Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Use of Social Media in Economics

Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Use of Social Media in EconomicsThis committee was formed in May 2024 by the president of the AEA, Janet Currie.Our charge was twofold.First, assess and document the opportunities offered by different social media platforms to our profession as well as the problems arising therefrom.Second, prepare a set of recommended best practices for economists, the AEA and other associations, and departments and other employers of economists.The literature has shown social media to have both potentially positive and negative effects for academics.Positive effects include facilitating professional network formation, increasing citations and awareness of research work, and opportunities for minoritized individuals to find community. 1 These benefits can vary depending on group identity; for example, in the context of academic networking through social media, a positive gender gap is identified for women as well as a racial gap favoring white men. 2 Negative effects include exposure to abuse and harassment, which may target some groups more than others 3 and is exacerbated under anonymity. 4 These findings are against the background of broad general studies of social media impacts, though this report is primarily concerned with professional use. 5 To understand how these varied effects arise in economics social media use, and to form strategies to capture benefits while reducing harms, we surveyed the AEA membership, interviewed several economists with relevant experiences, and corresponded with others. 6 Those efforts reveal several facts that form the basis for our policy recommendations.These are explained in more detail below and summarized here. There is a valuable role for social media to play in scholarly communication in economics. Positive impacts arise through connection of scholarship and scholars: Learning about new work and having one's work learned about. Finding new collaborators and even positions. Discussing methods, research, and current economic events. Particularly positive for people who may be considered "outsiders." #EconTwitter was once a center of positive interaction but has declined. There are also negative effects of social media use in economics: These often fall outside the control of individuals impacted and can be severe. They often take the form of abuse, harassment, rumormongering, or other harmful forms of interaction.