Social Media Analysis of Hearing Loss: A Study on Perception of American Sign Language and Cochlear Implants
A longstanding divide exists in the deaf community: people who have assimilated into the hearing world through cochlear implantation and those who strictly engage in the non-hearing culture through the use of American Sign Language (ASL). Some members of the deaf community consider cochlear implants unnecessarily invasive.
“Our study explored the use of social media by these two communities across four platforms to identify their voice and concerns and gain a better understanding of how they use social media,” says Vivian Kaul, MD, chief of otology, neurotology, and lateral skull base in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and senior author of the study. “Our goal was to give clinicians insight into the delicate social environment of the communities they treat – from users who post about their personal experiences with hearing loss to prominent authors who advocate for their communities to a larger audience.”
The researchers conducted a search using the hashtags #cochlearimplant, #americansignlanguage, and #asl on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. Posts reviewed were made between 2014 and 2024 in English. On Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, lifestyle-related posts were the most common; advocacy-related posts were more common on X.
“The overall tone across platforms was predominantly positive, and although the general trend in the hearing-loss culture is to be inclusive and accepting of all, clinicians should be aware that some patients in the deaf community may not want to assimilate into the hearing world,” Dr. Kaul says. “Awareness of these deeply held beliefs will ensure that all individuals get the support and accommodations they need to thrive.”
Dr. Kaul presented the results at the 2025 meeting of the American Cochlear Implant Alliance.