Hyperacusis and social media trends

Purpose: In recent years, social media has taken on a new role of helping spread awareness about numerous health conditions, including hyperacusis. Individuals with hyperacusis, which is an atypical response to sound that individuals with normal hearing would find acceptable, are turning to social media platforms to learn about and seek guidance regarding their condition, to communicate with healthcare providers, as well as to find support in other members of the hyperacusis community. The purpose of this study was to investigate trends of social media portrayal of hyperacusis. Methods: This investigation systematically analyzed and quantified information related to hyperacusis on three currently popular social media platforms – Facebook (pages and groups), Twitter and YouTube. Further, we noted participation trends across the platforms. The keyword ‘hyperacusis’ was searched on each platform, and results were manually scraped by two reviewers based on numbers of ‘likes’, ‘members’, ‘followers’, ‘views’, ‘comments’ and other social media metrics. Results: Over half of the recorded online activity was seen on YouTube, followed by Facebook pages. YouTube was dominated by videos of individuals sharing their experiences with hyperacusis, while Facebook pages were a popular platform for service providers like audiologists. Misinformation and other false claims were found across all platforms, but predominantly on Facebook pages and YouTube. Conclusions: This investigation suggests that individuals in the hyperacusis community turn to social media to learn about their condition and share their experiences. Results of this investigation will equip audiologists with information regarding the current portrayal of hyperacusis online and on social media platforms. Audiologists and other hearing health professionals may use these findings to better counsel patients with hyperacusis.