The changes in the effects of social media use of Cypriots due to COVID-19 pandemic

Differentiating the relationships between traditional and new media use and sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic: roles of psychological distress and age

Background

Numerous studies have consistently demonstrated a decline in sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary objective of this study is to explore the impact of engaging with pertinent epidemic information through the media amid the COVID-19 crisis on individuals' sleep quality and the underlying mechanisms through which this influence operates.

Methods

An online cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of 1,063 British adults (36.2% males; M age = 38.85, SD age = 13.36, ranging from 18 to 77 years old) participated in the study and completed our questionnaires, which included media usage frequency during the pandemic, the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Ten-item Personality Inventory (TIPI).

Results

Pearson's correlation analyses indicated that there was no significant correlation between COVID-19-related traditional media use (television, radio, newspaper) and psychological distress or sleep quality. However, exposure to information related to COVID-19 through new media use (Facebook, Tik Tok, Twitter) was correlated with greater psychological distress and poorer sleep quality. A moderated mediation analysis showed that psychological distress fully mediated the relationship between new media use and poor sleep, which was moderated by age, with the association between psychological distress and poor sleep quality being stronger among older adults.

Conclusion

Exposure to information of COVID-19 via new (but not traditional) media use deteriorated sleep quality through greater psychological distress, and this relationship was stronger among older adults.

Examining the growth in willingness to pay for digital wellbeing services on social media: A comparative analysis

In recent years, there has been a growing need for social media platforms to offer services that preserve and promote users' digital wellbeing, including better protection of personal data and balanced technology usage. However, the current business model of social media is often seen as in conflict with users' digital wellbeing. In 2020, a study investigated users' willingness to pay monetary fees for social media digital wellbeing services. In the present work, we replicated this study in Q4 of 2022, aiming to explore any changes in interest and willingness to pay for these services. In addition, we extended the replication by conducting qualitative analysis on participants' comments to gain deeper insight and identify reasons for payment and reasons for rejecting to pay. Data were collected from 262 participants through an online questionnaire. The survey focused on four services: better data protection, less use of data for marketing, aiding users in controlling their prolonged usage, and reducing fake news and radicalisation on social media. The results showed that the willingness to pay for these services was significantly higher in 2022 compared to the results published in 2020. Participants expressed concerns about the feasibility and fairness of the alternative business model, which requires users to pay for safety and support. Our findings suggest a growing interest in digital wellbeing services, emphasizing the need for social media platforms to assess the feasibility of alternative business models, identify user segments, and take measures to enhance consumers' trust, accordingly.

Risk perception, compliance with COVID-19 measures, and the role of social media after China's lockdown lift

Introduction

Few studies have investigated people's reactions after a sudden lift. The transitional experiences of Chinese people at the end of 2022 serve as a valuable reference for pandemic management. Therefore, this study investigates Chinese people's perception of risks after the lifting, the influence of risk perception on their compliance with COVID-19 measures, and the moderating effect of social media on this influence.

Methods

Initially, using a random sampling approach, we carried out an online questionnaire survey through Questionnaire Star, an online questionnaire platform. 417 (304 females, 13-64 years old) participants responded to questions on their perception of risks, compliance with COVID-19 measures, and trust in social media. Then, in the follow-up experiment, we observed another 60 (30 females, 18-22 years old) participants' actual behaviors to see how they comply with COVID-19 measures (for the peak of the confirmed cases, we chose to make do with this small size). We also asked them to complete a paper questionnaire on risk perception and trust in social media.

Results

The initial survey indicated that, after the lifting, Chinese citizens perceived high risks (they reported a possibility of 61.04 out of 100 to be infected and threatened by COVID-19. The number was 54 in a previous study), showed a low degree of adherence to COVID-19 measures (on a scale of 1-5, they reported a score of 2.04 in private, and 1.89 in public), and social media positively moderated the relationship between risk perception and adherence (ΔR2 = 0.10, p < .01 for private behavior; ΔR2 = 0.13, p < .01 for public behavior). The follow-up experiment further confirmed these findings.

Conclusion

This study suggests that, when lifting lockdowns on a national scale, the government should inform the public about the risks accurately, encourage healthy behaviors, and make full use of social media to promote adherence to COVID-19 measures. By using a hybrid approach that combines a questionnaire survey with actual behavior observation, this study expands earlier research into the understudied context of lockdown lifts. Finding effective strategies to support individuals through the transition period can facilitate global pandemic management.

Influence of gender identity on the adoption of religious-spiritual, preventive and emotion-focused coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Academic research has highlighted the gendered impacts and amplifications of gender disparities of COVID-19. Traditionally, Pakistan is a patriarchal society, where it is a parenthood norm to socialize specific gender social roles.

OBJECTIVES

The current research asserts that these normative gender roles may influence individuals throughout their life course, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the present study explored the influence of gender identity in adopting different coping strategies such as religious-spiritual, preventive, emotion-focused and non-constructive coping against the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Due to the lockdown in various areas of Pakistan, data were collected through an online questionnaire using Qualtrics. In a cross-sectional study, 955 respondents completed responses. Factors analysis and reliability analysis were run to ensure the scales' reliability, validity and robustness for different coping strategies. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to find model fitness.

CONCLUSIONS

For theoretical explanation, the current study used social role theory that argues that each gender benefits differently from distinct coping behaviours. The findings highlighted that women were more likely to adopt most coping strategies, with the most significant difference in religious-spiritual coping and preventative coping strategies even in the presence of control variables such as level of education, household monthly income, family structure, marital status and family size. There was no gender difference in adopting non-constructive strategies. The empirical evidence suggested that females might be at an increased risk of stress due to the burden of unbalanced household-based social norms and care responsibilities. The current research also expanded the base of coping to religious-spiritual coping, emotion-focused coping and non-constructive coping.

Exploring the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of women of reproductive age towards fertility and elective oocyte cryopreservation for age-related fertility decline in the UK: a cross-sectional survey

STUDY QUESTION

What are the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards fertility and elective oocyte cryopreservation (OC) for age-related fertility decline (ARFD) in women in the UK?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Awareness of OC for ARFD has reportedly improved compared to studies carried out almost a decade ago, but inconsistencies in knowledge remain regarding the rate of miscarriage amongst specific age groups, the financial costs and optimal age to undergo OC for ARFD.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

The age of first-time motherhood has increased amongst western societies, with many women of reproductive age underestimating the impact of age on fertility. Further understanding of women's awareness of their fertility, the options available to preserve it and the barriers for seeking treatment earlier are required in order to prevent the risk of involuntary childlessness.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

A hyperlink to a cross-sectional survey was posted on social media (Instagram) between 25 February 2021 and 11 March 2021.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Women from the general population aged 18-50 years were invited to complete the survey.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

