*3.1. Python Sentiment Analysis*

3.1.1. Tweet Sentiment Scores

The VADER algorithm is the gold standard used among sentiment researchers [47]. Due to its wider term coverage [58], quick application [41] and high classification accuracy [59], we opted to use the results from this approach for the rest of this study. Between 1 July 2021 and 21 July 2021, Python scraped a total of 137,781 tweets relating to the chosen search terms. The compound scores were plotted against time (Figure 1). There was no obvious trend from the graphical representation, and therefore sentiment groups were investigated individually.

**Figure 1.** VADER sentiment scores for each tweet. Values greater than 0.05 are displayed as positive, values between −0.05 and 0.05 are neutral and values less than 0.05 are negative tweets. The lengths of the peaks represent the intensity of negativity or positivity. Values represent the tweet number. The horizontal axis shows the tweets in order, ranging from 1 July 2021 (**left** of graph) to 21 July 2021 (**right** of graph).
