 •Aims to measure to what degree someone is exposed to their network members with certain, attitudes, attributes, or behaviors


Network Exposure Model

Goal-oriented browsing on YouTube reduced the likelihood of encountering anti-vaccine videos. Conversely, direct navigation that started from an anti-vaccine video led to more encounters with similar content. In the two seed networks created to resemble direct navigation, pro-vaccine videos, anti-vaccine videos, and videos containing non-vaccine-related health misinformation were all more likely to lead to further anti-vaccine videos. Furthermore, although YouTube has increased the search rankings of pro-vaccine videos to combat misinformation, when viewers are directed to anti-vaccine videos on YouTube from external sites, the algorithm is still likely to recommend additional anti-vaccine content.

Vaccine Misinformation Network Exposure Study Results

The researchers created two search networks from pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine keywords to resemble goal-oriented browsing (based on keyword search). In contrast to the goal-oriented browsing networks, they constructed two seed networks (resembling direct navigation) based on conspiracy and anti-vaccine expert seed videos. Video contents and network structures were analyzed using the network exposure model.

University of California, Berkeley

Google

Misinformation/disinformation about vaccines that can affect vaccine confidence and vaccination rates.

Vaccine Misinformation

Tang, Lu, et al. “‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ of Vaccine Misinformation on Youtube: Network Exposure Study.” Journal of Medical Internet Research, vol. 23, no. 1, 2021, doi:10.2196/23262. 

“Down the Rabbit Hole” of Vaccine Misinformation on YouTube: Network Exposure Study

 • The rise of social media use and outreach has raised the influence of vaccine misinformation more than any time in history.

 • Studies show that there is a wide spread of vaccine misinformation on social media platforms.

 • Consuming anti vaccine social media content has the potential to negatively impact vaccine attitudes and uptake.


Anti-vaccine Misinformation and Social Media

 •YouTube is the largest video sharing social media platform.

 •The article describes YouTube as a hotbed for anti vaccine misinformation.

 •A study found that out of 172 human papillomavirus related videos on YouTube, only around 30% of the videos were pro-vaccine.

 •Another study showed that around 20% and 30% of videos on influenza and measles-mumps-rubella vaccines, were anti-vaccine videos.

 •According to both studies, anti-vaccine videos had more views than pro-vaccine videos


YouTube and Vaccine Misinformation

 •Filter bubbles are created by YouTube as viewers are exposed to content that is similar, repetitive and biased. 

 •The study wishes to explore to what degree YouTube’s recommendation algorithm shapes the exposure of people to vaccine related information and misinformation.


Goal of the Study


 • How do traditional media users and social media users in the US differ in their belief in vaccine misinformation?

• How does the acceptance or rejection of common vaccine misinformation relate to the trust an individual has in medical experts/expertise?


Questions of Research (type of media used and trust in medical expertise)


Vaccine Misinformation Network Exposure Study Methods

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, September 4). How to Address COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-departments/addressing-vaccine-misinformation.html

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