Anti-masking Posts on Instagram: Content Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Background: The SARS-CoV-2 viral outbreak has been conflicts with the past-tense narrative elsewhere in the abstract.; the infodemic. Misinformation about the virus and disease it causes (COVID-19) has been linked with authority-questioning beliefs, co-branding with conspiracies, and other misinform...
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Safety and Health at Work |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791124000817 |
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| author | Emma K. Quinn Robert T. Duffy Kristian Larsen Maria Dalton Cheryl E. Peters |
| author_facet | Emma K. Quinn Robert T. Duffy Kristian Larsen Maria Dalton Cheryl E. Peters |
| author_sort | Emma K. Quinn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The SARS-CoV-2 viral outbreak has been conflicts with the past-tense narrative elsewhere in the abstract.; the infodemic. Misinformation about the virus and disease it causes (COVID-19) has been linked with authority-questioning beliefs, co-branding with conspiracies, and other misinformation across social media. Distrust in simple occupational and public health tools we have at our disposal (like well-fitting face masks) has proliferated. Despite attempts to curb the spread of untrue or misleading information on COVID-19, this messaging persists on social media. Methods: Using a clean and cleared account, the 300 top posts under the hashtag #masksdontwork were collected on Instagram for thematic analysis over three weeks in June 2022, with three separate data collection dates. Themes contained in the posts were independently assessed by two coders and discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Results: The most dominant theme among posts was mistrust, including “government lies” and “media lies.” Anti-masking rhetoric was the second most frequent theme, where “freedom” and “disbelief in data” were common sub-themes. Conclusion: Science denial and propaganda shared among Instagram users may represent an onramp to consumption of broader conspiracy theories and government distrust, in addition to having negative health effects and social consequences for workers regardless of whether they wear masks. Social media algorithms promote similar misinformation or authority-questioning beliefs to users who view related content. Addressing the spread of health-related misinformation can assist in deconstructing myths and increasing trust in public health authorities and prevent the spread of communicable diseases among workers and the public. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c6f7115bad4e46c19b5b200aca79cce5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2093-7911 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Safety and Health at Work |
| spelling | doaj-art-c6f7115bad4e46c19b5b200aca79cce52025-08-20T02:47:37ZengElsevierSafety and Health at Work2093-79112025-03-01161273510.1016/j.shaw.2024.11.002Anti-masking Posts on Instagram: Content Analysis During the COVID-19 PandemicEmma K. Quinn0Robert T. Duffy1Kristian Larsen2Maria Dalton3Cheryl E. Peters4School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Corresponding author. 3330 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z5, Canada.School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaDepartment of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, CanadaDepartment of Community Health Science, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaSchool of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, CanadaBackground: The SARS-CoV-2 viral outbreak has been conflicts with the past-tense narrative elsewhere in the abstract.; the infodemic. Misinformation about the virus and disease it causes (COVID-19) has been linked with authority-questioning beliefs, co-branding with conspiracies, and other misinformation across social media. Distrust in simple occupational and public health tools we have at our disposal (like well-fitting face masks) has proliferated. Despite attempts to curb the spread of untrue or misleading information on COVID-19, this messaging persists on social media. Methods: Using a clean and cleared account, the 300 top posts under the hashtag #masksdontwork were collected on Instagram for thematic analysis over three weeks in June 2022, with three separate data collection dates. Themes contained in the posts were independently assessed by two coders and discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Results: The most dominant theme among posts was mistrust, including “government lies” and “media lies.” Anti-masking rhetoric was the second most frequent theme, where “freedom” and “disbelief in data” were common sub-themes. Conclusion: Science denial and propaganda shared among Instagram users may represent an onramp to consumption of broader conspiracy theories and government distrust, in addition to having negative health effects and social consequences for workers regardless of whether they wear masks. Social media algorithms promote similar misinformation or authority-questioning beliefs to users who view related content. Addressing the spread of health-related misinformation can assist in deconstructing myths and increasing trust in public health authorities and prevent the spread of communicable diseases among workers and the public.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791124000817COVID-19InfodemicMasksMisinformationSocial media |
| spellingShingle | Emma K. Quinn Robert T. Duffy Kristian Larsen Maria Dalton Cheryl E. Peters Anti-masking Posts on Instagram: Content Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic Safety and Health at Work COVID-19 Infodemic Masks Misinformation Social media |
| title | Anti-masking Posts on Instagram: Content Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | Anti-masking Posts on Instagram: Content Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Anti-masking Posts on Instagram: Content Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anti-masking Posts on Instagram: Content Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | Anti-masking Posts on Instagram: Content Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | anti masking posts on instagram content analysis during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 Infodemic Masks Misinformation Social media |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791124000817 |
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