How could data competency go viral?

I’m currently writing a social media concept for WiNoDa. You would think this would actually be an easy task: Matching already defined target groups (personas) with possible channels; defining the communication according to the target groups; determining the posting rhythm; recognizing goals; defining control elements – but now I’ve already started to ponder a few times…

So let’s start at the very beginning. Full of enthusiasm, I’m commencing my research: How is the social media concept of the other data competency centers designed? Does one even exist and, if so, is it shared publicly and openly? And what about the concepts of other players in the field of data literacy?
I found what I was looking for (solely) in the ‘Outreach-Konzept des Thüringer Kompetenznetzwerks Forschungsdatenmanagement’ (https://doi.org/10.17192/bfdm.2020.2.8279). Target groups, objectives and analyses are openly shared here.

Even media hypes such as the Towel Day, which takes place annually on the 25th of May (when science fiction fans commemorate the untimely death of Douglas Adams and his cult classic ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide’), are analyzed, and the pop-cultural allusion is used for the data competency center’s own communication. Unfortunately, such attempts tend to be exceptions and remain within a one-off experimental framework.
Yet, we all want to generate attention for our topics and finally reach people outside the narrowest bubble!

I try to extend my research to outreach and communication strategies. I find what I’m looking for in PID4NFDI’s communication strategy – though while mentioned as part of a well-thought strategy, the aspect of social media could possibly deserve a concept paper of it’s own.

Generated on 06-03-2025 with DeepAI: it is striking that the AI reproduces the prejudice of a teenager living in a basement in the dark; following my prompt ‘a social media employee generates hype with a viral video about data competency’ – are basement dwellers the only ones who can produce viral content?

Next, I turn to ChatGPT with the question ‘Are there any viral videos or images on data literacy?’ Again, disillusionment: the result I get are videos with just 400 views and up to 9 years of age… not particularly viral. After refining my question (and admittedly a leading question at the end), ChatGPT finally admits that there was probably no viral media with this topic, and listed various reasons for this without being asked for:

Excerpt from a ‘conversation’ with ChatGPT on 06-03-2025.

One major problem seems to be the issue of “entertainment value”. How important this can be in scientific education for adults, e.g. through humor, is nothing new in science communication. Articles worth reading can be found here: https://erwachsenenbildung.at/aktuell/nachrichten/19854-humor-zentral-fuer-die-wissenschaftskommunikation.php or here https://wissenschaft-im-dialog.de/documents/275/TransferUnit_Forschungsueberblick_sozialeMedien.pdf

GLAM-institutions and their content are also often seen as lackluster, although they have been slowly emerging from their bubble in recent years; see Katharina Hauck (LWL, 2020): ‘Social Media & Kultureinrichtungen – eine Hassliebe?’ (‘Social media & cultural institutions – a love-hate relationship?’ https://kultur-bewegt.lwl.org/de/social-media-kultureinrichtungen).
In October 2024, the Übersee-Museum Bremen posted a video in which the middle-aged director praised her institution in exaggerated youth language – and were rewarded for their courage with the video going viral ( https://www.instagram.com/ueberseemuseum/reel/DBOMtVNOs2H/?hl=en). Everyone in the world of GLAM and many beyond saw it – the media response was immediate – I still remember the hairs on the back of my neck standing up when it popped up in my feed: this was the moment of a threshold crossing, it seemed to me – many other museums tried to follow suit, sometimes more, sometimes less successfully, but courageously all of them.

Nevertheless, science communication in the field of data competency is still limited to announcing and reviewing events and new publications.
How do we go viral?
And of course: should this even be our goal? Is it perhaps enough to reach our specific target group?

In any case, I for one remain curious: with all the social media strategists out there, perhaps one day a stroke of genius will emerge unexpectedly and knock me off my feet again.