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Beyond the Stats: Realities, Perception, and Social Media Discourse on Poverty

Author

Listed:
  • Paul Bose
  • Lorenzo Lupo
  • Mahyar Habibi
  • Dirk Hovy
  • Carlo Schwarz

Abstract

This paper investigates disparities among objective poverty measures, individuals' subjective perceptions, and poverty-related social media discourse in US counties. We find that while poverty and perceived poverty are positively correlated, poverty-related social media discourse is unrelated to a county's level of poverty. We document that the county-level predictors of the three poverty dimensions differ widely, suggesting that poverty-related social media discussions do not take place in the counties that are most affected by poverty or perceive themselves as poor. The paper concludes by highlighting discrepancies in social media discourse, revealing a skewed portrayal of poverty, particularly concerning gender and ethnicity.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul Bose & Lorenzo Lupo & Mahyar Habibi & Dirk Hovy & Carlo Schwarz, 2024. "Beyond the Stats: Realities, Perception, and Social Media Discourse on Poverty," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 114, pages 690-696, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:apandp:v:114:y:2024:p:690-96
    DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20241007
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media

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