Use of Social Media as a Health Seeking Behaviour: Looking Into Covid-19 Related Social Media Posts on Facebook During The Measures of Isolation, Lockdown and Social Distance

Öz

The study aims to demonstrate how health seeking is reflected in users’ posts and comments in Covid-19-themed groups on Facebook as a social media platform, under the conditions of isolation, lockdown and social distance in the Covid-19 process. In this scope, the study examined Facebook groups: The Coronavirus (Covid-19) Information Exchange and Cooperation-Turkey, The Covid-19 Information Sharing Platform, and The Information and Solidarity Platform for Those Diagnosed with Covid-19 Turkey. 600 posts and comments were selected using the random sampling technique and analysed using descriptive method content analysis technique. This was conducted through a coding layout developed by the researchers based on field research (92.95% reliability) and showed that the participants mainly shared emotional support posts and comments that included good wishes/consolation/prayer/thanks (35.3%) and asked questions about the Covid-19 experience/treatment (41.3%) process for information. The posts differed by gender and 86.3% of them received comments. Finally, a word cloud was created using Python, and the overall distribution of the posts and comments was determined. The study demonstrates that digital channels and social networks are used for emotional support and as a source in seeking health information despite having problems such as causing the paradox of fear, issues of confidentiality, and a low confidence level.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Health seeking behaviour
• social media
• Covid-19
• Facebook
• content

Bir Sağlık Arama Davranışı Olarak Sosyal Medya Kullanımı: İzolasyon, Karantina ve Sosyal Mesafe Tedbirlerinde Facebook’ta Covid-19 İçerikli Sosyal Medya Paylaşımlarının Görünümü

Öz

Çalışmanın temel amacı Koronavirüs (Covid-19) sürecinde izolasyon, karantina ve sosyal mesafe şartlarında sağlık arama davranışı gösteren kişilerin, Facebook’un Covid-19 konulu gruplarında yaptıkları paylaşım ve yorumlarına sağlık arayışının nasıl yansıdığını ortaya koymaktır. Bu kapsamda Facebook’ta Corona virüsü (Covid-19) Bilgi Paylaşımı ve Yardımlaşma-Türkiye, Covid-19 Bilgi Paylaşım Platformu ve Covid-19 Yakalananlar Bilgi ve Birlik Platformu Türkiye sosyal medya grupları araştırmaya dâhil edilmiştir. Gruplardan 07 Ekim 2020 ve 07 Ocak 2021 tarihleri arasından basit rastlantısal örneklem tekniğiyle seçilen 600 paylaşım ve yorum betimsel yöntem ile içerik analizi tekniği kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Alanyazın taramasına dayanarak araştırmacılarca oluşturulan kodlama cetveli ile (güvenilirlik %92,95 olarak) paylaşım ve yorumlar analiz edilmiş analiz sonucunda katılımcıların ağırlıklı olarak iyi dilekler/teselli/dua/teşekkür (%35,3) içeren paylaşım ve yorumlarda bulunduğu, Covid-19’un deneyim/tedavi süreci hakkında soru sorarak (%41,3) diğer katılımcılardan bilgi talep ettiği belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgulara göre paylaşım ve yorumlar cinsiyete göre farklılık göstermektedir, bulguların %86,3’ünü yorumlar oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmanın sonunda Python programlama dili kullanılarak kelime bulutu oluşturulmuş paylaşım ve yorumların genel dağılımı belirlenmiştir. Çalışmada bu anlamda sosyal ağların, sağlık bilgisi arama ve korku paradoksu, gizlilik, düşük güven düzeyi gibi sorunsallarına rağmen duygusal destek ve bilgiye ulaşmada bir kaynak olarak kullanıldığı ortaya konmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sağlık arama davranışı
• sosyal medya
• Covid-19
• Facebook
• içerik

Kaynakça

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