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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC

@sdc.norc.org
372 followers 716 following 113 posts

NORC’s Social Data Collaboratory (SDC) brings together a diverse team of experts, including social scientists, data scientists, and communication researchers to explore how digital and social media shape and reflect public opinions and behavior.

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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 29/07/2026
We shared our research at the NIH Tobacco Regulatory Science Meeting! We found innovative ways to track tobacco marketing and show how social media normalizes nicotine as a wellness enhancer. These insights will help inform smarter strategies for tobacco regulation and prevention.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 08/07/2026
We presented our study on U.S. e-cigarette prevention campaigns at #ICA26. Traditional engagement metrics can mask structural vulnerabilities in digital communication networks. Effective public health strategies must account for network structure & platform architecture, not just message content.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 07/05/2026
New from NORC’s Social Data Collaboratory: We analyzed 48M+ tweets to study how influencer content relates to youth substance use. This work shows how local social media environments may shape real-world behavior. See the full article here: doi.org/10.1016/j.so...
doi.org
Redirecting
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 29/04/2026
New research finds nearly 9% of U.S. youth and young adults have sought online firearm-related harm information. Risk was higher among those facing structural disadvantage, violence exposure, and mental health challenges—highlighting urgent prevention needs. #PublicHealth doi.org/10.1001/jama...
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 22/04/2026
Our new study sheds light on what shapes public attitudes toward people with OUD and those with criminal legal involvement + why it matters for policy. Higher stigma = more support for punitive policies & less for harm reduction. Targeted messaging matters. #PublicHealth doi.org/10.1176/appi...
doi.org
Beyond High Versus Low: Differentiating Levels of Stigma Toward Opioid Use Disorder and Criminal Legal Involvement | Psychiatric Services
Objective:This study aimed to identify distinct profiles of the level of stigma held toward individuals with opioid use disorder and those with criminal legal involvement (CLI) and to examine the demo...
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 15/04/2026
🚨 New research alert Opposition to youth e-cigarette campaigns looks very different across platforms: • Twitter (X): highly coordinated and amplified • TikTok: smaller, meme- & humor-driven 📌 Takeaway: public health strategies must be platform specific. www.jmir.org/2026/1/e83791
jmir.org
Opposition to Youth e-Cigarette Prevention Campaigns on Twitter and TikTok: Cross-Platform Observational Mixed Methods Analysis
Background: Youth e-cigarette use rose sharply between 2013 and 2024 in the United States, prompting widespread prevention campaigns at national, state, and local levels. However, many campaigns encou...
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 02/04/2026
~50% of adults on TikTok see gambling content; half of exposures come from the top 10% of users. With #MarchMadness in full swing, check out early findings from NORC at the University of Chicago’s data‑donation study on betting content across social media: www.norc.org/research/lib...
