Social Data Collaboratory

?? SDC Team Spotlight: Meet Chandler C. Carter! ?? We're proud to highlight one of our talented team members at NORC at the University of Chicago's Social Data Collaboratory (SDC), Chandler Carter! As a Research Scientist in our group, Chandler brings over seven years of expertise in mixed-methods research, specializing in social media and survey data analysis. Her innovative work has been instrumental to our team's success in multiple public health initiatives: - Leading content analyses on social media's influence on tobacco use - Conducting surveillance of tobacco product promotion and prevention campaigns - Researching critical issues including body image, eating disorders, vaccination attitudes, and gun violence Chandler currently serves as the research task lead on our e-cigarette prevention campaign funded by the National Cancer Institute and as deputy project director for our CDC-funded study on respiratory immunizations and related attitudes among adults. A UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and Brown University alum, you can learn more about her here: https://lnkd.in/ezTYpU2P We're fortunate to have Chandler's expertise in our SDC team as we continue exploring the intersection of social media, public health, and data science! Have questions about our work or interested in collaborating? Drop a comment below or reach out directly. #TeamSpotlight #PublicHealthResearch #SocialDataCollaboratory #NORC #MixedMethodsResearch #DataScience

??Introducing General Social Media Archive (GSMA)?? NORC's The General Social Survey (GSS) has long been a gold standard for understanding public opinion. Now GSMA helps expand that view by analyzing how public discourse unfolds in real time??and influence policy decisions????from 30M+ posts across Facebook, X, and Instagram One example? Abortion discourse. While surveys show majority support for abortion rights, pro-life advocacy groups maintain steady engagement between major events, keeping the issue visible and influencing policy over time. GSMA helps researchers analyze these dynamics and how non-majority voices shape outcomes through sustained advocacy. Together, GSMA and GSS offer a more complete picture of public opinion and its impact on policy. ???Learn more at the link below. ??How do you see social media shaping public debate? Let’s discuss. ?? #SocialMedia #PublicOpinion #PolicyInfluence #NORC #SocialData #ResearchInnovation

We love partnering with Truth Initiative to understand how tobacco imagery is making a prominent comeback in top box office films, including youth-rated films.

As gambling and substance use expand in the U.S., our team at NORC’s Social Data Collaboratory -- Alex Kresovich, Mateusz Borowiecki, and Sherry Emery -- examined how they intersect across racial and ethnic groups. ? Surveying 6,500+ adults, we found:? ?? Stimulants had the strongest ties to gambling, especially online betting and casinos.? ?? Hispanic adults saw the highest increases, with cannabis use linked to online gambling (+22.6%) and casino games (+19%).? ?? Non-Hispanic Black adults had high baseline gambling rates, with cannabis use specifically tied to sports betting (+15%).? ?? Non-Hispanic White adults saw moderate increases in online gambling (+6.7%) and casino gaming (+5.6%) with substance use.? With mobile gambling on the rise, these findings highlight the need for culturally informed prevention strategies.? #Gambling #SubstanceUse #PublicHealth #BehavioralResearch #DataInsights?

Critical research confirming what we suspected about #influencer health content. We're working on similar projects examining these patterns across platforms. Contact us if you need evidence-based research on digital health communication. #DigitalHealth NORC at the University of Chicago

?? Expert Insights: ?Using ‘Ethically Sourced’ Social Media Data to Study Health Marketing Algorithms We’re thrilled to share a recent Expert View by Sherry Emery from the Social Data Collaboratory! In this post, Sherry dives into our innovative work using ethically sourced social media data to uncover how targeted advertising may affect people. ?? Key Insights from the Blog:? ? Ethical Data Collection: We invited participants in NORC at the University of Chicago's nationally representative Amerispeak survey panel to voluntarily share their social media data, offering a rare, direct view into the advertisements they see.? ? Revealing Important Differences: Our analysis found stark differences in exposure to food and beverage ads:? - Black respondents are 50% more likely to encounter food-related ads than white respondents.? - Latino respondents are twice as likely to see similar food ads.? - People with lower education and income levels see more food and beverage ads compared to those with higher education and income.? - People living in rural areas are more likely to encounter food ads than those in urban areas.? ? ?? Why This Matters:? These findings show how advertising algorithms can both reflect and affect individuals' health choices. Understanding these patterns is a critical step toward developing interventions that promote healthy choices and reduce the prevalence of preventable diseases. ?? Let’s Collaborate!? This is just the beginning. We’re excited to expand this research and explore partnerships with organizations, researchers, and advocates. If you’re passionate about health behavior and promotion, data ethics, or have collaboration ideas, we’d love to connect! ?? Read Sherry’s full Expert View here: https://lnkd.in/gKwXQAba #ExpertView #SocialMediaResearch #Collaboration #DataForGood?

