Social Media
Social media is an exciting new space to learn about health behaviors and attitudes in ways that avoid the response bias in traditional research methods. According to the Pew Research Center, over 70% of U.S. adults have used at least one social media platform, which indicates these virtual spaces contain an abundance of data serviceable for observational research. In addition to self-reporting behaviors and attitudes, social media allows for the development of virtual communities for individuals to discuss topics of interest, which can then be identified for researchers studying these groups. For hard-to-reach populations, social media is particularly useful in filling in research gaps regarding health behaviors and attitudes that may carry stigma or are generally understudied.
Our team has leveraged social media data to study an array of topics, including cervical cancer screening, opioid misuse, vaccine hesitancy, and cancer survivorship. We engage in novel data mining, natural language processing, and network dynamics methodologies to understand how individuals and populations communicate about health on social media. To complement our research activities, we are also at the cutting-edge of using social media to positively influence health behaviors online.
Selected Completed Social Media Projects:
Promoting Research in Social Media and Health Symposium (PRISM)
Established in 2016, The Promoting Research in Social Media and Health Symposium (PRISM) is one of the few symposiums dedicated to social media and health research. PRISM provides an opportunity for participants to meet, collaborate, and showcase their work. Now in its seventh year, PRISM has hosted academic researchers, industry partners, patients, and advocates from over 40 unique institutions. PRISM encourages trainees, junior faculty, and professionals underrepresented in medicine to attend, and provides innovative, interactive conference sessions that bridge the gap among diverse research disciplines.