Racial and Ethnic Digital Divides in Posting COVID-19 Content on Social Media Among US Adults: Secondary Survey Analysis

Abstract

<jats:sec> <jats:title>Background</jats:title> <jats:p>Public health surveillance experts are leveraging user-generated content on social media to track the spread and effects of COVID-19. However, racial and ethnic digital divides, which are disparities among people who have internet access and post on social media, can bias inferences. This bias is particularly problematic in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic because due to structural inequalities, members of racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately vulnerable to contracting the virus and to the deleterious economic and social effects from mitigation efforts. Further, important demographic intersections with race and ethnicity, such as gender and age, are rarely investigated in work characterizing social media users; however, they reflect additional axes of inequality shaping differential exposure to COVID-19 and its effects.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Objective</jats:title> <jats:p>The aim of this study was to characterize how the race and ethnicity of US adults are associated with their odds of posting COVID-19 content on social media and how gender and age modify these odds.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Methods</jats:title> <jats:p>We performed a secondary analysis of a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center from March 19 to 24, 2020, using a national probability sample (N=10,510). Respondents were recruited from an online panel, where panelists without an internet-enabled device were given one to keep at no cost. The binary dependent variable was responses to an item asking whether respondents “used social media to share or post information about the coronavirus.” We used survey-weighted logistic regressions to estimate the odds of responding in the affirmative based on the race and ethnicity of respondents (white, black, Latino, other race/ethnicity), adjusted for covariates measuring sociodemographic background and COVID-19 experiences. We examined how gender (female, male) and age (18 to 30 years, 31 to 50 years, 51 to 64 years, and 65 years and older) intersected with race and ethnicity by estimating interactions.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>Respondents who identified as black (odds ratio [OR] 1.29, 95% CI 1.02-1.64; P=.03), Latino (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.36-2.04; P&lt;.001), or other races/ethnicities (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.02-1.72; P=.03) had higher odds than respondents who identified as white of reporting that they posted COVID-19 content on social media. Women had higher odds of posting than men regardless of race and ethnicity (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.39-1.80; P&lt;.001). Among men, respondents who identified as black, Latino, or members of other races/ethnicities were significantly more likely to post than respondents who identified as white. Older adults (65 years or older) had significantly lower odds (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.57-0.94; P=.01) of posting compared to younger adults (18-29 years), particularly among those identifying as other races/ethnicities. Latino respondents were the most likely to report posting across all age groups.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>In the United States, members of racial and ethnic minority groups are most likely to contribute to COVID-19 content on social media, particularly among groups traditionally less likely to use social media (older adults and men). The next step is to ensure that data collection procedures capture this diversity by encompassing a breadth of search criteria and social media platforms.</jats:p> </jats:sec>

Attitudes Toward Using COVID-19 mHealth Tools Among Adults With Chronic Health Conditions: Secondary Data Analysis of the COVID-19 Impact Survey

“…The use of mHealth tools for COVID-19 education, risk reduction, and symptom monitoring may complement existing prevention strategies [ 98 ]. Our findings also highlight potential opportunities for mHealth tools to reduce racial/ethnic and age disparities in COVID-19 exposure and outcomes [ 99 , 100 ].…”

Social and Demographic Patterns of Health-Related Internet Use Among Adults in the United States: A Secondary Data Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey

“…While two prior HINTS studies have explored associations between internet use and vitamin/medication purchases [ 63 , 64 ], neither examined racial and ethnic differences, making this a novel finding. While a recent HINTS study did not observe racial/ethnic disparities in social media use [ 14 , 51 , 65 ], the study focused on use of specific social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, rather than broader online social networking platforms. We also observed a novel finding examining differences in online healthcare use by nativity status.…”

“…Despite the evidence documenting the effectiveness of internet-based interventions in improving chronic disease outcomes and the wealth of health information available, access and uptake of health information remains a challenge, thus potentially increasing health disparities across race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and language [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. In particular, studies have observed gaps in internet use for specific health outcomes (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disease) across race/ethnicity, age, and gender [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

“…In particular, studies have observed gaps in internet use for specific health outcomes (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disease) across race/ethnicity, age, and gender [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. A secondary analysis of data from the Pew Research Center observed that racial and ethnic minority groups were more likely to contribute to COVID-19 content on social media [ 14 ]. A previous analysis of health-related internet use among cancer survivors documented lower rates of use among older adults, racial and ethnic minorities, adults with lower levels of education, and adults living in rural areas [ 13 ].…”

Social media, ageism, and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Social media is significantly more popular among individuals aged 15À29 years, and only 7% of Twitter users in the United States are aged 65 years [9]. Furthermore, older adults generate a limited amount of online content, with a recent study showing that older social media users, and particularly those who are frail or have disabilities, are less likely to post about COVID-19 (OR 0¢73) [10].…”