Context: The hashtag analyzed below is #ItCanWait. This hashtag is intended to promote the end of distracted driving. #ItCanWait is part of AT&T’s campaign which allows people to “take the pledge” to end distracted driving. Our research looked at tweets using the hashtag from 8/1 – 8/3/2016, and examined a global audience.
Latest Tweets: The latest tweets show people from across the U.S. sharing the #ItCanWait official website and related news articles that encourage people to take the pledge. People are using Twitter as a platform to share their thoughts about distracted driving and to encourage others to get involved.
Most Retweeted: The most retweeted tweet for the #ItCanWait campaign was on August 26 by Lana Parrilla, an actress on the popular television show, Once Upon a Time. The tweet received 951 retweets and 2,594 favorites. It is likely that this tweet saw so much traffic because of her status as a popular actress. .
Is it really worth it? The answer is NO! #ItCanWait Thank you @JackDiBlasio for caring & sharing! Plz watch video! https://t.co/j6Tyueam5L
— Lana Parrilla (@LanaParrilla) August 26, 2016
Geography: According to this geomap, this hashtag is most used in the United States and Canada. A possible explanation for the popularity in these countries is their ability to speak and understand English. Despite the language barrier, this hashtag also reached many countries around the world.
In looking at the U.S. section of the geomap, it is evident that California and Texas have used this hashtag the most. New York and Florida follow closely behind.
Word Cloud: The WordCloud for this hashtag shows words related to texting and driving, including: https, Itcanwait, driving, watch, video, distracted driving, thank, and sharing. These words demonstrate that this hashtag is a call to action and that people are trying to create awareness in order to make a change and save lives.
Buzzgraph: The BuzzGraph points out connections between #ItCanWait and news outlets such as CNN. This illustrates that the campaign has received national media attention. In addition, the graph shows words that are strongly related to the issue, “distracted,” “don’t” “drive,” “driving,” “message,” “phone,” and so on. These words are powerful keywords in the conversation to end distracted driving.
Courtney Beacham, Mel Mark, Paula Mansilla