Unmasking sentiments
A netnographic exploration of public discourse on facemasks during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21621322 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sara Costa (0000-0002-4294-6641, Roma Tre University, corresponding author), Lucía Liste (0000-0003-4104-8273, NTNU Samfunnsforskning), Giuseppe Carrus (0000-0003-1680-1657, Roma Tre University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 2519-2531 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Current Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1046-1310 • E-ISSN: 1936-4733 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12144-025-07351-8 |
| OpenAlex | W4406485607 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 52 |
The COVID-19 pandemic was marked by widespread uncertainty, and social media emerged as a dominant form of social interaction during lockdowns and physical distancing. These platforms have become powerful tools for assessing and monitoring macroscale trends in public discourse, offering valuable insights into societal dynamics during this time. This study contributes to the understanding of the evolving public sentiment in Italy during various phases of the COVID-19 crisis. Through a netnographic content analysis of a sample of one thousand Italian tweets, we discerned fluctuating trust in the government, oscillating from low to high and back. We posit that these shifts may not solely be attributed to governmental communication styles (e.g., increases or decreases in transparency and clarity) but may also be influenced by the collectively negotiated psychological states of individuals during varying phases of the crisis. These findings may shed light on the complexities of public sentiment during crises and offer important insights for policymakers and public health officials dealing with future critical events
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Pandemic · Public health · Cultural Differences and Values · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Medicine · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychology · Virology
Social media and attitudes towards a Covid-19 vaccination
Mistrust in biomedical research and vaccine hesitancy
Social Media Use for Health Purposes
Humor Styles, Perceived Threat, Funniness of Covid-19 Memes, and Affective Mood in the Early Stages of Covid-19 Lockdown
How Fear Appeal Approaches in Covid-19 Health Communication May Be Harming the Global Community
Why people were less compliant with public health regulations during the second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak
The psychology of social media communication in influencing prevention intentions during the 2019 U.S. measles outbreak
Examining risk and crisis communications of government agencies and stakeholders during early-stages of Covid-19 on Twitter
Spreading (Dis)Trust
When Motivated Responses to Threat Backfire
Psychological underpinnings of pandemic denial - patterns of disagreement with scientific experts in the German public during the Covid-19 pandemic
An Integrative Theory of Intergroup Conflict
Social Environment and Attitudes toward Covid-19 Anti-Contagious Measures
Strategic Uses of Facebook in Zika Outbreak Communication
Motivating voluntary compliance to behavioural restrictions
One Platform, a Thousand Worlds
Political orientation and adherence to social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy
Usage of social media during the pandemic
Policy design and state capacity in the Covid-19 emergency in Italy
Intergroup and intragroup dimensions of Covid-19
Aversion amplification in the emerging Covid ‐19 pandemic
Public Administration and Creeping Crises
Performing Crisis Management
Culture and the self
Political trust in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic
Political Trust and Trustworthiness
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |