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Chapter 14 Twitter and health communication

  • Lourdes S. Martinez
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Health, Media, and Communication
This chapter is in the book Health, Media, and Communication

Abstract

Since its rise and entrance into the media landscape, Twitter has altered the public information environment surrounding many health topics, ranging from infectious diseases to mental health conditions and chronic illnesses. Among its users, Twitter (now known as “X” but hereafter referred to its original name) currently represents an important source of information and breaking news, including information about health topics. In light of its popularity and prominence in the current media landscape, this chapter will provide an overview of key scientific insights regarding how Twitter impacts various aspects of communication surrounding different health topics. To explore these impacts, this review will discuss ways in which Twitter provides a space for users to find, create, and diffuse health information through social networks, public health leadership to launch interventions and rapidly communicate with the public during health crises, and organizations to monitor disease through public health surveillance. These impacts will be discussed in the context of Twitter’s unique properties that distinguish it from other social networking sites. The chapter will also consider the advantages, disadvantages, and controversies of Twitter as a tool for health promotion. Although Twitter offers opportunities for advancing public health, it can also raise important communication challenges to achieving public health goals especially among vulnerable populations. This is especially true if the platform acts as a conduit for spreading health misinformation or promoting products or behaviors that undermine public health. For this reason, more research is needed to delineate when this popular platform is likely to help or hinder public health efforts, for whom, and what corrective action is most likely to be effective. The review will conclude with several research questions worthy of scholarly attention and implications for health communication scholars, public health professionals, and policymakers.

Abstract

Since its rise and entrance into the media landscape, Twitter has altered the public information environment surrounding many health topics, ranging from infectious diseases to mental health conditions and chronic illnesses. Among its users, Twitter (now known as “X” but hereafter referred to its original name) currently represents an important source of information and breaking news, including information about health topics. In light of its popularity and prominence in the current media landscape, this chapter will provide an overview of key scientific insights regarding how Twitter impacts various aspects of communication surrounding different health topics. To explore these impacts, this review will discuss ways in which Twitter provides a space for users to find, create, and diffuse health information through social networks, public health leadership to launch interventions and rapidly communicate with the public during health crises, and organizations to monitor disease through public health surveillance. These impacts will be discussed in the context of Twitter’s unique properties that distinguish it from other social networking sites. The chapter will also consider the advantages, disadvantages, and controversies of Twitter as a tool for health promotion. Although Twitter offers opportunities for advancing public health, it can also raise important communication challenges to achieving public health goals especially among vulnerable populations. This is especially true if the platform acts as a conduit for spreading health misinformation or promoting products or behaviors that undermine public health. For this reason, more research is needed to delineate when this popular platform is likely to help or hinder public health efforts, for whom, and what corrective action is most likely to be effective. The review will conclude with several research questions worthy of scholarly attention and implications for health communication scholars, public health professionals, and policymakers.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series V
  3. Contents IX
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Section 1: Message senders
  6. Chapter 1 Creating trust in health organizations 11
  7. Chapter 2 Creating trust and understanding in doctor–patient relationships 31
  8. Chapter 3 Social media influencers for health promotion 49
  9. Chapter 4 Celebrity health narratives and the celebrity sick-scape 69
  10. Section 2: Message content
  11. Chapter 5 Fear appeals in health communication 91
  12. Chapter 6 Messaging and affect processing 109
  13. Chapter 7 Narratives in health communication 127
  14. Chapter 8 Entertainment-Education in the new media landscape: Stimulating creative engagement in online communities for social and behavioral change 147
  15. Chapter 9 The communication of uncertainty in health 169
  16. Chapter 10 Social norms in health communication 187
  17. Chapter 11 The impact of argument strength in health communication 213
  18. Chapter 12 Behavioral change techniques in influencers’ social media messages 231
  19. Section 3: Medium types
  20. Chapter 13 Instagram and health 251
  21. Chapter 14 Twitter and health communication 269
  22. Chapter 15 Fantasy, facts and fun: Digital health games for impact and implementation 287
  23. Chapter 16 Chatbots for health communication 309
  24. Section 4: Message recipients
  25. Chapter 17 Information seeking, scanning, and processing 335
  26. Chapter 18 Health literacy and information processing 355
  27. Chapter 19 Language difficulties: Healthcare provider–migrant patient communication 375
  28. Chapter 20 Cognitive biases in depression: Implications for help-seeking messaging 391
  29. Chapter 21 Creating active involvement interventions to effectively reduce adolescent health risk behaviors 411
  30. Section 5: Contemporary challenges
  31. Chapter 22 Infodemics and health information overload 433
  32. Chapter 23 Fake news and misinformation 453
  33. Chapter 24 Health communication on social media during a crisis 469
  34. Section 6: Case studies
  35. Chapter 25 Exploring communication in multi-level strategies for promoting healthy diets: A South African case study 491
  36. Chapter 26 Physical activity and citizen science: Two case studies from Flanders (Belgium) 505
  37. List of contributors 527
  38. Index 539
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110775426-015

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series V
  3. Contents IX
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Section 1: Message senders
  6. Chapter 1 Creating trust in health organizations 11
  7. Chapter 2 Creating trust and understanding in doctor–patient relationships 31
  8. Chapter 3 Social media influencers for health promotion 49
  9. Chapter 4 Celebrity health narratives and the celebrity sick-scape 69
  10. Section 2: Message content
  11. Chapter 5 Fear appeals in health communication 91
  12. Chapter 6 Messaging and affect processing 109
  13. Chapter 7 Narratives in health communication 127
  14. Chapter 8 Entertainment-Education in the new media landscape: Stimulating creative engagement in online communities for social and behavioral change 147
  15. Chapter 9 The communication of uncertainty in health 169
  16. Chapter 10 Social norms in health communication 187
  17. Chapter 11 The impact of argument strength in health communication 213
  18. Chapter 12 Behavioral change techniques in influencers’ social media messages 231
  19. Section 3: Medium types
  20. Chapter 13 Instagram and health 251
  21. Chapter 14 Twitter and health communication 269
  22. Chapter 15 Fantasy, facts and fun: Digital health games for impact and implementation 287
  23. Chapter 16 Chatbots for health communication 309
  24. Section 4: Message recipients
  25. Chapter 17 Information seeking, scanning, and processing 335
  26. Chapter 18 Health literacy and information processing 355
  27. Chapter 19 Language difficulties: Healthcare provider–migrant patient communication 375
  28. Chapter 20 Cognitive biases in depression: Implications for help-seeking messaging 391
  29. Chapter 21 Creating active involvement interventions to effectively reduce adolescent health risk behaviors 411
  30. Section 5: Contemporary challenges
  31. Chapter 22 Infodemics and health information overload 433
  32. Chapter 23 Fake news and misinformation 453
  33. Chapter 24 Health communication on social media during a crisis 469
  34. Section 6: Case studies
  35. Chapter 25 Exploring communication in multi-level strategies for promoting healthy diets: A South African case study 491
  36. Chapter 26 Physical activity and citizen science: Two case studies from Flanders (Belgium) 505
  37. List of contributors 527
  38. Index 539
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