Public health turning to Snapchat
Brock research shows it may help with COVID safety rules messaging
Niagara’s public health department is taking to Snapchat, and trying to learn how to better reach the young adult demographic that is driving many of the new COVID-19 cases in Ontario.
As the daily novel coronavirus case count rises — in Niagara and across the province — those aged 39 and younger have generated more new cases than any other age group. Despite months of messaging to encourage physical distancing, handwashing and now wearing masks, the message doesn’t seem to be reaching younger people, says Niagara’s top public health official.
“I absolutely think that we can say that what we have been doing hasn’t worked,” said Dr. Mustafa Hirji, acting medical officer of health. “So we clearly have to try something else.”
He said the messaging has to resonate with younger people and be displayed on media they consume.
“So that might not be traditional media, it may be social media,” he said.
To that end, Hirji said the health department will be placing some of its COVID-19 messages in ads that will appear on Snapchat — an application popular with younger people — and use geolocating features to target Niagara users.
The department is also working on data collection to learn what kind of messaging will be most effective.
The reason why younger people may be ignoring pandemicfighting advice from public health experts may also have to do with a degree of selfishness among young adults, says Brock University researcher who examined why some people disregard pandemic safety measures.
Child and youth studies professor Tony Volk conducted a survey of young adults, which has been published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, that looked at the personality traits of those who flout infection control measures.
The young adults who scored low on specific personality trait measures in an online survey sent to more than 500 people were associated with those who don’t wear masks, distance from others, avoid gatherings or following proper handwashing hygiene.
Volk said these were people who were very selfish and not forward-thinking.
“They are not thinking about others, or about the future,” he said. “They aren’t concerned about what could happen tomorrow, or what could happen to someone else tomorrow. They are concerned with they can do for themselves now.”
He said young people were already going to be more resistant to public health messaging because of a common behaviour trait of believing they are virtually invincible. That COVID-19 is less likely to create a serious health issue for young people has only exacerbated that trait.
“It is true younger people have a greater resistance to this virus, but it is also true there are a lot of young adults getting really sick,” Volk said. “And they can spread it to others who are not as resistant.”
Volk agreed with Hirji that public health messaging to date has not worked and needs to be changed. He said there also need to be real consequences for those who ignore safety measures.
Hirji said the provincial government has already moved in that direction by reducing the size of personal gatherings both indoors and out, and imposing much higher fines for violating those restrictions.
Grant Lafleche is a St. Catharinesbased investigative reporter with the Standard. Reach him via email: grant.lafleche@niagaradailies.com