Yonder has been monitoring conversations driven by influential groups online surrounding new mask and vaccines mandates. Highlights below.
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Factions Respond to Companies Rolling Out Vaccine Mandates.
QAnon originated some of the content in the narrative, which is being amplified by groups including Fringe Trolls, Populist Right, and Mainstream Left. The potential impact of this narrative is currently rated low. General public engagement with this conversation peaked mid-day on July 28 following vaccine mandates announced by companies like Google and Netflix. Since then, engagement has decreased, but we expect activity to spike when other companies make similar announcements.
Primarily left-leaning groups online including March 4 Our Lives are sharing personal anecdotes of relatives and close ones back in the hospital with new COVID-19 cases. These factions are pleading with the public to wear masks and get vaccinated in order to stop the spread of the Delta variant. However, right-leaning groups like Populist Right are now driving the most influence within this narrative and pushing back.
Mask policies drawing attention away from “illegal aliens."
A narrative was originated by the Evangelicals group online and focuses on a narrative about liberals continuing to amplify conversations about mask in order to divert attention away from U.S. border activities and undocumented people entering the country. This narrative is trending very inauthentic; however it's potential impact is only moderate given the limited influence of the groups involved.
Overall, this conversation is inauthentic with factions introducing new narratives in attempts to push the overall conversation into the mainstream -- 24% of the posts in this conversation are from inauthentic accounts (the threshold for this narrative is less than 16%). Posts from spam accounts make up 22% and inauthenticity in this conversation is currently trending up.
A Narrative That Started in the Fringes Now Spreading Authentically.
Users on 4chan posted a story of an account of a nurse's experience with patients fighting COVID-19. “One of the last things they do before they’re intubated is beg me for the vaccine. I hold their hand and tell them that I’m sorry, but it’s too late.” This narrative, which started in the anonymous 4chan boards is currently spreading authentically.