In total, 5482 women fulfilled the inclusion criteria and completed the survey. The mean age of participants was 35.0 years (SD 10.25; range 16-52). Three quarters (74.1%; n = 4055) disagreed or strongly disagreed they felt well informed regarding the options available to preserve their fertility, in case of a health-related problem or ARFD. The majority overestimated the risk of miscarriage in women aged ≥30 years old, with 14.5% correctly answering 20%, but underestimated the risks in women ≥40, as 20.1% correctly answered 40-50%. Three quarters (73.2%; n = 4007) reported an awareness of OC for ARFD and 65.8% (n = 3605) reported that they would consider undergoing the procedure. The number of women who considered OC for ARFD across age groups were as follows: 18-25 (8.3%; n = 300), 26-30 (35.8%; n = 1289), 31-35 (45.9%; n = 1654), 36-40 (9.6%; n = 347), 41-45 (0.3%; n = 13), and 46-50 (0.1%; n = 2). The majority of women (81.3%; n = 4443) underestimated the cost of a single cycle of OC for ARFD (<£5000). Furthermore, 10.4% (n = 566) believed a single cycle would be adequate enough to retrieve sufficient oocytes for cryopreservation. Approximately 11.0% (n = 599) believed OC for ARFD may pose significant health risks and affect future fertility. Less than half agreed or strongly agreed that the lack of awareness regarding OC for ARFD has impacted the likelihood of pursuing this method of fertility preservation further (41.4%; n = 2259).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

Results from cross-sectional studies are limited as interpretations made are merely associations and not of causal relationships. The online nature of participant recruitment is subject to selection bias, considering women with access to social media are often from higher socioeconomic and education backgrounds, thus limiting generalizability of the findings.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Further education regarding the financial costs and optimal age to undergo elective OC to increase the chances of successful livebirth are required. Clinicians should encourage earlier fertility counselling to ensure that OC is deemed a preventative measure of ARFD, rather than an ultimate recourse to saving declining fertility.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

No funding was required for this article. There are no conflicts of interests to declare.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

The menstrual cycle and the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The impact of COVID-19 virus on menstrual cycles in unvaccinated women is limited.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of changes to menstrual cycle characteristics, hormonal symptoms and lifestyle changes prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A retrospective online cross-sectional survey completed by social media users between July 2020 to October 2020. Participants were living in the United Kingdom (UK), premenopausal status and, or over 18 years of age.

MAIN OUTCOME(S) AND MEASURES(S)

The primary outcome was to assess changes to menstrual cycle characteristics during the pandemic following the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES). Secondary outcomes included assessment of hormonal and lifestyle changes.

RESULTS

15,611 social media users completed the survey. Of which, 75% of participants experienced a change in their menstrual cycle, with significantly greater proportions reporting irregular menstrual cycles (P<0·001), bleeding duration more than seven days (P<0·001), longer mean cycle length (P<0·001) and overall bleeding duration (P<0·001). Over half the participants reported worsening of premenstrual symptoms including low mood/depression, anxiety and irritability. When stratified according to COVID-19 infection, there was no significant difference in menstrual cycle changes.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in considerable variation in menstrual cycle characteristics and hormonal symptoms. This appears to be related to societal and lifestyle changes resulting from the pandemic, rather than to the virus itself. We believe this may have an impact on the individual, as well as national economy, healthcare, and population levels, and therefore suggest this should be taken into consideration by governments, healthcare providers and employers when developing pandemic recovery plans.

Infodemic: Challenges and solutions in topic discovery and data process

BACKGROUND

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was a huge shock to society, and the ensuing information problems had a huge impact on society at the same time. The urgent need to understand the Infodemic, i.e., the importance of the spread of false information related to the epidemic, has been highlighted. However, while there is a growing interest in this phenomenon, studies on the topic discovery, data collection, and data preparation phases of the information analysis process have been lacking.

OBJECTIVE

Since the epidemic is unprecedented and has not ended to this day, we aimed to examine the existing Infodemic-related literature from January 2019 to December 2022.

METHODS

We have systematically searched ScienceDirect and IEEE Xplore databases with some search limitations. From the searched literature we selected titles, abstracts and keywords, and limitations sections. We conducted an extensive structured literature search and analysis by filtering the literature and sorting out the available information.

RESULTS

A total of 47 papers ended up meeting the requirements of this review. Researchers in all of these literatures encountered different challenges, most of which were focused on the data collection step, with few challenges encountered in the data preparation phase and almost none in the topic discovery section. The challenges were mainly divided into the points of how to collect data quickly, how to get the required data samples, how to filter the data, what to do if the data set is too small, how to pick the right classifier and how to deal with topic drift and diversity. In addition, researchers have proposed partial solutions to the challenges, and we have also proposed possible solutions.

CONCLUSIONS

This review found that Infodemic is a rapidly growing research area that attracts the interest of researchers from different disciplines. The number of studies in this field has increased significantly in recent years, with researchers from different countries, including the United States, India, and China. Infodemic topic discovery, data collection, and data preparation are not easy, and each step faces different challenges. While there is some research in this emerging field, there are still many challenges that need to be addressed. These findings highlight the need for more articles to address these issues and fill these gaps.

Students' increased time spent on social media, and their level of coronavirus anxiety during the pandemic, predict increased social media addiction

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the level of anxiety and the duration of social media use increased in university students.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the relationship between coronavirus anxiety and social media addiction in university students.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 346 university students in Turkey. The data were collected online using the Sociodemographic Data Form, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale Short Form and the Social Network Addiction Scale. The data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson correlation analysis, chi-square analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

The results showed that the mean coronavirus anxiety score was higher in men than in women. Social media addiction increased as the daily time spent by the students on social media increased. A positive correlation was found between the daily time spent on social media before the pandemic and social media usage during the pandemic. It was concluded that students use social media more during the pandemic than before it and that social media addiction increases as the students' coronavirus anxiety increases.

CONCLUSION

It is important to plan initiatives to reduce coronavirus anxiety to prevent social media addiction in young people.

STUDY LOCATION AND SAMPLE

The research population consisted of 1st and 2nd year students who are studying in the Medical Services and Techniques Department of Vocational School of Health Services at a university located in the west of Turkey, during the Fall Term of academic year 2020-2021. Students in this department are studying in anaesthesia, dialysis, first and emergency aid, medical laboratory techniques, medical imaging technique, and medical documentation and secretarial programmes.

Investigation of personal variables, technology usage, vaccine-related variables, social media-specific epistemological beliefs, media literacy, social impact strategies variables affecting vaccine hesitancy beliefs in the Covid-19 pandemic

Aim

In this study, personal variables, technology use cases, vaccine-related variables, social media-specific epistemological beliefs, media literacy, and social influence strategies were examined as predictors of Covid-19 vaccination hesitancy (VH) beliefs.

Subject and methods

The prediction design research model is used to detect the predictors of the dependent variable. The study group consists of 378 participants. Five different scales were used together with the self-description form as a data collection tool.

Results

According to the results of the research, individuals who have positive perceptions about the safety of Covid-19 vaccines and who have received the Covid-19 vaccine have lower anti-vaccine beliefs. It is another situation that prevents the opposition to vaccination of those who research the source of information on social media. As a result, age, education and income level, social media usage experience, media literacy, and social influence strategies were not effective on the participants' anti-vaccine beliefs.

