Anti-vaccination Movement on VK: Information Exchange and Public Concern

P. 108–121.

Petrov I.

Vaccination is a simple yet effective method for controlling the spread of communicable diseases. However, an increasing number of individuals are expressing distrust in the vaccination process and are choosing not to vaccinate themselves or their children. One explanation suggests that such doubtfulness is maintained through widespread misinformation available on social media. This research takes an exploratory approach to the anti-vaccination communities in the Russian social network VK. It applies network analysis to identify patterns in the dissemination of information and text mining to capture general public concern shown through the language of the posts published. In total, the digital fields of 135 open communities were analyzed. Textual data, public information about communities as well as reposts were collected using API technology. The findings revealed a hierarchical structure within the network of communities, indicating that larger and more active communities control the flow of information. Additionally, public concerns regarding vaccination were linked to fears of vaccine complications, parental anxieties, and uncertainties about the effects on the body.

Keywords: социальные сети, текстовый анализ, сетевые исследования, Russian Social Media, anti-vaccination movement, Антивакцинаторство, text mining, Social network analysis (SNA)

In book

Digital Transformation and Global Society. 6th International Conference, DTGS 2021, St. Petersburg, Russia, June 23–25, 2021, Revised Selected Papers

Springer, 2022.