West African-diasporic social media users facing COVID-19: Care, emotions and power during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic

What is it about?

This article analyses how West African-diasporic actors used social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and WhatsApp during the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. It shows that they used these social media in ways that can be seen as practices of mediated care in times of social distancing. Moreover, the article describes the working of emotions in these practices of care and the impact they have on socio-political power relations.

Featured Image

Photo by Barefoot Communications on Unsplash

Photo by Barefoot Communications on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The article shows how social media can be used to practice care in times of social distancing, but also how these practices of care can either challenge or reproduce existing power inequalities.