Exploring Social Media Information Seeking During the COVID-19 Pandemic to Inform Science and Health Communication During a Crisis

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns increased access to specific social media usage, underscoring the importance of health science communicators sharing accurate information on popular platforms. This study aimed to investigate social media information-seeking behaviors during the COVID-19 outbreak when states were under lockdown orders. The study described respondents’ perceptions of COVID-19 information on social media, types of social media platforms used, people respondents connected with, and the relationship between social media use and the groups respondents connected with. An online survey was administered to 1,048 respondents in the United States via Qualtrics using non-probability opt-in sampling to capture information-seeking behaviors using researcher-adapted scales. The information could help determine the potential of leveraging online social networks to communicate credible health science messages. The results showed that over 70% of the respondents felt overwhelmed while searching for COVID-19 information, had difficulty accessing or interpreting additional information, and sometimes avoided news about COVID-19. Also, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were the most popular social media platforms for COVID-19 information. Notably, Facebook was the most widely used platform during lockdowns. Meanwhile, respondents primarily used Facebook to connect with friends and family during the pandemic, and those with more social networks accessed social media platforms more frequently. The findings emphasize the crucial role of Facebook in sharing trustworthy information during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also underscore the need for strategies to help individuals navigate the overwhelming volume of information, including misinformation on social media platforms, especially in times of crisis.