Conclusion

According to the findings of the study, positive perceptions about the safety of Covid-19 vaccines, being vaccinated against Covid-19, and researching a source of information on social media variables seem to be effective in laying the foundations for constructive interventions such as using anti-vaccine beliefs to guide, reduce or eliminate negative beliefs about vaccines.

Protective and Overprotective Behaviors against COVID-19 Outbreak: Media Impact and Mediating Roles of Institutional Trust and Anxiety

This study aims to explore how pandemic-related media use relates to both protective and overprotective behaviors and to probe the underlying mechanisms. The data were collected online during the early outbreak of COVID-19 in China, and a total of 1118 valid cases, which covered the 30 provincial administrative divisions in mainland China, were collected. Results showed that official government media use was positively associated with protective behaviors and institutional trust was an important mediator. Commercial media use was also found to be positively associated with overprotective behavior, and anxiety mediated this relationship. Findings of this study suggested that different media sources could play completely different roles. Institutional trust in government institutions and medical care systems were equally critical in translating the media effect into public compliance with the preventive measures advocated by the relevant departments. Media outlets and practitioners should also be responsible in order to avoid causing unnecessary anxiety among the public so as to reduce irrational overprotective behaviors.

Resilience and (Dis)empowerment: Use of Social Media Among Female Mainland Low-Skilled Workers in Macao During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The role of social media in a resilient process is associated with the co-constitution of structural forces and users' agency. During COVID-19, how women-particularly low-skilled labor migrants-used social media for empowerment is underexplored. By taking a socio-techno approach, this study qualitatively examines mobile phone-based social media usage among female mainland low-skilled workers in Macao when coping with the pandemic. The enabling yet constraining role of social media has been identified through semi-structured interviews. Social media use is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, social media is appropriated to relieve stress and anxiety, open access to updated COVID-19 related information, and manage contagious risks; on the other hand, it reinforces existing constraints and thus hinders resilience, due to female migrant workers' high risk of addictive social media use and limited information literacy. Moving beyond the Information and Communication Technology empowerment, a more inclusive approach is recommended in the long term to cope with the risks and uncertainties posed by the pandemic.

Classification of Covid-19 misinformation on social media based on neuro-fuzzy and neural network: A systematic review

The spread of Covid-19 misinformation on social media had significant real-world consequences, and it raised fears among internet users since the pandemic has begun. Researchers from all over the world have shown an interest in developing deception classification methods to reduce the issue. Despite numerous obstacles that can thwart the efforts, the researchers aim to create an automated, stable, accurate, and effective mechanism for misinformation classification. In this paper, a systematic literature review is conducted to analyse the state-of-the-art related to the classification of misinformation on social media. IEEE Xplore, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Taylor & Francis, Wiley, Google Scholar are used as databases to find relevant papers since 2018-2021. Firstly, the study begins by reviewing the history of the issues surrounding Covid-19 misinformation and its effects on social media users. Secondly, various neuro-fuzzy and neural network classification methods are identified. Thirdly, the strength, limitations, and challenges of neuro-fuzzy and neural network approaches are verified for the classification misinformation specially in case of Covid-19. Finally, the most efficient hybrid method of neuro-fuzzy and neural networks in terms of performance accuracy is discovered. This study is wrapped up by suggesting a hybrid ANFIS-DNN model for improving Covid-19 misinformation classification. The results of this study can be served as a roadmap for future research on misinformation classification.

The impact of media on children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review

Although mobile technologies are a fundamental part of daily life, several studies have shown increased use of electronic devices, TV, and gaming during childhood in conjunction with the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus affected almost every country, causing uncertainty about the future, social isolation, and distress. This narrative review has searched the scientific literature in the field focusing on children. A non-systematic literature review was conducted in May 2022. Various databases were employed to conduct the document research for this paper, such as "Google Scholar", "PubMed", "Web of Science". Keywords for the search included "screen time", "media", "digital use", "social media", "COVID-19", "pandemic", "lockdown", "children", "effect of media on children during COVID". It was found that both children and adolescents seem to have used technologies to confront struggles provoked by COVID-19, such as the onset or exacerbation of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. However, moreover, other studies have suggested that increased media use can have positive effects on children depending on usage and monitoring by the parents.

Problematic internet usage: the impact of objectively Recorded and categorized usage time, emotional intelligence components and subjective happiness about usage

Most research on Problematic Internet Usage (PIU) relied on self-report data when measuring the time spent on the internet. Self-reporting of use, typically done through a survey, showed discrepancies from the actual amount of use. Studies exploring the association between trait emotional intelligence (EI) components and the subjective feeling on technology usage and PIU are also limited. The current cross-sectional study aims to examine whether the objectively recorded technology usage, taking smartphone usage as a representative, components of trait EI (sociability, emotionality, well-being, self-control), and happiness with phone use can predict PIU and its components (obsession, neglect, and control disorder). A total of 268 participants (Female: 61.6%) reported their demographic and completed a questionnaire that included Problematic Internet Usage Questionnaire short form (PIUQ–SF–6), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), level of happiness with the amount and frequency of smartphone use, and living conditions (whether alone or with others). Their smartphone usage was objectively recorded through a dedicated app. A series of one-way ANOVA revealed no significant difference in PIU for different living conditions and a significant difference in the subjective level of happiness with phone usage (F (3, 264) = 7.55, p < .001), as well as of the frequency of usage where the unhappy group had higher PIU (F (3, 264) = 6.85, p < .001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that happiness with phone usage (β = −.17), the actual usage of communication (β = .17), social media (β = .19) and gaming apps (β = .13), and trait EI component of self-control (β = −.28) were all significant predictors of PIU. Moreover, gender, age, and happiness with the frequency of phone usage were not significant predictors of PIU. The whole model accounted for the total variance of PIU by 32.5% (Adjusted R² = .287). Our study contributes to the literature by being among the few to rely on objectively recorded smartphone usage data and utilizing components of trait EI as predictors.

Associations Between Social Media Use, Physical Activity, and Emotional Well-Being From the Midlife in the United States Refresher Daily Diary Study

Only a small percentage of adults engage in regular physical activity, even though it is widely recommended as beneficial for well-being. Thus, it is essential to identify factors that can promote increased physical activity among adults of all ages. The current study examined the relationship of social media use to physical activity and emotional well-being. The sample is from the Midlife in the United States Refresher daily diary study, which includes 782 adults ages 25-75 years. Results showed that those who used social media less often engaged in more frequent physical activity, which, in turn, led to more positive affect. This relationship was found for midlife and older adults but not younger adults. The findings show the benefits of physical activity for well-being and suggest that social media use may dampen efforts to increase physical activity, especially among middle-aged and older adults.

