Fear or danger threat messaging: The dark side of social media

Social media is said to be one way to disseminate health information. With the proliferation of social media tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and YouTube, more millennials are engaged in health information seeking and discovery. To develop targeted health messages to this demographic, web-based applications and social media tools informed by millennials' perceptions can be effective. Prior research has shown that social media can be effective in dampening the stigma associated with health conditions, such as HIV, even in cases where consumers simply engage in health information seeking behaviors. We use the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) of behavior change communication to examine specifically how Black college-aged and matriculating women perceive the threat of HIV and their ability to prevent transmission. The purpose of this study is to assess perceived threat and perceived efficacy via the EPPM in order to inform the ongoing social media development of HIV prevention messages for myHealthImpact Network.org, an online experience targeting Black women. A convenience sample of 49 Black women was recruited and invited to complete both paper and pencil, and online surveys. Overall, the sample had positive EPPM scores, meaning that the participants perceived HIV as a severe threat to which they feel mildly susceptible, but very capable of preventing. The sample respondents' positive EPPM scores indicate that messages targeting this group should continue to stress the severity of HIV and their susceptibility to the disease as well as strategies to prevent its transmission. Thus, tailored fear appeals can offer an effective messaging approach to communicating the threat of HIV to this population. These results offer insights into how social media can be used, consumed and perceived among diverse populations.