Twitter users’ coping behaviors during the COVID-19 lockdown: an analysis of tweets using mixed methods

Abstract

Purpose Using data from Twitter, the purpose of this paper is to assess the coping behaviour and reactions of social media users in response to the initial days of the COVID-19-related lockdown in different parts of the world. Design/methodology/approach This study follows the quasi-inductive approach which allows the development of pre-categories from other theories before the sampling and coding processes begin, for use in those processes. Data was extracted using relevant keywords from Twitter, and a sample was drawn from the Twitter data set to ensure the data is more manageable from a qualitative research standpoint and that meaningful interpretations can be drawn from the data analysis results. The data analysis is discussed in two parts: extraction and classification of data from Twitter using automated sentiment analysis; and qualitative data analysis of a smaller Twitter data sample. Findings This study found that during the lockdown the majority of users on Twitter shared positive opinions towards the lockdown. The results also found that people are keeping themselves engaged and entertained. Governments around the world have also gained support from Twitter users. This is despite the hardships being faced by citizens. The authors also found a number of users expressing negative sentiments. The results also found that several users on Twitter were fence-sitters and their opinions and emotions could swing either way depending on how the pandemic progresses and what action is taken by governments around the world. Research limitations/implications The authors add to the body of literature that has examined Twitter discussions around H1N1 using in-depth qualitative methods and conspiracy theories around COVID-19. In the long run, the government can help citizens develop routines that help the community adapt to a new dangerous environment – this has very effectively been shown in the context of wildfires in the context of disaster management. In the context of this research, the dominance of the positive themes within tweets is promising for policymakers and governments around the world. However, sentiments may wish to be monitored going forward as large-spikes in negative sentiment may highlight lockdown-fatigue. Social implications The psychology of humans during a pandemic can have a profound impact on how COVID-19 shapes up, and this shall also include how people behave with other people and with the larger environment. Lockdowns are the opposite of what societies strive to achieve, i.e. socializing. Originality/value This study is based on original Twitter data collected during the initial days of the COVID-19-induced lockdown. The topic of “lockdowns” and the “COVID-19” pandemic have not been studied together thus far. This study is highly topical.

Community stressors and coping mechanisms in accessing the health system during a double crisis: a qualitative case study from Yangon Region, Myanmar

“…While the communities in Myanmar tried to cope with the crisis in their own way, the health staff, mainly the staff who followed the Civil Disobedience Movement, showed their resilience by providing online consultation and counselling services, especially during the third wave of COVID-19. In the months to come, we could cultivate health system resilience by incorporating innovative models of digital health care as an alternative pathway [ 17. – 20.…”

Predicting the popularity of tweets by analyzing public opinion and emotions in different stages of Covid-19 pandemic

“…Furthermore, several studies have examined Twitter content to analyze how the public expresses their feelings at the onset of pandemics ( Baboukardos et al, 2021 ; Garcia & Berton, 2021 a; S. Kaur et al, 2020 ; Ridhwan & Hargreaves, 2021). By following a quasi-inductive approach, Mittal et al, (2021) found that the majority of Twitter users tend to share positive content regarding the lockdown but their opinions could swing over the course of pandemic based on recent developments. Some studies analyzed tweets with a focus on the public's emotions during the Covid-19 pandemic ( Gupta et al, 2021 ; Kabir & Madria, 2021 a), while others focused on public opinions following the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines ( Sv et al, 2021 ; Yousefinaghani et al, 2021 ).…”

Tracking the Impact of COVID-19 and Lockdown Policies on Public Mental Health Using Social Media: Infoveillance Study

“…The literature also suggests geographically different associations between local lockdown policies and public mental health. For example, Mittal et al [58] found that most Twitter users shared positive opinions toward lockdown policies in related tweets from March 22 to April 6, 2020, whereas another study focusing on Twitter users in Massachusetts found increased anxiety expression after the enforcement of the Massachusetts State of Emergency and US State of Emergency [59]. Notably, Wang et al [60] found that public sentiment toward lockdown policies was positive in most states (such as Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania) and negative in only a few states, including Ohio, which also demonstrates geographic variations of public reactions to lockdown policies.…”