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. 2023 Feb 13;20(4):3246.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043246.

The Influence of Social Media on the Perception of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Content Analysis of Public Discourse on YouTube Videos

Schwab Bakombo  1 , Paulette Ewalefo  1 , Anne T M Konkle  1   2   3
Affiliations

The Influence of Social Media on the Perception of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Content Analysis of Public Discourse on YouTube Videos

Schwab Bakombo et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Little is known about how social media shapes the public's perception of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We used a media content analysis approach to analyze the public's perception of ASD.

Methods: We conducted a YouTube search in 2019 using keywords related to ASD. The first 10 videos displayed after each search that met the eligibility criteria were selected for analysis. The final sample size of videos analyzed was 50. The top 10 comments from each respective video were selected for commentary analysis. A total of 500 comments were used for this study. Videos and comments were categorized based on sentiment, evident themes, and subthemes. In 2022, using the same key words, we conducted a subsequent YouTube search using the same criteria, except that the videos had to be 10 min or less, whereby nine videos were selected out of 70 for commentary analysis, and a total of 180 comments were used.

Results: The dominant themes were "providing educational information on ASD characteristics" with the main subtheme being "no specific age or sex focus". The most common category of comments was "anecdote". The overwhelming sentiments of both the videos and comments were "mixed". Individuals with ASD were stigmatized as not being able to understand emotion. Furthermore, ASD was also stigmatized as being a monolithic condition only manifesting itself in the most severe form when autism varies in severity.

Interpretation: YouTube is a powerful tool that allows people and organizations to raise awareness about ASD by providing a more dynamic view on autism and fostering an environment for public empathy and support.

Keywords: ASD; Asperger; YouTube; advocacy; autism; autism spectrum disorder; awareness; social media.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Major themes and subthemes presented in the ASD-related videos. N = 50. EI represents the theme “providing educational Information”. PE represents the theme “personal experience”. DL represents the theme “daily life videos”. In brackets are the subthemes for each.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Major themes and subthemes presented in comments related to the chosen videos. Sample size = 500. EP represents the theme “expression of personal feelings”. AN represents the theme “anecdote”. RC represents the theme “reaction to video content”.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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