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⏸️ STOP REDIRECT & STAY ON PAGEHASHTAGS, HOPE, AND FEAR: SOCIAL MEDIA NARRATIVES SHAPINGPUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF COVID-19 | Journal of Applied Linguistics and TESOL (JALT)
Abstract
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic produced an unprecedented shift in global communication dynamics, with socialmedia emerging as a primary arena for information dissemination, emotional expression, and publicinterpretation of the crisis. Unlike previous pandemics, the digital environment enabled individuals, institutions,and informal networks to construct competing narratives shaping perceptions of risk, responsibility, andmeaning. This study investigates how social media narratives, particularly those expressed through hashtags,visual storytelling, and affective discourse, shaped public understanding of COVID-19. Using qualitativecontent analysis of 1,200 social media posts and interviews with 30 social media users, the research identifiesthree dominant narrative categories: hope-based narratives, fear-based narratives, and polarizing politicalnarratives. The findings demonstrate that social media did not simply transmit information; it emotionallyframed the pandemic, producing competing collective imaginaries that influenced compliance with preventivemeasures, trust in institutions, and interpretations of scientific authority. Hope-centered narratives fosteredsolidarity and communal resilience, while fear-driven narratives amplified anxiety, misinformation, and socialfragmentation. Polarized political narratives intensified distrust and shaped ideological identity performance.The study highlights the role of affective publics in crisis communication and emphasizes the need for strategic,transparent, and emotionally intelligent digital health messaging to strengthen public resilience in future healthemergencies.
The COVID-19 pandemic produced an unprecedented shift in global communication dynamics, with socialmedia emerging as a primary arena for information dissemination, emotional expression, and publicinterpretation of the crisis. Unlike previous pandemics, the digital environment enabled individuals, institutions,and informal networks to construct competing narratives shaping perceptions of risk, responsibility, andmeaning. This study investigates how social media narratives, particularly those expressed through hashtags,visual storytelling, and affective discourse, shaped public understanding of COVID-19. Using qualitativecontent analysis of 1,200 social media posts and interviews with 30 social media users, the research identifiesthree dominant narrative categories: hope-based narratives, fear-based narratives, and polarizing politicalnarratives. The findings demonstrate that social media did not simply transmit information; it emotionallyframed the pandemic, producing competing collective imaginaries that influenced compliance with preventivemeasures, trust in institutions, and interpretations of scientific authority. Hope-centered narratives fosteredsolidarity and communal resilience, while fear-driven narratives amplified anxiety, misinformation, and socialfragmentation. Polarized political narratives intensified distrust and shaped ideological identity performance.The study highlights the role of affective publics in crisis communication and emphasizes the need for strategic,transparent, and emotionally intelligent digital health messaging to strengthen public resilience in future healthemergencies.