Abstract
Crisis informatics has examined how institutions and individuals seek, communicate, and curate information in response to crises. The public's communication and perception of risks on social media remain understudied. In this study, we report a qualitative analysis of public perceptions of risks and risk management measures on Reddit during the Zika crisis, an emerging epidemic associated with high uncertainty regarding pathology, epidemiology, and broad consequences. We found two types of perceived risks: ones directly caused by the Zika virus, and ones potentially introduced by authorities' risk management measures. Risk perceptions unfolded along multiple dimensions beyond the imminent and personal level. Reddit users discussed in a speculative way to foresee various risks in the long run or at larger geographical scales. We discuss the multidimensionality and speculative nature of risk perception on social media, and derive implications for crisis informatics research and public health research and practice.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | CHI 2018 - Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems |
| Subtitle of host publication | Engage with CHI |
| Publisher | Association for Computing Machinery |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781450356206, 9781450356213 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 20 2018 |
| Event | 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2018 - Montreal, Canada Duration: Apr 21 2018 → Apr 26 2018 |
Publication series
| Name | Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings |
|---|---|
| Volume | 2018-April |
Other
| Other | 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2018 |
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| City | Montreal |
| Period | 4/21/18 → 4/26/18 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Software
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design
Cite this
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Multidimensional risk communication : Public discourse on risks during an emerging epidemic. / Gui, Xinning; Kou, Yubo; Pine, Kathleen; Ladaw, Elisa; Kim, Harold; Suzuki-Gill, Eli; Chen, Yunan.
CHI 2018 - Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems: Engage with CHI. Association for Computing Machinery, 2018. (Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings; Vol. 2018-April).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
TY - GEN
T1 - Multidimensional risk communication
T2 - Public discourse on risks during an emerging epidemic
AU - Gui, Xinning
AU - Kou, Yubo
AU - Pine, Kathleen
AU - Ladaw, Elisa
AU - Kim, Harold
AU - Suzuki-Gill, Eli
AU - Chen, Yunan
PY - 2018/4/20
Y1 - 2018/4/20
N2 - Crisis informatics has examined how institutions and individuals seek, communicate, and curate information in response to crises. The public's communication and perception of risks on social media remain understudied. In this study, we report a qualitative analysis of public perceptions of risks and risk management measures on Reddit during the Zika crisis, an emerging epidemic associated with high uncertainty regarding pathology, epidemiology, and broad consequences. We found two types of perceived risks: ones directly caused by the Zika virus, and ones potentially introduced by authorities' risk management measures. Risk perceptions unfolded along multiple dimensions beyond the imminent and personal level. Reddit users discussed in a speculative way to foresee various risks in the long run or at larger geographical scales. We discuss the multidimensionality and speculative nature of risk perception on social media, and derive implications for crisis informatics research and public health research and practice.
AB - Crisis informatics has examined how institutions and individuals seek, communicate, and curate information in response to crises. The public's communication and perception of risks on social media remain understudied. In this study, we report a qualitative analysis of public perceptions of risks and risk management measures on Reddit during the Zika crisis, an emerging epidemic associated with high uncertainty regarding pathology, epidemiology, and broad consequences. We found two types of perceived risks: ones directly caused by the Zika virus, and ones potentially introduced by authorities' risk management measures. Risk perceptions unfolded along multiple dimensions beyond the imminent and personal level. Reddit users discussed in a speculative way to foresee various risks in the long run or at larger geographical scales. We discuss the multidimensionality and speculative nature of risk perception on social media, and derive implications for crisis informatics research and public health research and practice.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046973094&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85046973094&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1145/3173574.3173788
DO - 10.1145/3173574.3173788
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85046973094
T3 - Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings
BT - CHI 2018 - Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
PB - Association for Computing Machinery
ER -