Public Perception of Extended Reality in Pediatric Healthcare: A Sentiment and LDA Analysis of Reddit Discussions

Extended Reality (XR), encompassing Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality
(AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), is increasingly utilized in pediatric healthcare to
enhance patient experiences, reduce anxiety, and improve treatment outcomes. This
study analyzes public sentiment and thematic discussions about XR in pediatric
care using 5,000 Reddit comments from relevant subreddits. Sentiment analysis
reveals a predominantly positive outlook (65%), with discussions highlighting XR’s
benefits in pain management and anxiety reduction. However, concerns regarding
cost, accessibility, ethical implications, and long-term cognitive effects persist.
Topic modeling identifies four primary themes: therapeutic benefits, financial
concerns, ethical/privacy issues, and technological advancements. Temporal
analysis indicates increasing positivity over time, particularly in response to
emerging research. These findings underscore the importance of addressing public
skepticism and misinformation through targeted educational campaigns to foster
wider acceptance of XR in pediatric healthcare.