mRNA discourse on Instagram, X and Bluesky

Researchers

Hossein Azarpanah, Connor Guyn, Chris Tenove, Heidi Tworek

Key takeaways

  • Influencers drove the majority of the posts and engagement around mRNA across platforms.
  • Skeptical or hostile posts dominated Canadian social media discourse on mRNA technologies.
  • Spikes in Canadian mRNA discourse were linked to prominent partisan announcements in the United States.

Overview

To better understand trends in mRNA discourse on popular social media platforms, researchers analyzed 4,334 English and French-language posts from Canadian accounts on X, Instagram, and Bluesky that mentioned mRNA vaccines or mRNA technologies. The study examined who is driving online conversations about mRNA, what topics are being discussed, and how discussion patterns varied over time.

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