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Short abstract:

The presentation will discuss the interactive nature of three different social media platforms as artifacts and investigate how we can better assist dialogues between scientists and the public on different social media platforms using the mediation framework.

Long abstract:

Effective science communication inspires the public’s interest in science, creates appreciation for scientists’ contributions, and builds support for the funding of scientific research. While scientists had been using online tools to communicate with the public, the number of scientists who began using social media to engage with the public significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In turn, now, more people are finding scientific information online, especially through social media, than ever before. We will discuss a synthesis of three studies that focus on the interactive nature of social media as artifacts and investigate how we can assist dialogues between scientists and the public on different social media platforms using Lievrouw’s mediation framework. Social media platforms’ variation as artifacts can lead to a significant change in the way we communicate. In the first study that analyzed tweets on X/Twitter, we compared popular scientists who had more than 10,000 followers and ordinary scientists. The second study examined medical professionals’ YouTube videos and comments from the public. The third study sampled Reddit’s Ask Me Anything (AMA) discussions that addressed topics related to COVID-19. By comparing these three social media platforms, we identified strategies for social media use by scientists. In addition, interview data with 11 COVID-19 scientists are used to inform and triangulate the findings. These findings will contribute to the literature of public engagement with science in online environments using the mediation framework.