Coronavirus has placed a significant strain on communities throughout the world. Since the beginning of March, residents across the United States have been dealing with the physical threat, and subsequent economic instability, of the novel pandemic. Yet despite these challenges, research shows that in the face of a crisis posing physical and economic threats, communities band together. How are they doing this in the U.S.? Let’s explore.
For the past month and a half our team has been diligently tracking changes in public online coronavirus discourse data on a weekly basis, and identified changes in the top topics occupying public discourse. Most notably, over the past 3 weeks of our research the topic of community solidarity has been a point of conversation and has remained at the forefront of online conversations ever since the number of COVID-19 cases began to spike in the United States.
To aid local government teams in identifying their residents’ points of interest and prioritizing their response/community initiatives, we’ve drilled down into the 1.6M interactions on this topic from 130+ cities. From our analysis, we were able to identify some interesting trends in the public discourse around volunteering:
Beyond examining the volume of public online discourse, we also drilled down into the top initiatives/opportunities discussed by communities across the US. Currently, the most popular topics of discussion include donations of tangible products, such as protective and medical supplies to frontline workers, as well as food donations to low-income families and other vulnerable communities.
The call to shop locally, contribute to relief funds, and proactive social distancing initiatives have taken a little bit more of a backseat as more pressing issues have come to light, as mentioned above. This signifies a shift in community concern, with a prioritization of helping those risking their lives on the frontlines.
These trends indicate the true strength of a unified community, especially in times of crisis. By assessing the popularity and breakdown of volunteer and donation initiatives, local governments can respond equipped with data. These insights can also enable them to better collaborate with their vocal, online community on new solidarity efforts.
Zencity’s 130+ partner cities are leveraging Zencity’s technology on a daily basis to support them in their COVID19 response management efforts. As coronavirus evolves rapidly and impacts every facet of society, Zencity is constantly monitoring online discourse to help local governments pinpoint their residents’ needs. In a recent report from our analysis efforts, we examine how social media has influenced the way citizens and residents are communicating during the coronavirus outbreak. The data in this report can help local governments maximize certain channels that are proving to have positive traction with residents. Be sure to sign up to our newsletter below so that you can receive these weekly reports directly in your inbox.