The Effect of Social Media on Consumer Perceptions of the Beef Industry

As the American population has transitioned from rural life to more urbanized settings, a divide has appeared between consumers and the agriculture industry. Consumers now receive the majority of information about agriculture through traditional media outlets and social media platforms. Social media is known for having the ability to rapidly disseminate information, which in the case of agriculture and its sub-industries is often inaccurate and leads to negative short- and long-term effects. In order to fully understand the impact of social media on the beef industry, a study was conducted to assess changes in consumer perceptions and behaviors. The study utilized a survey that was completed by 300 students from the University of Tennessee. This study sought to describe the effect of social media on consumer perceptions of the beef industry. Results showed consumers are reliant on social media to gather information about current affairs including beef safety incidents and that the information they gather had a predominantly negative effect on their perceptions. Following the pink slime controversy of 2012, consumers felt the information they received on social media about the beef product led to negative perceptions of the industry and changes in their buying and eating habits over short- and long-term periods.