in public health and human rights.
• The findings underscore the vulnerability of older adults and the need for dignity-preserving interventions, especially in long-term care settings.