ICT use and spatial fragmentation of activity participation in post-COVID-19 urban societies

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) came to dominate daily activities (e.g., e-working, e-shopping, and e-leisure). The intensive use of ICT might trigger higher levels of spatial fragmentation of daily activities, having significant consequences for planning purposes. This paper seeks to estimate how ICT use and habits affect the individuals' spatial fragmentation patterns in urban contexts on post-COVID-19 societies, while controlling for socioeconomic and built environment characteristics. The city of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid Metropolitan Area, Spain) serves as the case study. The research design is based on activity diaries obtained by face-to-face interviews, and Tobit and Poisson regression analyses are used to examine the relationships between spatial fragmentation measures (outcome variable) and ICT use (predictors). The results reveal that ICT might originate higher spatial fragmentation for work-related activities than for shopping-leisure purposes. For working activities, higher spatial fragmentation patterns are found among people with higher willingness to e-work and individuals who e-work at least once a month, but rather dependent on the occupation type. Regarding shopping and leisure activities, higher spatial fragmentation patterns are noted with car owners and more frequent consumers of online entertainment. The study provides insight into how ICT use is transforming spaces traditionally adapted for a single purpose into multifunctional spaces as well as the spatial effect of this phenomenon.

How Did People with Functional Disability Experience the First COVID-19 Lockdown? A Thematic Analysis of YouTube Comments

People with functional disability endure barriers to health and other services and to full participation in social life. In the context of COVID-19, this discrimination has been intensified worldwide. We examine how the experience of COVID-19 lockdown was depicted in comments to a video about functional disability and COVID published on VICE's YouTube channel. We analysed the first 100 comments on the video, which was posted in spring 2020, during the first COVID-19 lockdown (roughly from March to June 2020, with some variations around the world). We identified four themes: lack of access to care and services, isolation and lifestyle changes, mental health consequences, and peer support. Legal regulations regarding COVID-19 and people with functional disability have not been sufficient in most countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inadequate care systems, even in Western countries with advanced social protection policies.

Qudah MF, Al-Barashdi HS, Bakhiet SF, Darandari E, Al-Asqah SS, Hammad HI, Al-Khadher MM, Qara S, Al-Mutairy SH, Albursan HI. Smartphone Addiction among University Students in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prevalence, Relationship to Academic Procrastination, Quality of Life, Gender and Educational Stage

The current study aims to identify the level and proportions of smartphone addiction, and academic procrastination among university students in the light of the Corona pandemic; identify the differences in smartphone addiction, academic procrastination, and quality of life according to gender and stage of study; and revealing the predictive ability of academic procrastination and quality of life for smartphone addiction. Methods: 556 male and female students from Saudi universities participated in the study, whose ages ranged from 18 to 52 years. Measures of academic procrastination and quality of life were used, in addition to the Italian scale of smartphone addiction, which was translated and checked for validity and reliability. Results: The results revealed that 37.4% of the sample were addicted to smartphone use, while 7.7% had a high level of procrastination, and 62.8% had an average level of procrastination. The results did not show statistically significant differences in smartphone addiction and quality of life according to gender and educational stage, while there were statistically significant differences in academic procrastination according to gender in favor of males, and according to stage of education in favor of undergraduate students. The results also revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between academic procrastination and smartphone addiction, and a statistically significant negative relationship between smartphone addiction and quality of life. A negative relationship between quality of life and academic procrastination was found. The results also revealed that addiction to smartphones could be predicted through academic procrastination and quality of life.

Personal network protects, social media harms: Evidence from two surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

The classic debate regarding the complex relationships between personal network, social media use, and mental well-being requires renewed examination in the novel context of pandemic-related social isolation.

Data and method

We present two surveys conducted at (i) the earlier months of the pandemic and (ii) the end of large scale social-lockdown measures in the U.S. to explore the social and behavioral antecedents of mental health states relating to social media use. Study 1 tracked the longitudinal changes of personal network, social media use, and anxiety level of a group of individuals (N = 147) over a three-month period during the pandemic. Study 2 replicated and extended the theoretical model to a race-representative U.S. adult sample (N = 258).

Results

Both studies consistently show that (1) more time on social media worsens anxiety. It also mediates the relationship between personal network size and anxiety. That is, a small personal network predicts more social media use, which is in turn related to increased anxiety. (2) Moreover, the effect of social media use on anxiety is mainly explained by news consumption on social media, rather than non-news related usage. (3) This link’s strength is moderated by one’s perception of COVID-19 impact, such that news consumption on social media increases anxiety more when the perceived impact is higher.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate communication technologies’ increasingly critical and multifaceted role in affecting mental health conditions.

Scale development and validation for usage of social networking sites during COVID-19

This research aims to explore the usage of social networking sites in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the objective, this study develops and validates a scale to measure the usage of social networking sites. Data was collected via a google form link through social networking sites in India viz. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and WhatsApp. A total of 204 responses were found accurate and useable for the study. The population of the study includes people residing in India. Data was analyzed applying SPSS 20 and AMOS 22.0. To design and validate the scale, both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used in conjunction with each other. The EFA results indicate a six-factor structure, explaining 73.43% of the cumulative variance, with all the items loading above 0.70. Thus, all the 20 items of six constructs meet this threshold limit. Therefore, this 20-items questionnaire emerges as an effective tool for assessing social networking usage. This study developed and validated the scale of usage of social networking sites to measure the six constructs informativeness, education, entertainment, shopping, socialization and social cause. Social media developers and analysts can use this scale from a technological standpoint to redesign and refine their websites for a better user interface. Since the research is primarily focused on India, extrapolating the results to other countries is difficult.

The use of the Dark Web as a COVID-19 information source: A three-country study

The Dark Web (i.e., the anonymous web or Darknet) contains potentially harmful COVID-19-related information and content such as conspiracy theories and forged certificates. The Dark Web may particularly attract individuals who are suspicious about the pandemic, but there is no research concerning the use of the Dark Web as a COVID-19 information source. In this study, we investigated the role of COVID-19 skepticism, online activities, and loneliness in the use of the Dark Web platforms as a COVID-19 information source. The data (N = 3000) were gathered in April 2021 from 18 to 75-year-old respondents from Finland (n = 1000), Sweden (n = 1000) and the United Kingdom (n = 1000). The respondents were asked how often they had utilized Dark Web platforms (for example via TOR-network) as a COVID-19 information source during the pandemic. Self-reported measures of institutional trust, anti-vaccine stances, restriction obedience, online activities, and loneliness were used as predictors in the logistic regression model. Age, gender, and education were also included in the model. The Dark Web use was more prevalent in the UK and Sweden. There was an association between anti-vaccine stances and active Dark Web use in the UK and Sweden, while low institutional trust predicted use among Finnish respondents. In all countries, restriction disobedience was related to Dark Web use as a COVID-19 information source. Frequent online gambling, increased social media use, and loneliness predicted Dark Web use, and these associations were even stronger among frequent Dark Web users than occasional users. Younger age and male gender were also associated with Dark Web use. The unregulated nature of the Dark Web makes it a risky alternative to COVID-19 information, attracting individuals who are suspicious about the pandemic and overall active online users. Misleading information and availability of forged certificates on the Dark Web challenge official health policies, posing significant risks for both individual and public health.

Exploring the effects of social capital on the compulsive use of online social networks in civil unrest contexts

The use of online social networking sites has become part of everyday life for more than three billion people worldwide. However, its use may go beyond being a habit, leading to compulsive use behaviours that jeopardize the well-being of an individual and the whole society. This study proposes and evaluates a theoretical model that examines the four dimensions of social capital, mediated by bonding and bridging social capital, as drivers of compulsive use of online social networks in the context of civil unrest. We evaluate the model using partial least squares structural equation modelling with data collected from a developing country. We found that reciprocity is the most important driver for bonding and bridging social capital with online members. Whereas trust, contradicting most of the literature in the field, was not statistically significant over bonding and bridging social capital. Bonding social capital shows a significant association with compulsive use behaviour. On the other hand, the effect of bridging social capital on compulsive use behaviour, although not significant, may become significant in the presence of a strong usage habit.

