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Objective: This project assessed college students' perceptions of social media conversations about COVID-19 in the United States. Participants: A total of 110 college students completed an online survey ( N  = 110) over two periods of time: April 2020 ( n  = 60) and September 2020 ( n  = 50). Method: Measurements included students' perceptions of sentiment, risk, blame, outrage, and opinion/behavioral intention. Results: Survey results showed that college students' attitudes and perceptions of these concepts on social media varied from April to September with negative sentiment, concern, uncertainty, and risk perception decreasing over time while blame and outrage increased over time. A sample of tweets was also examined for these constructs. Conclusions: This study provides important insight on college students' perceptions during a public health emergency and how they use social media as a tool for health information.

This study examined public comments on Twitter about coronavirus in the weeks after news stories across the globe on the coronavirus outbreak. A total of 600 tweets were assessed ( N  = 600) for sentiment, risks presented, attribution of blame, and outrage. A sample of 300 tweets was taken from Sunday, February 9, through Wednesday, February 19, 2020, and an additional 300 tweets from Sunday, March 1, through Wednesday, March 11, 2020, to assess how public communication changed over time. Results show that risk, blame, and outrage differed significantly between February and March in a variety of ways. Specifically, more significant risks were noted in February than in March, with the majority of March tweets not noting any specific risks. Although most tweets did not present any specific blame, more blame was presented in February than in March, although more tweets in March attributed blame to countries and governments. Finally, outrage varied in several ways, with hazards generally being higher in February and outrage being higher in March.

This study examined public comments on Twitter in the wake of three mass shootings in the United States during the summer of 2022. A total of 1,500 tweets were assessed (N = 1,500) for sentiment, risks presented, attribution of blame, and outrage. A sample of 500 tweets was taken following the Buffalo, New York, supermarket shooting; a sample of 500 tweets was taken following the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting; and a sample of 500 tweets was taken following the Highland Park, Illinois, Fourth of July parade shooting. Results show that risk, blame, and outrage differed significantly between the three situations in a variety of ways. These differences and possible reasons for them are further discussed. This study provides valuable insight on social media conversations about mass shootings – a timely subject that continues to plague the country and lead to polarizing opinions and divisiveness. The study also serves a practical function, as the findings can be presented to government organizations and social media organizations alike as critical insight into public perceptions, it can assist in identifying problematic speech online, and it can inform the development of social media guidelines in maintaining civil discord. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]