norc.org
Online Sports Betting Hits Social Feeds—But Not Evenly, New NORC Study Finds | NORC at the University of Chicago
An analysis of users’ data from TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram finds 10 percent of users saw about 50 percent of all gambling content.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 25/03/2026
To fix public health, we have to see inside the "black box" of private platforms. Transparent social science is the only way to bridge the gap. Read the full SDC study here: www.norc.org/research/lib... 3/3
norc.org
New NORC Study Reveals Social Media Users’ Exposure to Food & Beverage Marketing | NORC at the University of Chicago
AmeriSpeak panelists donated personal data from Facebook accounts for study.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 25/03/2026
Using ethical "data donation," we found: 🔹 Black adults saw 17 food/bev ads/day vs. 5 for White adults. 🔹 Low-income users (<$30k) saw 12 ads/day vs. 4-6 for higher earners. Targeting isn't just about what you like; it's about who you are. 2/3
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 25/03/2026
Your social media feed is a "digital diet" dictated by algorithms, and it isn’t the same for everyone. New research from @norc.org ’s Social Data Collaboratory (SDC) reveals massive disparities in food/beverage marketing exposure. 🧵 1/3
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 18/03/2026
A former orchestral trombonist (and "terrible" jazz player), Mateusz skips "hacks" for solid habits: 🎧 Soundtrack: Max Richter 📖 Reading: The Brontës by Juliet Barker 🚶‍♂️ Secret weapon: A midday walk for fresh air. Happy to have you on the SDC team, Mateusz! 3/3
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 18/03/2026
Mateusz loves the SDC for its variety and for the chance to tell friends he's "paid to scroll social media" for research. When he’s not analyzing data, he’s training to swap the flatlands for the Scottish Highlands. 🏔️ He’s eyeing a long hiking climb later this year. 2/3
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 18/03/2026
How do researchers keep pace with the ever-shifting landscape of social media behavior? 📱 Meet Mateusz Borowiecki, a senior research analyst at @norc.org’s Social Data Collaboratory (SDC), and an expert in finding that answer. 🧵 1/3
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 11/03/2026
That’s a wrap on #SRNT2026! 📸 Huge congrats to SDC at @norc.org's Chandler Carter for an amazing job presenting our team's research on digital nicotine promotion, synthetic marketing, and the decline of online tobacco prevention campaigns. Proud of the team!
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Reposted by Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC
NORC at the University of Chicago @norc.org · 03/03/2026
Central to our work is a commitment to responsible data collection. Our @sdc.norc.org pioneered an “ethically sourced” data donation model that puts social media users in control of their own data, allowing them to share it directly with researchers under strict privacy-protective protocols.
A person is holding a smartphone, with a focus on the screen. The image's text reads: "Using 'Ethically Sourced' Social Media Data for Research." Below, it mentions how social media users' donated data reveals the impact of targeted advertising.The image is an informational graphic titled,  "Using ‘Ethically Sourced’ Social Media Data for Research" by NORC is shown. It outlines key points about a "data donation" model developed by NORC's Social Data Collaboratory. The points discussed include studying social media marketing's impact on health behaviors, finding that food and beverage ads target specific communities more, and highlighting the importance of user-donated data in understanding social media's broader societal impact.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
While we saw a compelling performance on Moltbook, the risk of sentient AI agents conspiring against humans is, still now, science fiction. A better understanding of emergent AI social behavior requires careful, transparent, and rigorous social science research.” - @soubhikbarari.bsky.social
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
At present, they pose extraordinary implications for how people write software (or whether they do at all), one of their primary intended uses. With increasingly sophisticated adoption, it may be the case that AI agents coordinate with each other to perform coding and other tasks.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
AI agents that can autonomously conduct tasks, or “doers,” are indeed a great leap forward from LLMs that can only generate text, or “talkers” (Grady et al, 2026).
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
The instructions are occasionally outrageous, and sometimes the barks sound like human speech. But a fully autonomous, free-thinking, conversational dog park, Moltbook is not.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
There were also clear signs of industrial-scale bot farming, suggesting that a mere four accounts may have produced a third of all comments. In other words, these are dogs walking around with walkie-talkies hidden in their collars, transmitting their owners’ instructions to each other.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
Other research cleverly exploited natural platform dynamics , including a 44-hour platform shutdown and the default posting rhythms of registered agents, to reveal half of all agents show traces of human steering (Li, 2026).
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
Some observers framed this phenomenon as a glimpse into a dystopian future. Yet, large-scale analyses of user behavior discovered a more mundane reality: nearly a third of posts were exact duplicates of the same message templates and 93.5% of comments received zero replies (Holtz, 2026).
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
Much like on a forum such as Reddit, the agent then begins interacting with other users by writing posts, replying to other posts, and upvoting or downvoting posts.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
In essence, this is what Moltbook appeared to unleash (pun intended) in the public imagination. For the uninitiated, Moltbook is a newly formed social network site where users can register an AI agent of their choosing, including from hosted platforms such as Anthropic or OpenAI.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
"Not only did the dogs talk to each other, but they started gossiping about their humans, mocking them, formulating cryptic anti-human manifestos, and even outright plotting ways to sabotage their municipal water systems."