Health Professionals' Attitude Toward the Use of Social Media for COVID-19 Related Information in Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Social media platform is one way to share online information regarding pandemic prevention. However, there is no study regarding the attitude of health professionals toward social media use for the COVID-19-related information. This study aimed to assess health professionals' attitudes toward using social media for COVID-19-related information.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 355 health professionals in Bahir Dar city public health centers, Northwest Ethiopia. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were entered by EPI-data version 4.6 and analyzed using SPSS version 23 software. Descriptive statistics, bivariable, and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to describe respondents' attitudes toward using social media for COVID-19 information and identify associated factors. An adjusted odds ratio (OR) and a p-value with a 95% CI were calculated to measure the strength of the association and assess statistical significance.

Result

Out of 341 participants, about 73% of the participants had a good attitude toward the use of social media for COVID-19 information. Age < 24 [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.74, 95% CI: (1.53-9.13)] and age group 25-34 years [AOR = 2.25, 95% CI: (1.04-4.86)], computer training [AOR = 2.03, 95% CI: (1.03-4.00)], usefulness of social media [AOR = 3.25, 95% CI: (1.58-6.67)], and trustworthiness [AOR = 3.57, 95% CI: (1.93-6.60)] were enabling factors for attitude toward the use of social media for COVID-19 related information.

Conclusion

Health professionals had a moderate attitude toward using social media for accessing COVID-19-related information. This implies that after considering positive attitude predictors, such as providing basic computer training, emphasizing the usefulness of social media, and building trusted social media pages, social media platforms can be used as a source of COVID-19-related information for health professionals.

A comprehensive review on the role of online media in sustainable business development and decision making

People are using platforms of social media like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram as a regular way to reach very much targeted and new prospective customers. The role of online media is to facilitate the opportunity in making a connection with followers and fans every time they log in. Online media keep social posts informative and sometimes entertaining which the followers' glade to see the contents in their feeds. Online media facilitate with low commitment and easy way to prospective consumers for expressing attentiveness in the business you do for your services or product. Online media can offer a number of marketing opportunities for businesses of all dimensions. These opportunities include promotion of the brand, communication to the consumer about service or product, attracting customers, and building strong connections with available consumers. Apart from this, several other benefits can be gained from the business of online media such as the ability to target, broad reach, fast, personal, low cost or free, and easy to use. An overview of the existing approaches, tools, and techniques to present is the dire need of the modern business in order to develop novel ways and to present the business of services or products in an effective and efficient way. Therefore, this study has presented a comprehensive review of the existing literature associated with the techniques, tools, and approaches used for business with the help of online media and to decision making. Based on this study, new mechanisms will be provided for effective business.

Media Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Throughout the pandemic, the general population was encouraged to use media to be kept informed about sanitary measures while staying connected with others to obtain social support. However, due to mixed findings in the literature, it is not clear whether media use in such a context would be pathogenic or salutogenic.

OBJECTIVE

Therefore, the associations between COVID-19-related stressors and frequency of media use for information-seeking on trauma- and stressor-related (TSR) symptoms were examined while also investigating how social media use for support-seeking and peritraumatic distress interact with those variables.

METHODS

A path model was tested in a sample of 5913 adults who completed an online survey.

RESULTS

The number of COVID-19-related stressors (β=.25; P<.001) and extent of information-seeking through media (β=.24; P=.006) were significantly associated with the severity of TSR symptoms in bivariate comparisons. Associations between levels of peritraumatic distress and both COVID-19-related stressors and information-seeking through media, and social media use for support- and information-seeking through media were found (β_{COVID-19 stressors: Peritraumatic Distress Inventory}=.49, P<.001; β_{seeking information: Peritraumatic Distress Inventory}=.70, P<.001; β_{seeking information-seeking support}=.04, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that exposure to COVID-19-related stressors and seeking COVID-19-related information through the media are associated with higher levels of peritraumatic distress that, in turn, lead to higher levels of TSR symptoms. Although exposure to the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic may be unavoidable, the frequency of COVID-19-related information consumption through various media should be approached with caution.

How Official Social Media Affected the Infodemic among Adults during the First Wave of COVID-19 in China

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that social media can impact society both positively (e.g., keeping citizens connected and informed) and negatively (e.g., the deliberate spreading of misinformation). This study aims to examine the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between official social media accounts and the infodemic, experienced during the first wave of COVID-19 in China. A theoretical model is proposed to examine how official social media accounts affected the infodemic during this period. In total, 1398 questionnaire responses were collected via WeChat and Tencent QQ, two leading Chinese social media platforms. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Lease Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), moderation effect analysis, and mediation effect analysis. Results indicate that the Information Quality (IQ) of Official social media accounts (β = −0.294, p < 0.001) has a significant negative effect on the infodemic. Mediation effect analysis revealed that both social support (β = −0.333, 95% Boot CI (−0.388, −0.280)) and information cascades (β = −0.189, 95% Boot CI (−0.227, −0.151)) mediate the relationship between IQ and the infodemic. Moderation effect analysis shows that private social media usage (F = 85.637, p < 0.001) positively moderates the relationship between IQ and the infodemic, while health literacy has a small negative moderation effect on the relationship between IQ and the infodemic. Our findings show that, in the context of Chinese media, official social media accounts act as a major source of information for influencing the infodemic through increasing social support and reducing information cascades for citizens.

Social Media and the Pandemic: Consumption Habits of the Spanish Population before and during the COVID-19 Lockdown

The confinement of the Spanish population due to the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a change in patterns of electronic device usage, leading to an increase in internet traffic. This study sought to evaluate the use of social media by the Spanish population before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. An extensive ad hoc questionnaire was prepared and distributed to a total of 397 people of different ages from different Spanish provinces. The questionnaire was previously validated and was found to be reliable. The results showed that during the lockdown, the most frequently used social networks were WhatsApp and Facebook, although others, such as Telegram and TikTok, also experienced a significant increase in user registrations. There was also an increase in the number of hours spent per week using social media, especially Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube, to share images, videos and audio messages, with a significant increase in document sharing and knowledge acquisition. The final section discusses some of the results and concludes by highlighting the importance of analyzing social behavior in times of crisis in order to design more effective and personalized communication strategies.

Type and reliability of information about coronavirus most frequently shared by social media users

Objective

To identify, investigate and categorize the most frequently shared content related to COVID-19 by social media users.

Methods

The BuzzSumo analytic tool was used to identify the most frequently shared content about COVID-19 between July and August 2020. They were then analyzed and classified into eight main categories according to their topic.

Results

Among 120 articles that were shared 6,189,187 times in total during the analyzed period, the most popular were those that referred to methods for decreasing COVID-19 spread and characteristics. No myths or misinformation were found in the most frequently shared articles. The most popular content included humorous yet educational videos.

