  This project examined perceptions of the vegan lifestyle using surveys and
social media to explore barriers to choosing veganism. A survey of 510
individuals indicated that non-vegans did not believe veganism was as healthy
or difficult as vegans. In a second analysis, Instagram posts using #vegan
suggest content is aimed primarily at the female vegan community. Finally,
sentiment analysis of roughly 5 million Twitter posts mentioning 'vegan' found
veganism to be portrayed in a more positive light compared to other topics.
Results suggest non-vegans' lack of interest in veganism is driven by
non-belief in the health benefits of the diet.
