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The nature, cause and consequence of COVID-19 panic among social media users in India.

ABSTRACT: The recent pandemic of COVID-19 has not only shaken the healthcare but also economic structure around the world. In addition to these direct effects, it has also brought in some indirect difficulties owing to the information epidemic (hereafter termed as infodemic) on social media. We aimed to understand the nature of panic social media users in India are experiencing due to the flow of (mis)information. We further extend this investigation to other countries. We performed a cross-sectional study on 1075 social media users from India and 29 other countries. This revealed a significant increase in social media usage and the rise of panic (symbolizing a sense of alarm and/or fear) over time in India. Several of these behaviors are unique to social media users in India possibly because of later outbreak of COVID-19 and a prolonged uninterrupted lockdown. The amount of social media usage might not be causal but has a significant role in generating panic among the people in India. As multiple countries are entering into the second phase of lockdown, this study focused on India might provide a unique perspective of how various factors, including infodemic, affect the mental state of individuals around the globe.

Supplementary information

The online version supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13278-021-00750-2.

SUBMITTER: Bhattacharya C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8185501 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The nature, cause and consequence of COVID-19 panic among social media users in India.

Bhattacharya Chandrima C Chowdhury Debaroti D Ahmed Nova N Özgür Su S Bhattacharya Bodhisatwa B Mridha Sankar Kumar SK Bhattacharyya Malay M

Social network analysis and mining 20210608 1

The recent pandemic of COVID-19 has not only shaken the healthcare but also economic structure around the world. In addition to these direct effects, it has also brought in some indirect difficulties owing to the information epidemic (hereafter termed as infodemic) on social media. We aimed to understand the nature of panic social media users in India are experiencing due to the flow of (mis)information. We further extend this investigation to other countries. We performed a cross-sectional stud ...[more]

PMID: 34122667

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Project description:BackgroundSocial media have become the source of choice for many users to search for health information on COVID-19 despite possible detrimental consequences. Several studies have analyzed the association between health information-searching behavior and mental health. Some of these studies examined users' intentions in searching health information on social media and the impact of social media use on mental health in Indonesia.ObjectiveThis study investigates both active and passive participation in social media, shedding light on cofounding effects from these different forms of engagement. In addition, this study analyses the role of trust in social media platforms and its effect on public health outcomes. Thus, the purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of social media usage on COVID-19 protective behavior in Indonesia. The most commonly used social media platforms are Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter.MethodsWe used primary data from an online survey. We processed 414 answers to a structured questionnaire to evaluate the relationship between these users' active and passive participation in social media, trust in social media, anxiety, self-efficacy, and protective behavior to COVID-19. We modeled the data using partial least square structural equation modeling.ResultsThis study reveals that social media trust is a crucial antecedent, where trust in social media is positively associated with active contribution and passive consumption of COVID-19 content in social media, users' anxiety, self-efficacy, and protective behavior. This study found that active contribution of content related to COVID-19 on social media is positively correlated with anxiety, while passive participation increases self-efficacy and, in turn, protective behavior. This study also found that active participation is associated with negative health outcomes, while passive participation has the opposite effects. The results of this study can potentially be used for other infectious diseases, for example, dengue fever and diseases that can be transmitted through the air and have handling protocols similar to that of COVID-19.ConclusionsPublic health campaigns can use social media for health promotion. Public health campaigns should post positive messages and distil the received information parsimoniously to avoid unnecessary and possibly counterproductive increased anxiety of the users.

Project description:BackgroundSocial media is one of the most rapid and impactful ways of obtaining and delivering information in the modern era.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to rapidly obtain information on public perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors related to COVID-19 in order to identify deficiencies in key areas of public education.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional study design, a survey web link was posted on the social media and messaging platforms Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp by the study investigators. Participants, aged ≥18 years, filled out the survey on a voluntary basis. The main outcomes measured were knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, protective measures against COVID-19, and source(s) of information about COVID-19. Subgroup analyses were conducted to determine the effects of age, gender, underlying illness, and working or studying in the health care industry on the perceived likelihood of acquiring COVID-19 and getting vaccinated.ResultsA total of 5677 subjects completed the survey over the course of 1 week. "Fever or chills" (n=4973, 87.6%) and "shortness of breath" (n=4695, 82.7%) were identified as the main symptoms of COVID-19. Washing and sanitizing hands (n=4990, 87.9%) and avoiding public places and crowds (n=4865, 85.7%) were identified as the protective measures most frequently used against COVID-19. Social media was the most utilized source for information on the disease (n=4740, 83.5%), followed by the World Health Organization (n=2844, 50.1%). Subgroup analysis revealed that younger subjects (<35 years), males, and those working or studying in health care reported a higher perceived likelihood of acquiring COVID-19, whereas older subjects, females, and those working or studying in non-health care areas reported a lower perceived likelihood of acquiring COVID-19. Similar trends were observed for vaccination against COVID-19, with older subjects, females, and those working or studying in non-health care sectors reporting a lower likelihood of vaccinating against COVID-19.ConclusionsOur results are indicative of a relatively well-informed cohort implementing appropriate protective measures. However, key knowledge deficiencies exist with regards to vaccination against COVID-19, which future efforts should aim at correcting.

Dataset Information

The nature, cause and consequence of COVID-19 panic among social media users in India.

Supplementary information

Publications

The nature, cause and consequence of COVID-19 panic among social media users in India.

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