Unmasking sentiments: a netnographic exploration of public discourse on facemasks during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy

The COVID-19 pandemic was marked by widespread uncertainty, and social media emerged as a dominant form of social interaction during lockdowns and physical distancing. These platforms have become powerful tools for assessing and monitoring macroscale trends in public discourse, offering valuable insights into societal dynamics during this time. This study contributes to the understanding of the evolving public sentiment in Italy during various phases of the COVID-19 crisis. Through a netnographic content analysis of a sample of one thousand Italian tweets, we discerned fluctuating trust in the government, oscillating from low to high and back. We posit that these shifts may not solely be attributed to governmental communication styles (e.g., increases or decreases in transparency and clarity) but may also be influenced by the collectively negotiated psychological states of individuals during varying phases of the crisis. These findings may shed light on the complexities of public sentiment during crises and offer important insights for policymakers and public health officials dealing with future critical events.