Internet Public Opinion Diffusion Mechanism in Public Health Emergencies: Based on Entropy Flow Analysis and Dissipative Structure Determination

Abstract

As an empirical case, this study selected the illegal production process incidents of rabies and DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus) vaccines by Changchun Longevity Biotechnology Co., Ltd., which occurred in July 2018. Based on the four factors involved in the spread of public opinion, the public health emergency, netizen, network media, and government, Brusselator model, and entropy method were applied to calculate the positive and negative entropy—to verify whether the Internet public opinion system is a dissipative structure. This study verified four evolution mechanisms in Internet public opinion diffusion, among which the trigger point of entropy-control occurred in the germination mechanism, the entropy-controlled disposal point occurred in the outbreak and fluctuating mechanism, and then became latency in the elimination mechanism. It provides a theoretical reference for the government to judge the stage of such diffusion and improve the governance ability of the opinion mentioned above.