Conclusions

The most frequently shared content by social media users is reliable and refers to prevention in the first place. As humorous videos about prevention attracted the most attention, it seems an attractive and potentially effective strategy to foster online preventive behaviors during the pandemic.

Lay Summary

The most popular articles that were shared more than 6 million times in total during the analyzed period of time referred methods for decreasing COVID-19 spread and COVID-19 characteristics. The Internet and social media provide countless opportunities and audiences to deliver accurate knowledge and recommendations on COVID-19 and may contribute to fostering preventive and responsible behaviors.

Media attention, dependency, self-efficacy, and prosocial behaviours during the outbreak of COVID-19: A constructive journalism perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption not only in the global health and economic sectors, but also in the field of journalism. As media has played and continues to play a pivotal role in disseminating information during the pandemic crisis, it is critical to examine how media influences the behaviour of their target audience. Subsequently, this study aimed to examine the relationship between media attention, dependency, self-efficacy, and prosocial behaviours amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 905 participants from China responded to the survey questionnaire, the data from which was analysed via SPSS-AMOS v.23. The results indicated a significant correlation between media attention and self-efficacy. Likewise, media dependency is correlated with self-efficacy. Media attention, dependency, and self-efficacy demonstrated significant effects on prosocial attitudes and behaviours. Subsequently, this study showed that self-efficacy mediates the effects of media attention and dependency on prosocial behaviour. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings of this study could serve as a guide to media practitioners in shaping the behaviour of their audience through meaningful and responsible information dissemination.

Relevance of E-Participation in the state health campaign in Spain: #EstoNoEsUnJuego / #ThisIsNotAGame

Confronting the COVID-19 health emergency has forced public administrations in Spain to work with various networks as a means of promoting their campaigns to citizens. This paper aims to analyse digital citizens' e-participation by focusing on the state health campaign #EstoNoEsUnJuego - #ThisIsNotAGame. This campaign was launched by the Spanish Ministry of Health in September 2020 via Twitter with the objective of reinforcing protection measures against the virus. A sample consisting of 19,576 tweets, sent from September 2020 to February 2021, was investigated and the results have indicated that, of 9133 users, 64.8% of citizens collaborated in the dissemination of tweets. It was observed that most messages supported the campaign by disseminating information on measures, data and news. Only 0.1% of the messages were aggressive. The conclusion is that, despite not having created a true form of communication between public institutions and citizens, e-participation has generated a functional connection between them. Citizens have acquired a responsible and participatory digital role which, although failing to show personal involvement in their comments, has been the main driving force behind the success of this campaign.

Analysing the role of gender and place of residence in acceptability and satisfaction towards e-learning among university students' during COVID-19 pandemic in India

This paper has two broad objectives; the first is to examine the challenges of e-learning faced by the students keeping in view their place of residence and gender in India, particularly during the second-wave of Covid-19. The second objective is to examine the role of place of residence and gender of students in the acceptance and satisfaction towards e-learning. The data has been obtained through an online survey of the students of University of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India, in which a total of 490 students participated. Selection of students has been done through stratified sampling technique. Initially the obtained data was analysed and discussed through simple statistical analysis. Later, a chi-square test of independence was applied to find out the dependency of psychological stress, level of acceptance and level of satisfaction towards e-learning on the place of residence and the gender. The major finding of the paper reveals that the gender and the place of residence of the students is significantly associated with their psychological stress, acceptance and satisfaction towards e-learning. Extra money spent on the purchase of online learning resources was greater in case of rural students.

Facebook use and its predictive factors among students: Evidence from a lower- and middle-income country, Bangladesh

BACKGROUND

Facebook is a popular social networking site in the modern world. It has an adverse effect such as impairing daily health and psychological health and also interpersonal relationships when the use becomes problematic.

AIMS

To examine problematic Facebook use (PFU) and its predictors among Bangladeshi students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 601 Bangladeshi students and collected data related to socio-demographic information, behavioral health, internet use behavior, depression, anxiety and problematic Facebook use [assessed using the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS)]. The data were analyzed using descriptive (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVAs, correlations, and multivariable linear regression).

RESULTS

The results indicated that 29.1% of participants were problematic Facebook users (using cutoff ≥18 out of 30). Medical college students had higher mean score on PFU than other students (p < 0.001). In addition, the mean score of PFU was significantly higher among the students who were in a relationship (p = 0.001), did not engage in physical activity (p < 0.001), used the internet more than 5 h per day (p < 0.001), used social media (p < 0.001), and had depression or anxiety symptoms (p < 0.001). PFU was significantly associated with depression and anxiety among the whole sample. Predictive factors for PFU included relationship status, daily internet use time, gaming, social media use, depression, and anxiety. The model predicted almost 33.2% variance for PFU.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest interventions should be implemented for students with a special focus on medical students who had higher score of PFU than other types of students.

Managing urban citizens' panic levels and preventive behaviours during COVID-19 with pandemic information released by social media

Reducing citizens' panic and promoting their preventive behaviours are critical parts of pandemic management for the government. However, the effects of pandemic information types (daily statistical vs. detailed case information) and sources (official vs. unofficial social media accounts) on the psychological states and behaviours of urban citizens need to be explored further. Furthermore, the heterogeneity of these effects for citizens from areas with different epidemic levels also needs further investigation. Therefore, we conducted a survey during the COVID-19 outbreak in mainland China in March 2020, and 1298 urban citizens (592 from Wuhan) offered reliable data. Results of linear regression analysis indicated that non-Wuhan urban citizens who were more concerned about detailed case information (e.g., patients' movement paths) exhibited more preventive behaviours than those concerned about daily statistical information (e.g., case numbers) and did not show higher panic levels. Additionally, regarding social media information sources, unofficial social media caused both Wuhan and non-Wuhan urban citizens to have higher levels of panic than official media but had no significant impacts on their preventive behaviours. These findings contribute to urban management through the discovery of the effects of different information types and social media information sources on urban citizens during pandemics.

Effects of Stressors of COVID-19 on Chinese College Students' Problematic Social Media Use: A Mediated Moderation Model

PURPOSE

Isolation policies are long-term and strictly enforced in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Social media might be widely used for communication, work, understanding the development of the epidemic, etc. However, these behaviors might lead to problematic social media use. The present study investigated the effect of stressors of COVID-19 on problematic social media use, as well as the internal mechanisms involved.

METHODS

One thousand three hundred seventy-three Chinese college students (M _age = 19.53, SD _age = 1.09) were recruited randomly from four grades who completed Coronavirus Stress Scale, Fear of Missing Out Scale, Problematic Mobile Social Media Usage Assessment Questionnaire, and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale.

