The Role of Social Media in Building Pandemic Resilience in an Urban Community: A Qualitative Case Study

Joel Oommen George, Suzanne Elayan (), Martin Sykora, Marin Solter, Rob Feick, Christopher Hewitt, Yiqiao Liu and Ketan Shankardass
Additional contact information
Joel Oommen George: Centre for Information Management, Loughborough Business School, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK
Suzanne Elayan: Centre for Information Management, Loughborough Business School, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK
Martin Sykora: Centre for Information Management, Loughborough Business School, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK
Marin Solter: Centre for Information Management, Loughborough Business School, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK
Rob Feick: School of Planning, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Christopher Hewitt: Department of Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
Yiqiao Liu: Department of Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
Ketan Shankardass: Department of Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON M5B 1W8, Canada

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 17, 1-18

Abstract: This paper explores the influence of social media in fostering resilience within an urban spatial context, specifically in Bangalore, India, during the COVID-19 lockdown, a period marked by a surge in digital communication due to movement restrictions. To control the rapid spread of the virus, over 1.38 billion people were given stay-at-home orders by the government of India during the onset of the pandemic. The restrictions in movement forced individuals to shift to online modes of connection and communication. As the field of digital epidemiology, that is, the use of digital tools and data to understand and improve health took center stage during the pandemic, the focus shifted towards the social media landscape, which is often associated with its negative aspects, such as misinformation. However, this paper delves into social media’s potential to build resilience on a local scale, particularly given its increased usage during the pandemic. Through in-depth online interviews with eight urban residents, we conducted a thematic analysis to understand social media’s role during the lockdown. Results indicate that social media facilitated effective information exchange and fostered a sense of community. Furthermore, it engendered an environment conducive to prosocial behavior, a known resilience amplifier. We also highlight the importance of baseline context regarding the users directly engaged in social media data generation with respect to digital epidemiology analytics tools for large-scale social media data and the need for qualitative input feeding into their design. Our study highlights the need for a balanced perspective on social media use in times of crisis, recognizing its potential to boost community resilience in an urban setting, and further enriching digital epidemiology approaches.

Keywords: social media; digital epidemiology; urban health; mental health; resilience (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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