Public Discourse of Genetically Modified Organisms in China: An Investigation of Commenting and Reposting Behaviors on Social Media

Abstract

This study examined the factors affecting user engagement in the genetically modified organism (GMO) discourse on one of the most popular social media platforms in China. A content-analysis study was conducted with a sample of the most commented GMO posts on social media and over 7000 comments. Firstly, posts from well-known and government accounts facilitated the online discourse of GMOs. Secondly, the nature of the event and the features of GMO messages influenced how users engaged with the online discussion. Thirdly, among the commenters, female users were more likely to agree with the original posts whereas male users were more likely to repost the message. In conclusion, social media users held negative attitudes toward GMOs as they tended to repost more and agree more when GMO risks were mentioned. Source and message features, as well as commenters’ characteristics, were found to have a significant impact on user engagement. Social media continued to serve as an important public space to facilitate public debate on a controversial scientific topic.