?? What’s Really Driving Tobacco Policy Conversations on Twitter (X)? Our team at the NORC at the University of Chicago's Social Data Collaboratory analyzed two years of tobacco policy discussions on Twitter (X)—and the findings are eye-opening. While the platform seems like a real-time gauge of public opinion, it turns out industry-affiliated voices are disproportionately driving the conversation. Here’s what we found: ?? Key Insights: ?? Amplified voices dominate: Just 100 users drove 48–71% of retweets across key time periods.? ?? E-cigarette advocates led the charge:? - 65% of the most amplified users? - 38% of the most influential users? - 42% of the most connected users? ?? Industry ties abound: Of the 58 top users identified, 50 were e-cigarette advocates, and 24 had clear links to the tobacco industry. ?? Why Does This Matter? These findings emphasize the importance of questioning social media narratives. What looks like public sentiment might actually reflect well-coordinated public relations efforts. Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/gm3RPfqr ?? Join the Conversation! We’re eager to explore how social media influences public health discourse. Have ideas or want to collaborate? Let’s connect! Reach out to Alex Kresovich today! #PublicHealth #SocialMediaResearch #TobaccoPolicy #DigitalInfluence #HealthEquity #DataDriven #Collaboration #NORC?

?? Curious about how social media impacts society? So are we! ?? At the Social Data Collaboratory (SDC) at NORC at the University of Chicago, we dive deep into the ever-evolving world of social media to uncover its effects on our health, politics, and culture. Here’s a snapshot of what we do: ?? Analyze Diverse Platforms? We work with data from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter) to understand trends and behaviors.? ?? Leverage Cutting-Edge Tools? Our team uses natural language processing, machine learning, and AI to turn complex data into actionable insights.? ?? Make Data Accessible? Through projects we create public-use resources to help researchers explore societal trends.? ??? Commit to Ethical Research? Your trust matters. We ensure our research meets the highest ethical standards while providing unbiased, impactful insights. Whether you're a fellow researcher, policymaker, or just curious, we'd love to connect! Let’s explore how social media shapes our world—and how we can shape its future together. ?? Let’s Connect!? Are you interested in learning more about how social media shapes our world? Or do you have ideas for collaboration? Let’s work together to turn data into actionable insights! ?? Learn more at norc.org/sdc. ?? Reach out to Alex Kresovich for more information ?? #SocialMediaResearch #DataScience #AIInsights #PublicHealth #DigitalSociety #ResearchEthics #CollaborationOpportunity??

We're incredibly thankful to be part of an organization (NORC at the University of Chicago) that puts its talent and assets to work bringing innovative concepts to life. We are thrilled by the possibilities of connecting online engagement and digital footprints with real-world attitude and behavior measurements!

?? Exciting New Research Alert! ?? We’re thrilled to share our latest study from NORC at the University of Chicago's Social Data Collaboratory, published in Addictive Behaviors! Our team—Simon Page, Yoonsang Kim, Anna (Ganna) Kostygina, and Sherry Emery—explored how flavored tobacco products influence youth initiation. ?? Key Findings: ?? Flavored products dominate: Most youth experimenting with combustible tobacco products (CTPs) started with flavored options (67.8% in 2013–2016; 74.2% in 2016–2019).? ?? Social media matters: Frequent social media use doubled the likelihood of flavored CTP initiation, showing the role of digital influence.? ? ?Racial disparities: Black youth were less likely to start with flavored CTPs compared to White youth.? ?? Risky behaviors: Youth experimenting with vaping, alcohol, or cannabis were more likely to try CTPs, but those who vaped were less likely to choose flavored CTPs.? ?? Ease of use: Seeing flavored products as “easier to use” was a significant factor in initiation. These insights underscore the powerful influence of social and digital environments in making flavored products more appealing to young people. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gYBuV-T3 ?? Let’s Talk Solutions! We’re committed to research that informs strategies to protect youth from nicotine addiction. Are you working on similar issues? Have ideas or want to collaborate? Let’s connect and tackle the youth tobacco epidemic together! #PublicHealth #YouthPrevention #TobaccoPolicy #SocialMediaInfluence #HealthEquity #Collaboration?