RESULTS

Stressors of COVID-19 were positively related to problematic social media use. The link between stressors of COVID-19 and problematic social media use was mediated by fear of missing out. Additionally, the association between fear of missing out and problematic social media use, as well as the association between stressors of COVID-19 and problematic social media use were moderated by regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

CONCLUSION

The current findings reveal the mechanism that may be used to reduce the likelihood of problematic social media use in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. To prevent and intervene in problematic social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study stressed the importance of decreasing the fear of missing out and enhancing regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

Happier and further by going together: The importance of software team behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated move to remote work and the resulting changes to the normal work routine, have introduced a plethora of new difficulties and challenges for software developers. Recent research has focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the developer's wellness, productivity, team collaboration, job satisfaction, and work-life balance. However, research exploring the association between these feelings and team behaviour during such a crisis period has not been previously developed. Moreover, previous research has indicated that organisations are still struggling to understand the pandemic and its relationship with both team behaviour and developer feelings. To address this gap, we analysed how COVID-19 influences a developer's happiness and their feelings of (un)happiness associated with the team's behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. A state-of-the-art analysis helped to design a scale that we used in a cross-sectional study of 102 software developers. To test the proposed hypotheses, we conducted exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis. Our results highlight that happiness positively influences a team's behaviour and that unhappiness negatively affects their work results and productivity. These findings provide software companies and organisations with a better understanding of the importance of team behaviour on individual happiness during crises. These results provide information that managers and companies can use to mitigate potentially negative effects.

Effects of excessive use of mobile phone technology in India on human health during COVID-19 lockdown

OBJECTIVE

The global health crisis in the form of COVID-19 has forced people to shift their routine activities into a remote environment with the help of technology. The outbreak of the COVID-19 has caused several organizations to be shut down and forced them to initiate work from home employing technology. Now more than ever, it's important for people and institutions to understand the impact of excessive use of mobile phone technology and electronic gadgets on human health, cognition, and behavior. It is important to understand their perspective and how individuals are coping with this challenge in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigation is an effort to answer the research question: whether dependency on technology during lockdown has more effects on human health in comparison to normal times.

METHODS

The study included participants from India (n = 122). A questionnaire was framed and the mode of conducting the survey chosen was online to maintain social distancing during the time of the Pandemic. The gathered data was statistically analysed employing RStudio and multiple regression techniques.

RESULTS

The statistical analysis confirms that lockdown scenarios have led to an increase in the usage of mobile phone technology which has been confirmed by around 90% of participants. Moreover, 95% of the participants perceive an increased risk of developing certain health problems due to excessive usage of mobile phones and technology. It has been evaluated that participants under the age group 15-30 years are highly affected (45.9%) during lockdown due to excessive dependence on technology. And, amongst different professions, participants involved in online teaching-learning are the most affected (42.6%).

CONCLUSION

The findings indicate that dependency on technology during lockdown has more health effects as compared to normal times. So, it is suggested that as more waves of pandemics are being predicted, strategies should be planned to decrease the psychological and physiological effects of the overuse of technology during lockdown due to pandemics. As the lockdown situation unfolds, people and organization functioning styles should be rolled back to the limited dependency on technology.

Privacy and surveillance attitudes during health crises: Acceptance of surveillance and privacy protection behaviours

The wide deployment of digital technologies for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered concerns about privacy and intrusion from government surveillance. This study investigates individual privacy and surveillance attitudes by developing a theoretical model to explain acceptance of government surveillance and privacy protection behaviours during health-crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from a US sample reveal that people are concerned about the collection and use of their personal information via mobile applications and the monitoring of their online activities by authorities. Findings reveal the important roles of political trust and belief that governments' need to be proactive in protecting peoples' welfare during a crisis that can increase acceptance of surveillance and thus assist in the management of the health crisis. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on public managers' attitudes toward digital transformation

The COVID-19 pandemic has induced a process of digital acceleration and has likely changed the attitudes of local public managers toward information and communication technology (ICT). While this attitude change has been reasonably argued, it has not been systematically measured. This study narrows this gap by measuring the attitudes of public managers before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, this study finds that the pandemic has led public managers to be more confident in the capacity of ICT to help cities achieve their economic, social, and environmental goals and respond to challenges. Both explicit and implicit measures confirmed attitude changes. The explicit measures also indicated that the change in public managers' attitude toward ICT was similar to their change in attitude toward scientific progress and greater than their change in attitude toward other issues that have played a major role during the pandemic, namely, climate change, citizen participation, and privacy.

Social TV viewing during the COVID-19 lockdown: The mediating role of social presence

The COVID-19 lockdown has transformed the way of life for many people. One key change is media intake, as many individuals reported an increase in media consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown. Specifically, social media and television usage increased. In this regard, the present study examines social TV viewing, the simultaneous use of watching TV while communicating with others about the TV content on various communication technologies, during the COVID-19 lockdown. An online survey was conducted to collect data from college students in the United States during the COVID-19 lockdown. Primary results indicate that different motives predict different uses of communication platforms for social TV engagement, such as public platforms, text-based private platforms, and video-based private platforms. Specifically, the social motive significantly predicts social TV engagement on most of the platforms. Further, the study finds that social presence of virtual co-viewers mediates the relationship between social TV engagement and social TV enjoyment. Overall, the study's findings provide a meaningful understanding of social TV viewing when physical social gatherings are restricted.

Breaching Learners' Social Distancing through Social Media during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Higher education has been shifted toward blended learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. An increase in social media usage intensity and reduced face-to-face interaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic urged instructional communication researchers to revisit the dynamics of learners’ group development in terms of their socialization and academic performance during the COVID-19 crisis. This research aimed to determine the mediating role of social media sociability between face-to-face socialization and academic performance of higher education students in blended learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also the aim of the study to determine the moderating effect of social media usage intensity on social media sociability. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with the students (n = 340) enrolled in science teacher education departments of universities in Pakistan. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for multivariate analysis. Results revealed that face-to-face socialization gave an essential start to develop a learning group. However, when face-to-face socialization was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was mediated by social media usage in blended learning environments to increase their socialization and academic performance during the crisis. The findings of the study are useful for higher education institutions to adopt social media strategies for students’ socialization during the crisis.

Pattern of dental needs and advice on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

Aim

To compare and evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on tweets related to dental treatment needs and advice of Saudi Twitter users in 2020 by comparing them to the same time-period in 2019.

Methods

Eight independent searches based on dentistry related keywords: “teeth, mouth and gingiva” were carried out within the timeframe between the 23rd of March and the 21st of June for the years 2020 and 2019. Extracted tweets were analyzed by two calibrated examiners as tweets containing expressed dental needs and tweets for dental advice, while spam tweets were excluded. Descriptive analysis was performed to present the overview of the findings using SPSS. Bivariate analysis was performed with Pearson’s Chi Square, Fisher’s Exact test and Mann–Whitney U test. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.

Results

A total of 595 tweets from the year 2019 and 714 tweets from the year 2020 were obtained. Overall, combined dental needs and advice tweets, retweets, likes, and replies were higher in 2020 compared to 2019. Dental needs tweets were higher in 2020 compared to 2019, while dental advice tweets were lower in 2020 compared to 2019. Statistically significant differences were found between 2020 and 2019 with regards to dental needs well as with dental advice (p < 0.05). In addition, statistically significant differences were found between 2019 and 2020 with presence of pain, urgency of the dental need and type of advisor (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

An obvious impact of the pandemic can be seen in the form of increased self-reported dental needs, pain and urgency among the public in Saudi Arabia. This study highlights the importance of social media, specifically Twitter, in expressing the public needs and utilizing it as a platform for education and advice.

