Dijital sağlık iletişiminde yeni kanaat önderleri: Türk sağlık etkileyicilerinin motivasyon, rol ve pratikerini keşfetmek

Öz

Dijital çağda, sağlık etkileyicilerinin (influencer) sosyal medyada yeni bir kanaat önderliği biçimi olarak yükselişi, sağlık bilgilerinin akışı ve güvenilirliğinde karmaşık dinamikler ortaya çıkarmış; güvenin tesis edilmesi ve sağlığın teşviki için yeni fırsatlar ve değerlendirme alanları sunmuştur. Bu çalışma, Türkiye bağlamında Instagram’da faaliyet gösteren sağlık etkileyicilerinin motivasyonlarını, kanaat önderliği rollerini ve gündem belirleme pratiklerini keşfetmeyi; ayrıca takipçileriyle kurdukları etkileşim biçimlerini, dijital sağlık söylemlerini nasıl şekillendirdiklerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. 17 sağlık etkileyicisiyle yapılan derinlemesine yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelere dayanan bu çalışmada, veriler NVIVO 15 yazılımı kullanılarak analiz edilmiş ve tematik analiz yöntemiyle değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma, sağlık etkileyicilerinin aktif rolleri ile sosyal medya platformlarının yapısal imkânları arasındaki etkileşimi ortaya koymakta; sağlık etkileyicilerinin yeni kanaat önderleri olarak kamu sağlığı bilgisinin yayılımına nasıl katkı sunduklarını, dijital sağlık söylemlerini nasıl şekillendirdiklerini ve çevrimiçi ortamda dezenformasyonun doğurduğu güçlüklerle nasıl başa çıktıklarını aydınlatmaktadır. Bulgular, lisanslı sağlık etkileyicilerinin dijital kanaat önderleri olarak işlev görmelerinin yanı sıra, güvenilirlik, güven ve algılanan yakınlığın etkilerini pekiştiren parasosyal kanaat önderliği özelliklerini de sergilediklerini göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sağlık iletişimi
• sosyal medya
• sağlık etkileyicileri
• dezenformasyon
• kanaat önderliği

The new opinion leaders in digital health communication:Exploring the motivations, roles, and practices of Turkish health influencers

Öz

The rise of health influencers as a new form of opinion leadership on social media in the digital age has introduced complex dynamics in the flow and credibility of health information, presenting new opportunities and considerations for fostering trust and advancing health promotion. This study explores the motivations, opinion leadership, and agenda-setting practices of health influencers on Instagram in Türkiye, focusing on their interactions with followers, their role in shaping digital health discourses, and their communication strategies to counter misinformation and disinformation. The study draws on in-depth semi-structured interviews with 17 health professionals. The findings highlight the interplay between health influencers’ active roles and the structural affordances of social media, showing how they function as new opinion leaders in disseminating public health information, shaping digital health narratives, and addressing the challenges of online disinformation. Credentialed health influencers act as digital opinion leaders while exhibiting parasocial leadership traits, with credibility, trust, and perceived closeness amplifying their influence. Their practices underscore their roles in agenda-setting and countering disinformation, positioning them as key actors in shaping public health debates.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Health communication
• social media
• health influencers
• disinformation
• opinion leadership

Kaynakça

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