article Open AccessTop 1% cited
Weaponized Health Communication: Twitter Bots and Russian Trolls Amplify the Vaccine Debate
American Journal of Public Health · 2018 · Vol. 108(10) · pp. 1378–1384
David Broniatowski✉(George Washington University)Amelia Jamison(George Washington University)SiHua Qi(George Washington University)Lulwah Alkulaib(George Washington University)Tao Chen(George Washington University)Adrian Benton(George Washington University)Sandra Crouse Quinn(George Washington University)Mark Dredze(George Washington University)
Abstract
Whereas bots that spread malware and unsolicited content disseminated antivaccine messages, Russian trolls promoted discord. Accounts masquerading as legitimate users create false equivalency, eroding public consensus on vaccination. Public Health Implications. Directly confronting vaccine skeptics enables bots to legitimize the vaccine debate. More research is needed to determine how best to combat bot-driven content.
Vaccine Coverage and HesitancyMisinformation and Its ImpactsHate Speech and Cyberbullying DetectionInternet privacySocial mediaPoliticsVaccinationPublic healthContent (measure theory)Public opinionContent analysisPolitical scienceAdvertising
MeSH terms
HumansPublic HealthRussiaVaccinationHealth CommunicationSocial Media
Funding
- Johns Hopkins University
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Citations
1,152
FWCI
140.16
field-weighted impact
References
26
Percentile
100%
vs. same field & year
Citations per year
Cited by
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References
The rise of social bots
Communications of the ACM · 2016 · 1,498 citations
Anti-vaccine activists, Web 2.0, and the postmodern paradigm – An overview of tactics and tropes used online by the anti-vaccination movement
Vaccine · 2011 · 1,100 citations
A postmodern Pandora's box: Anti-vaccination misinformation on the Internet
Vaccine · 2009 · 1,233 citations
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