Harnessing social media in mental health practice in Kenya: a community case study report

The use of social media to increase awareness on mental health is rapidly gaining momentum globally. However, despite evidence of a growing trend in social media use in sub Saharan Africa, little has been reported on tapping the potential of social media within a mental health practice to not only increase awareness but also facilitate linkage to specialist care. We describe one such mental health practice and its process of integration of the different social media platforms to promote mental health and increase linkage to specialist care. We further highlight the challenges and practical implication of social media use in the Kenyan setting. We conclude by advocating for this integration to raise awareness and also encourage peer support for persons with mental health problems and recommend research that measures the impact of such interventions in sub-Saharan Africa.

The challenges of COVID-19 control policies for sustainable development of business: Evidence from service industries

Such large-scale disruptions as the pandemic increase the uncertainty and risk related to business. Therefore, the business continuity management (BCM) has become an essential technical solution for enterprise emergency response. Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 has spread worldwide at an alarming rate causing many threats to sustainable development of the business sector. The decline in consumer demand has hugely impacted service industries, such as wholesale and retail sales, tourism. Enterprise production and operations have faced severe challenges. In this study, we develop a risk factor analysis of BCM under the presence of COVID-19 in China. Based on a statistical survey of 940 enterprises in Hangzhou City, China, this study employs ordinal logistic regression to explore the hindering effect of risk factors introduced by the epidemic on business performance. Then, the interpretive structure model (ISM) is applied to analyze the hierarchical structure of the factors under examination. The key factors influencing the enterprise production and operation during COVID-19 outbreak significantly differ across the sub-sectors of the service industry. Therefore, this paper assesses the resilience of the productive technologies and business models of different industries amid the pandemic. This paper proposes epidemic prevention and control strategy focusing on investment and government regulation to ensure sustainable business development.

YouTube's growth in use among children 0-5 during COVID19: The Occidental European case

YouTube has become an educational and entertainment tool among Western European families, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study monitored the main channels for children aged 0-5 years by using the social media analysis (SNA) methodology from March 24, 2020 to August 24, 2020. The software used has been FanpageKarma, which allows the collection and interpretation of data. The results indicate not only a growth in the use of such channels during confinement, but also how their expansion is related to the evolution of the COVID-19, reflecting, in turn, the consequences of the government policies adopted. Social distancing generated a greater consumption of recreational content, but not a greater growth in educational content regardless of the country or culture.

To share or not to share - The underlying motives of sharing fake news amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia

This study investigates the underlying motives for online fake news sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented time that witnessed a spike in the spread of false content. Motives were identified based on a fake news sharing model developed using the SocioCultural-Psychological-Technology (SCulPT) model, Uses and Gratification (U&G) theory and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and further extended using fake news predictors/gratifications from past studies. A self-administered survey resulted in 869 online Malaysian respondents aged between 18 and 59 years old (Mean = 22.6, Standard deviation = 6.13). Structured equation modelling revealed the fake news sharing model to collectively account for 49.2 % of the variance, with Altruism (β = 0.333; p < 0.001), Ignorance (β = 0.165; p < 0.001) and Entertainment (β = 0.139; p < 0.001) significantly predicting the behaviour. Conversely, Availability/Effort, Pass Time and Fear of Missing Out were found to be insignificant. Our findings indicate that fake news sharing behavior is determined by different motives, hence these need to be understood in order to develop better solutions to mitigate this problem.

Toward street vending in post COVID-19 China: Social networking services information overload and switching intention

With the progress of epidemic containment, the Chinese government has relaxed its regulatory policies on street vending, hoping to help people who have lost their livelihoods and to assist in the restoration of social and economic order. In response, Chinese people poured into the stall economy, especially individual peddlers, with great expectations for street vending. Street vending has become a hot topic on Chinese social network sites (SNSs). Based on the push-pull-mooring framework, SNS information overload theory was introduced and combined with the actual situations of street vending in China, and a structural equation model was established to study factors affecting individual Chinese peddlers' intention to engage in street vending and the effects of SNS information overload on these factors. Results revealed that perceived policy benefits, subjective norms, and switching cost perceptions of individual peddlers were positive factors affecting their intention to engage in street vending. SNS information overload positively affected individual peddlers' dissatisfaction with their original business model, anxieties over their livings, perception of policy benefits, and subjective norms but negatively affected individual peddlers' perception of switching costs.

Predictors of COVID-19 Preventive Behavior Adoption Intention in Malaysia

Preventive behavior adoption is the key to reduce the possibility of getting COVID-19 infection. This paper aims to examine the determinants of intention to adopt preventive behavior by incorporating perception of e-government information and services and perception of social media into the theory of reasoned action. A cross-sectional online survey was carried out among Malaysian residents. Four hundred four valid responses were obtained and used for data analysis. A partial least-square-based path analysis revealed direct effects of attitude and subjective norm in predicting intention to adopt preventive behavior. In addition, perception of e-government information and services and perception of social media were found to be significant predictors of attitude toward preventive behavior. The findings highlight the importance of digital platforms in improving people’s attitudes toward preventive behavior and in turn contain the spread of the infectious disease.

COVID-19 information fatigue? A case study of a German university website during two waves of the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the ubiquity of health-related information, disseminated using digital technology. However, recent research suggests that this accessibility of (often negative) information can induce adverse psychological effects, including anxiety, panic-based hoarding, and other unhealthy behaviors. Some of these consequences have been explained with the idea of an information overload. Considering these current developments, it may become harder to effectively communicate COVID-19-related information in smaller, local contexts, such as universities. By analyzing the page views and searches on the website of a university of education in Germany, we derive recommendations for the delivery of information of local organizations. One conclusion is that the need for information during the pandemic decreases as time passes (at least at the local level of institutions such as universities), and even new emergencies such as the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 only affect this behavioral pattern to a minor extent. As a result of this COVID-19 information fatigue, strategies to keep members of institutions informed are discussed. In addition, we suggest developing a mobile app for delivering individualized information right on hand using machine learning and natural language processing strategies. In sum, individual organizations interested in keeping their members informed concerning COVID-19 should consider the use of personalized information strategies that avoid inducing negative emotional states. Moreover, potentials for connecting people using digital technology could be harnessed in local organizations.

Understanding the impact of information sources on COVID-19 related preventive measures in Finland

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the influence of information reporting on human behavior, as people were forced to quickly adapt to a new health threatening situation by relying on new information. Drawing from protection-motivation and cognitive load theories, we formulated a structural model eliciting the impact of the three online information sources: (1) social media, (2) official websites, and (3) other online news sources; on motivation to adopt recommended COVID-19 preventive measures. The model was tested with the data collected from university employees and students (n = 225) in March 2020 through an online survey and analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). We observed that social media and other online news sources increased information overload amongst the online information sources. This, in turn, negatively affected individuals' self-isolation intention by increasing perceived response costs and decreasing response efficacy. The study highlights the role of online information sources on preventive behaviors during pandemics.