Strategies for Coping with Twitter's "Dark Side": A Transactional Model of Stress and Coping Analysis

Social media's "dark side"—including dis/misinformation and harassment—is increasingly problematic. What strategies do people use to cope with such issues in their daily life? Based on Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC), this study investigated how individuals cope with such issues on Twitter. An online survey, including the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, was used to analyze 800 US adult Twitter users' coping strategies. The study found Folkman and colleagues' 8-strategy grouping applicable to this context. The top coping strategies were Distancing (e.g., "Went on as if nothing had happened"), Self-Controlling (e.g., "I tried to keep my feelings to myself"), and Planful Problem-Solving (e.g., "I made a plan of action and followed it"). Primary and secondary appraisals were associated with most strategies (7 out of 8). Significant demographic differences were found, especially with Twitter usage frequency and gender. Implications for research and practice are discussed.