A comparison of user engagement with the CDC facebook page during health crisis and ordinary periods

Abstract

This study investigated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Facebook Page to understand how users engage differently in ordinary and health crisis situations. The posts and user activities, such as shares, likes, and comments, at different times and situations were collected and compared. The findings showed that users engage more actively during health crises. The types of engagement differed depending on the seriousness of the event. The results showed that users engage based on the content of the posts during both ordinary and health crisis situations. The findings of the study contribute in further understanding of users’ behavior on social media in different situational contexts.