A Positive Outlook
The American people are facing something that they’ve never experienced, and more than likely never anticipated to. While many people are finding it difficult to navigate this new normal of staying inside and socializing from behind a screen, a new study by LawnStarter.com discovered that many Americans are keeping upbeat attitudes and remaining resilient.
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Key Findings of the Study
The study, based on an analysis of 237,627 tweets between February 20th, 2020 and March 20th, 2020 , finds:
- Since Feb. 20, 2020 there has been a 1179% increase in number of daily tweets about Coronavirus
- 60% of tweets are positive about the Coronavirus situation
- 13% of tweets mention drinkable alcohol
- 5% of tweets are about working from home
- Only 2% of tweets mention politics
Tweets were analyzed by two methods: sentiment analysis - whether they were positive, negative or neutral, and contextual analysis - the words most commonly used in tweets pertaining to the virus.
Working From Home is Working Out Well
Telecommuting seems to be working out just fine for homebound Americans. Almost half (49%) of Americans are keeping a positive attitude on Twitter when it comes to working from home, with 22% feeling neutral and 29% negative.
While there is a lot of uncertainty about our economy right now, Americans are once again proving to be resilient people with 43% of coronavirus tweets about the stock market being positive. A third (33%) of these tweets were negative, while 24% remained neutral.
Essentials Items - Not Our Top Priority
Stores across the country seem to be wiped clean of toilet paper and hand sanitizer but surprisingly, many Twitter users aren’t talking about these purchases online. Less than 2% (1.7%) of tweets about the coronavirus mentioned one of the following: toilet paper, bleach, paper towels, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, and diapers. Toilet paper seems to be the most sought after of these essential items, with 0.74% of tweets mentioning it However, there is another product that a lot more people seem interested in.
Alcohol - Americans’ True Essential Item?
Though it isn’t essential, many Americans seem to be much more interested in (drinkable) alcohol than any of the previously mentioned essential items, with 13% of Coronavirus tweets mentioning it. In fact, Americans tweeting about the Coronavirus are 17 times more likely to tweet about booze than sanitation products.
While times of stress and boredom can encourage some people to drink more, health experts are advising against it. The John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Health says: “Replacing bar meetups with virtual happy hours might offer a much-needed salve during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but downing too much alcohol could also reduce your immune system’s ability to fight off infectious diseases, according to numerous studies.” As far as the different states compare, Maine came in number one in the country for the highest percentage of coronavirus tweets referring to alcohol at 20.33%. Perhaps surprising for a state known for partying, Louisiana brings up the rear at just 8.05% of tweets mentioning it.
Political Tweets Take a Back Seat
Politics are arguably one of the most discussed and heated topics on Twitter, so it seems unusual to see less tweets about it. Politics are seemingly in the back of many Americans’ minds, despite the fact that 2020 is an election year. Out of all 237,627 tweets mentioning the Coronavirus, only 1.7% were political, mentioning one of the following keywords: Trump, Biden, Pelosi, McConnell, Republican, Republicans, Dem, Democrat, Democrats, politics, politicians.
In Conclusion
This is a strange time for many Americans and whether it be through work, health, or social lives, it is affecting all of us in one way or another. It is important for us to stay educated and keep the positivity going. Pick up a new hobby, read a new book, exercise at home, etc. America is a country with resilient citizens, and we will continue to remain positive and strong.
