Table 3.
Prepandemic topics, descriptions, and examples.
| ID | Topic | Description | Example | Number of posts (n=15,408), n (%) |
| Pre1 | Fatherhood readiness | Users share whether they are ready to be a father | “People ask me if I’m ready to be a father, and I say I’m as ready as I will be.” | 2475 (16.06) |
| Pre2 | Interpersonal troubles | Users share interpersonal troubles between them and their expectant partner or parent of their child, hoping for advice | “I have been dating [removed for privacy] for around 2 years. Marriage and kids was always discussed, but I never felt like it was the right time for either...6 months ago she announced she was pregnant.”a | 2329 (15.12) |
| Pre3 | Father’s day | Users celebrate Father’s Day on the web | “I am proud to be a father today, and every day. Happy #FathersDay!” | 2232 (14.49) |
| Pre4 | Best dad proclamations | Users claim that they will be the best father | “And I promise for my child I will be the best father a kid could ask for.” | 1235 (8.02) |
| Pre5 | Pregnancy announcements | Users share their pregnancy news on the web | “I’m gonna be a dad!!!” | 1654 (10.73) |
| Pre6 | New father celebration | Users celebrate becoming a father | “I’m gonna be a father. This is not a drill. I’m gonna be a father.” | 1261 (8.18) |
| Pre7 | Expecting parent content | Content originating from or targeting expecting parents | “Pregnancy Definitions: Here are 122 of the top pregnancy terms pregnant parents need to know!” | 1543 (10.01) |
| Pre8 | Becoming a father again | Fathers announce that they are going to be a father again | “I’m going to be a father in a few months. Am I ready? YES!” | 664 (4.31) |
| Pre9 | Newborn-related articles | Links to external articles about various topics about newborns | “About newborn sleep [link removed for privacy].” | 2015 (13.08) |
aFor brevity, this example includes only the first 3 sentences of the post.