Role of Social Media in Technology Adoption for Sustainable Agriculture Practices: Evidence from Twitter Analytics

Abstract

Social networking sites provide a new means of communication for disseminating cutting-edge agricultural technologies. These are unmediated interaction channels that enable a user to communicate their experience with technology and generate negative or positive attitudes that impact technology adoption decisions. We employ a machine learning approach to analyse users' existing semantic predisposition for technology adoption in agriculture at various operational levels. While developing attitudes toward technology adoption, these semantic tendencies become an important aspect of users' cognitive decision making. The study scrapes user comments and conversations about agritech on Twitter through data mining. The research also explains the important characteristics that enhance attitude building on Twitter and are responsible for reinforcing decision making among information seekers using four machine learning models. Based on the results, the research recommends strategies to managers for better communication with agriculturists and enhancement of users' decision making.