The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube

Sangyeon Kim; Omer F. Yalcin; Samuel E. Bestvater; Kevin Munger; Burt L. Monroe; Bruce A. Desmarais

The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube

Sangyeon Kim
, Omer F. Yalcin
, Samuel E. Bestvater
, Kevin Munger
, Burt L. Monroe
, Bruce A. Desmarais

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

11 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

The spread of misinformation related to health, especially vaccination, is a potential contributor to myriad public health problems. This misinformation is frequently spread through social media. Recently, social media companies have intervened in the dissemination of misinformation regarding vaccinations. In the current study we focus on YouTube. Recognizing the extent of the problem, YouTube implemented an informational modification that affected many videos related to vaccination beginning in February 2019. We collect original data and analyze the effects of this intervention on video viewership. We find that this informational intervention reduced traffic to the affected videos, both overall, and in comparison to a carefully-matched set of control videos that did not receive the informational modification.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020
Publisher	AAAI press
Pages	949-953
Number of pages	5
ISBN (Print)	9781577358237
State	Published - 2020
Event	14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020 - Atlanta, Virtual, United States Duration: Jun 8 2019 → Jun 11 2019

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020
Volume	14

Conference

Conference	14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020
Country/Territory	United States
City	Atlanta, Virtual
Period	6/8/19 → 6/11/19

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Computer Networks and Communications

Cite this

Kim, S., Yalcin, O. F., Bestvater, S. E., Munger, K., Monroe, B. L., & Desmarais, B. A. (2020). The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube. In Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020 (pp. 949-953). (Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020; Vol. 14). AAAI press.

Kim, Sangyeon ; Yalcin, Omer F. ; Bestvater, Samuel E. et al. / The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube. Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020. AAAI press, 2020. pp. 949-953 (Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020).

@inproceedings{d61e5856d62543aa9ae5b4ac8b01c6c7,

title = "The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube",

abstract = "The spread of misinformation related to health, especially vaccination, is a potential contributor to myriad public health problems. This misinformation is frequently spread through social media. Recently, social media companies have intervened in the dissemination of misinformation regarding vaccinations. In the current study we focus on YouTube. Recognizing the extent of the problem, YouTube implemented an informational modification that affected many videos related to vaccination beginning in February 2019. We collect original data and analyze the effects of this intervention on video viewership. We find that this informational intervention reduced traffic to the affected videos, both overall, and in comparison to a carefully-matched set of control videos that did not receive the informational modification.",

author = "Sangyeon Kim and Yalcin, \{Omer F.\} and Bestvater, \{Samuel E.\} and Kevin Munger and Monroe, \{Burt L.\} and Desmarais, \{Bruce A.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2020, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved.; 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020 ; Conference date: 08-06-2019 Through 11-06-2019",

year = "2020",

language = "English (US)",

isbn = "9781577358237",

series = "Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020",

publisher = "AAAI press",

pages = "949--953",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020",

}

Kim, S, Yalcin, OF, Bestvater, SE, Munger, K, Monroe, BL & Desmarais, BA 2020, The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube. in Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020. Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020, vol. 14, AAAI press, pp. 949-953, 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020, Atlanta, Virtual, United States, 6/8/19.

The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube. / Kim, Sangyeon; Yalcin, Omer F.; Bestvater, Samuel E. et al.
Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020. AAAI press, 2020. p. 949-953 (Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020; Vol. 14).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

TY - GEN

T1 - The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube

AU - Kim, Sangyeon

AU - Yalcin, Omer F.

AU - Bestvater, Samuel E.

AU - Munger, Kevin

AU - Monroe, Burt L.

AU - Desmarais, Bruce A.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - The spread of misinformation related to health, especially vaccination, is a potential contributor to myriad public health problems. This misinformation is frequently spread through social media. Recently, social media companies have intervened in the dissemination of misinformation regarding vaccinations. In the current study we focus on YouTube. Recognizing the extent of the problem, YouTube implemented an informational modification that affected many videos related to vaccination beginning in February 2019. We collect original data and analyze the effects of this intervention on video viewership. We find that this informational intervention reduced traffic to the affected videos, both overall, and in comparison to a carefully-matched set of control videos that did not receive the informational modification.

AB - The spread of misinformation related to health, especially vaccination, is a potential contributor to myriad public health problems. This misinformation is frequently spread through social media. Recently, social media companies have intervened in the dissemination of misinformation regarding vaccinations. In the current study we focus on YouTube. Recognizing the extent of the problem, YouTube implemented an informational modification that affected many videos related to vaccination beginning in February 2019. We collect original data and analyze the effects of this intervention on video viewership. We find that this informational intervention reduced traffic to the affected videos, both overall, and in comparison to a carefully-matched set of control videos that did not receive the informational modification.

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M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85099561567

SN - 9781577358237

T3 - Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020

SP - 949

EP - 953

BT - Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020

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ER -

Kim S, Yalcin OF, Bestvater SE, Munger K, Monroe BL, Desmarais BA. The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube. In Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020. AAAI press. 2020. p. 949-953. (Proceedings of the 14th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, ICWSM 2020).

The effects of an informational intervention on attention to anti-vaccination content on YouTube

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

UN SDGs

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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