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
“Imagine, for a moment, the invention of a dog park that magically granted all dogs the ability to talk in fluent human speech to one another. And then, over the course of two weeks, 2 million dog owners dropped off their pets, one by one."
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
Is the "AI takeover" a looming reality or a clever illusion created by human steering? @soubhikbarari.bsky.social, a Senior Research Scientist at @norc.org’s SDC, breaks down why the "Moltbook" phenomenon is less about sentient agents and more about "dogs with walkie-talkies." #Moltbook 🧵
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/03/2026
We're very excited to conduct more work using our data donation method! Getting an inside look into people's social media experiences has large scale implications for public health, culture, and society at large.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 25/02/2026
Our SRNT presentation schedule is up! SDC’s Chandler Carter will present research on synthetic nicotine advertising, nicotine’s promotion as a performance enhancer, and the structural decline of online tobacco control campaign impact. See the full schedule: srnt.joynmeeting.com/conference_h...
srnt.joynmeeting.com
Conference Lobby
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Reposted by Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC
NORC at the University of Chicago @norc.org · 21/11/2025
New NORC research using donated social media data reveals disparities in Facebook food and beverage ad exposure that may influence dietary choices and health outcomes. Access the full analysis: go.norc.org/3LLXYnX @sdc.norc.org
A bar chart titled "SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH: Average number of food and beverage ads seen daily by the adults exposed to these ads," featuring data sorted by age, race/ethnicity, and household income. The age categories are 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50-59, with corresponding ad exposures. Race/ethnicity categories include Non-Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic White, and household income ranges from less than $30,000 to $100,000 and above, also with corresponding ad exposures. There is a NORC at the University of Chicago logo and a note that the data is from Facebook ads.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 18/02/2026
A new SDC paper investigating high school alcohol and smokeless tobacco co-use finds that teen boys and student athletes are significantly more likely to use both, while female students are more likely to either drink or use smokeless products. Learn more: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41492419/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Differences in the Use of Smokeless Tobacco, Alcohol, and Co-Use Among U.S. High-School Students: Analysis of National Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data - PubMed
The strong yet asymmetric relationship suggests that smokeless tobacco users may be a crucial target for alcohol prevention. The distinct risk patterns for concurrent use-particularly among males and other tobacco users-indicate that prevention strategies should likely differ between concurrent and …
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 12/02/2026
SDC is going to SRNT 2026 in Baltimore this March! Three of our abstracts have been accepted, covering performance-enhancing marketing of nicotine, the structural weakness of social media tobacco prevention campaigns, and national marketing of synthetic nicotine products. See you there!
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 04/02/2026
🚨 New research alert! 🚨 Our new paper out in AJPM this week finds that online e-cigarette prevention campaigns are systematiclaly drowned out by widespread opposition driven by a small number of highly active users, undermining their effectiveness. Learn more! doi.org/10.1016/j.am...
