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For emotion recognition, TweetNLP identified nine categories of emotions, including sadness, anger, fear, and joy. Fear and sadness were associated with rising case numbers, while joy and optimism related to vaccination progress.
The pie chart illustrates the distribution of emotions within discussions on twitter highlighting a predominance of anticipation, which makes up 33% of the total. This suggests a strong focus on forward-looking or uncertain content, indicating that much of the content involves expectations, concerns about future events, or preparations. The second most frequent emotion is disgust at 19.5%, reflecting substantial negative sentiment, possibly driven by topics eliciting repulsion or disapproval, such as controversial issues or upsetting news.
Other negative emotions, including anger (10.4%), sadness (10.1%), and fear (9.5%), collectively represent a significant portion of the emotion represented in the tweets.This highlights that a considerable amount of content is centered on conflict, loss, or anxiety. The relatively high proportion of fear indicates concerns or threats, possibly in contexts like health crises, safety, or societal uncertainties.
On the positive side, joy (8.7%) and optimism (8.6%) are present but less prominent, indicating that while there is room for hopeful and happy content, it is overshadowed by negative or anticipatory emotions. Surprise is exceptionally rare (0.1%), suggesting that unexpected or shocking content is not a significant theme in the discussion. Lastly, love is is underrepresented (less than 0%), implying that this emotion either does not align with the themes of the discussion.
In summary, the tweets lean heavily towards emotions of anticipation and negativity, reflecting a preoccupation with uncertainty, conflict, and negative experiences. Positive emotions like joy and optimism, though present, play a comparatively smaller role. This imbalance indicate the context of the discourse on twitter, such as discussions around crises, societal challenges, or contentious issues, where emotions like disgust, fear, and anger are more prominent.
Emotions Trend Analysis
Emotions Trend Analysis
Joy and optimism show low but steady levels in late 2020, with periodic spikes around November and December, possibly linked to festive or hopeful sentiments during the holidays. In early 2021, optimism rises gradually, but a sharp and pronounced increase occurs in spring 2021, peaking in late March and April. This surge aligns with eased lockdown restrictions and the widespread availability of vaccines, reflecting renewed hope and relief among the public. However, both emotions decline sharply after April, potentially reflecting diminished enthusiasm or concerns about lingering uncertainties. Optimism consistently surpasses joy throughout, suggesting a forward-looking sentiment tied to recovery efforts.
Peaks in all three emotions are evident during October and November 2020, coinciding with Italy's severe second wave of COVID-19 and the implementation of strict lockdown measures. A second major spike is observed in March 2021, aligning with the reintroduction of nationwide lockdowns and tighter restrictions. These peaks reflect heightened public distress during periods of intensified pandemic-related challenges. Notably, the levels of anger, fear, and sadness consistently follow a similar pattern, suggesting a collective emotional response to external circumstances. As restrictions eased and conditions improved by late spring 2021, the frequency of these emotions declined sharply, signaling a possible recovery in public sentiment.
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