Table 1.
Exemplar quotes from thematic analysis on the use of social media for targeted sexual health promotion.
| Theme (subtheme) | Illustrative quotes |
|---|---|
| Preference for social media | |
| (Overall attitudes to social media) | ‘Our generation are on their phones a lot using social media, so online promotion would be useful.’ ‘For some reason people tend to listen to stuff they see on social media more than in real life.’ |
| (Facebook) | ‘It’s just easy to access, everyone uses it as well, easy to talk to people and find out more information.’ ‘It’s used by more, like a wider range of people I would say… it’s so easy for things to go viral… And I think the fact you can react with different emotions I think that’s great.’ |
| (Twitter) | ‘Twitter is more for like banter, it’s quite funny.’ ‘I don’t know I feel Facebook’s quite PG most of the time, whereas Twitter is somewhere where people put things that are a bit more explicit.’ |
| (Instagram) | ‘Instagram because it has a variety of pictures on it and there’s less rubbish on it than other social media.’ |
| (Compulsory health adverts) | ‘Snapchat is better for adverts because you have to watch it before you skip it.’ ‘YouTube, like you have to watch it so I watch it.’ |
| Advert form | |
| (Videos) | ‘A video you can portray a message better, so if you’ve seen a video and got into the message then you’re more likely to remember it.’ ‘If it was a video I don’t want to be too long, like 2–3 minutes’ maximum.’ |
| (Pictures) | ‘You won’t get all of the information if you don’t watch all of the video, whereas pictures if you literally just had one picture its better.’ |
| (Colour) | ‘I think like bright and colourful, certainly draws your attention much quicker and I think, as well, it gives the impression more effort has been put into it.’ |
| Promotion focus | |
| (Real-life characters) | ‘Real-life people definitely, because animation makes it seem detached from reality… With real-life people, you feed off their facial expressions and body language and that sort of thing.’ |
| (Animation) | ‘It’s kind of awkward like you think oh it’s a real person who has that, so being animated takes away from that.’ |
| (Humour) | ‘I’d much prefer it to be funny, because the whole idea of it being serious and scary I would ignore… If it’s funny I might share it with others online and show others online.’ ‘I don’t think it a good idea, it can be an uncomfortable subject anyway and not everyone enjoys talking about it… if you joke about it some people may take it more lightly and think it is not as serious.’ |
| (Statistics) | ‘If you use statistics it can let them know that they are vulnerable, and it can happen anywhere. So they will be more likely to take action.’ ‘Statistics are definitely something that would get my attention… I think the shock factor is quite important… It puts the person in perspective, you think I am in that percentage.’ |
| (Personal similarities) | ‘I wouldn’t want some 58-year-old woman telling me about sex because I’d feel like I can’t relate to her, or that she can’t relate to my situation. I’d prefer someone probably a female, within around a 5-year age gap in the advert.’ ‘If there was a uni student in the advert, it doubles the chances I would take action.’ |
| Concerns over social media | |
| (Viewing seen) | ‘If it could be seen that I was viewing it like that would deter me because I wouldn’t want people to know.’ |
| (Anonymity) | ‘As long as it was completely anonymous it wouldn’t deter me.’ |