doi.org
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 28/01/2026
🚨 New research alert! 🚨 New SDC research confirms a fragmented info landscape surrounding the opioid crisis: Republicans learn about the crisis more on social media and Democrats in print, the highly educated in web searches and others on TV. Learn more! pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41231088/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Social Position and Opioid Crisis Information: Patterns of Active Seeking and Passive Exposure Among US Adults - PubMed
Research suggests associations between public understanding and support for evidence-based responses to the ongoing opioid crisis, yet communication inequality theory indicates that social position may systematically influence access to health information. This study examines demographic correlates …
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 24/09/2025
SDC's Alex Kresovich joined an invite-only @arnoldventures.bsky.social event last week to tackle the U.S. fentanyl crisis. He shared insights from his research on media's role in substance use to help forge solutions. #PublicHealth #DataForGood
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 17/09/2025
Yoonsang’s poster linked influencer tweets to real-world cigar sales. An increase in tweets from high-follower and high-mention accounts was associated with a significant rise in weekly unit sales (~55k to ~220k more units, respectively). #PublicHealth #HealthComm
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 17/09/2025
Miao's poster looked at anti-vaping campaign opposition. On Twitter (X), it’s often organized & political. On TikTok, it’s more decentralized, humorous, and ironic, showing how platform culture shapes public health messaging.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 17/09/2025
Great to be at #NCTOH2025 in Chicago recently! Our researchers Miao Feng & Yoonsang Kim presented new work from our team at the Social Data Collaboratory at NORC (co-authored by Sherry Emery) on social media's role in tobacco control. 🧵
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 20/08/2025
We're launching a NIDA-funded study on the marketing of alternative tobacco products (ATPs)—like vapes, hookah, and heated tobacco—on social media and the impacts on use among youth. Exploring Instagram, TikTok & more. Stay tuned for more information! #tobaccocontrol #publichealth
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 13/08/2025
Props to our own Alex Kresovich on this study, with JCOIN project leadership from Bruce Taylor and Phoebe Lamuda! Read the full paper: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Exploring the Roots of Stigma: A Qualitative Investigation of the American Public’s Attitudes Toward Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder
The ongoing opioid crisis underscores the urgent need to understand and address stigma toward individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). Applying message framing theory, this study examines how di...
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 13/08/2025
The takeaway: To be effective, messaging must meet audiences where they are.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 13/08/2025
The biggest twist? When people with higher stigma had used opioids themselves without developing an addiction, it reinforced their belief that OUD is a personal failure, rather than building empathy.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 13/08/2025
The study found that people with high vs. low stigma don't just disagree—they operate in completely different realities. ➡️ High-stigma view: OUD is a personal choice. ➡️ Low-stigma view: OUD is a medical condition shaped by societal causes.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 13/08/2025
Why do many anti-stigma campaigns for opioid use disorder struggle to connect? Our qualitative study in Health Communication provides a critical answer. This work is part of @norc.org's NIDA-funded Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network, led by Alex Kresovich. #HealthCommunication #Stigma
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 06/08/2025
New study in Preventive Medicine on firearm violence victimization among youth/young adults led by @norc.org's Bruce Taylor with collaborators E. Mumford, W. Liu, J. Sheridan-Johnson, C. Lancaster, SDC’s C. Carter & K. Mitchell (UofNH). www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #ViolencePrevention
sciencedirect.com
Firearm violence victimization among youth and young adults: A socio-ecological analysis of risk and protective factors
To examine individual, interpersonal, community/societal, and policy-level risk and protective factors associated with firearm violence victimization …
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 30/07/2025
Time for a real-world data puzzle. 🧩 This brand's online sentiment took a nosedive, as you can see in the chart. What was the primary cause of the chaos? HINT: Zooming in on the search terms is very helpful. 😉 #DataPuzzle #DataViz #SocialListening #DataAnalytics
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 23/07/2025
Final insight for community managers: A small group of "super-users" (just 4.55% of chatters) can have a massive impact, driving nearly a quarter of all chat messages! Kudos to the SDC's Alex Kresovich & Simon Page for leading this analysis! #DataScience
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 23/07/2025
Finding #2: Content format is everything. 📺 In-Real-Life (IRL) streams sparked the most STEM talk (21.65%) - far more than gaming streams. Also, streams with lots of peer support were over 3 times more likely to have a super-active chat.
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 23/07/2025
Finding #1: Your community leads the learning. 🧑‍🏫 Regular viewers drove MORE STEM discussion than the official team members (16.9% vs 11.3%). True engagement isn't top-down; it's peer-to-peer. #OnlineLearning
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Social Data Collaboratory @ NORC @sdc.norc.org · 23/07/2025
How do you build an active science-learning community on Twitch? We partnered with NOVA PBS as part of a larger Slover Linett at @norc.org study to analyze their "Building Stuff" channel and find the secrets to engagement. The answers aren't what you might think. 🧵 #SciComm #STEM #Twitch
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