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Pragmatic lessons for harnessing social media for health research through digital data donation post-API access

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Social media offers a real-time, ecological, and large-scale data source for health research. Platforms are increasingly restricting access, posing a threat to the future of social media-based health research. We describe two challenges with this data: rapidly changing platforms, which affect use and user behavior, and variations in data availability. To address these challenges, we present four pragmatic strategies for accessing and using social media data, focusing on data donation.

Source: npj Digital Public Health

DOI: 10.1038/s44482-025-00002-6

Authors: Leo Thorbecke, Anish K. Agarwal, Sharath Chandra Guntuku

Institutions: University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics

Language: English

Topic: Social Media in Health Education

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Health System, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities