The Moderating Role of Community Capacity for Age-Friendly Communication in Mitigating Anxiety of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Infodemic: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frankie Ho Chun Wong ◽  
Dara Kiu Yi Leung ◽  
Edwin Lok Yan Wong ◽  
Tianyin Liu ◽  
Shiyu Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Community Capacity ◽  
Traditional Media ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional

BACKGROUND Older adults were perceived as a vulnerable group under the COVID-19 pandemic due to the health and mental health challenges they faced. The pandemic was accompanied by an “infodemic” of overabundant and questionable information that has affected older adults’ mental health. As the infodemic and ageist narratives were prevalent online, more anxiety symptoms have been induced among older adults who used social media. Age-friendly communication, advocated by the World Health Organization’s age-friendly city guide, could be an antidote by providing tailored information via appropriate channels for older adults. OBJECTIVE This study investigated the role of community capacity for age-friendly communication in mitigating anxiety during the pandemic. We hypothesized that age-friendly communication would moderate the effects of infection risks and social media use on anxiety. A double moderating effect was hypothesized in the context of diminished trust in traditional media. METHODS Data were collected from a cross-sectional telephone survey conducted in Hong Kong in 2020. Older adults (age ≥ 60 years) were interviewed about their wellbeing and daily lives (N = 3421). Community capacity for age-friendly communication was measured in a living districts-based evaluation. It had two components: the reach of appropriate information to older adults (AFC-I) and the age-friendliness of communication technologies (AFC-C&D) in the community. We tested the hypothesized moderation and double moderation effects with ordinary least squares regressions. RESULTS Perceived COVID-19 infection risk (b = .002, P = .02) and use of social media for COVID-19 information (b = .08, P =.04) were associated with more anxiety symptoms. The effect of using social media was moderated by AFC-I (b = -.39, P = .002) and AFC-C&D (b = -1.06, P < .001), and the effect of perceived COVID-19 infection risk was moderated by AFC-I (b = -.03, P = .002) and AFC-C&D (b = -.05, P < .001). Lower trust in traditional media exacerbated anxiety symptoms associated with social media use (b = -.08, P = .02). Higher AFC-I alleviated this moderation effect (AFC-I*media trust b = -.65, P < .001; AFC-I*social media use b = -2.18, P <.001; three-way interaction b = .40, P = .003). CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the role of community age-friendly communication in mitigating anxiety related to the infodemic. Although using social media may have exacerbated the impact of the infodemic on older adults, it has the potential to deliver timely information for adequate health response. While the amplifying effects of low media trust was associated with social media use, age-friendly communication determined its strength. Instead of discouraging the use of digital technologies for COVID-19 information, efforts should be made in tailoring information and communication technologies in local communities for older adults.

Physical Distancing and Social Media Use in Emerging and Older Adults During COVID-19: Large Scale Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Survey Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thabo J van Woudenberg ◽  
Roy Hendrikx ◽  
Moniek Buijzen ◽  
Julia CM van Weert ◽  
Bas van den Putte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Random Intercept ◽  
Social Media Platforms

BACKGROUND Although emerging adults play a role in the spread of COVID-19, they are less likely to develop severe symptoms after infection. Emerging adults’ relatively high use of social media as source of information raises concerns regarding COVID-19 related behavioral compliance (i.e., physical distancing) in this age group. OBJECTIVE Therefore, the current study investigated physical distancing in emerging adults in comparison to older adults and looked at the role of using social media for COVID-19 news and information in this regard. In addition, this study explored the relation between physical distancing and different social media platforms and sources. METHODS Secondary data of a large-scale national longitudinal survey (N = 123,848, 34.% male) between April and November 2020 were used. Participants indicated, ranging for one to eight waves, how often they were successful in keeping 1.5 meters distance on a 7-point Likert scale. Participants between 18 and 24 years old were considered young adults and older participants were identified as older adults. Also, a dummy variable was created to indicate per wave whether participants used social media for COVID-19 news and information. A subset received follow-up questions asking participants to indicate which platforms they have used and what sources of news and information they had seen on social media. All preregistered hypotheses were tested with Linear Mixed-Effects Models and Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Models. RESULTS Emerging adults reported less physical distancing behaviors than older adults (b = -.08, t(86213.83) = -26.79, p < .001). Also, emerging adults were more likely to use social media for COVID-19 news and information (b = 2.48, SE = .11, Wald = 23.66, p = <.001), which mediated the association with physical distancing, but only to a small extend (indirect effect: b = -0.03, 95% CI = [-0.04; -0.02]). Opposed to our hypothesis, the longitudinal Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model showed no evidence that physical distancing was predicted by social media use of the previous wave. However, we did find evidence that using social media affected subsequent physical distancing behavior. Moreover, additional analyses showed that most social media platforms (i.e., YouTube, Facebook and Instagram) and interpersonal communication showed negative associations with physical distancing while others platforms (i.e. LinkedIn and Twitter) and Governmental messages showed no to a slightly positive associations with physical distancing. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, we should be vigilant for physical distancing of emerging adults, but this study give no reason the to worry about the role of social media for COVID-19 news and information. However, as some social media platforms and sources showed negative associations, future studies should more carefully look into these factors to better understand the associations between social media use for news and information, and behavioral interventions in times of crisis.

scholarly journals The role of technology and social media use on sleep-onset difficulties among Italian adolescents: a cross-sectional study (Preprint)

10.2196/20319 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nirosha Elsem Varghese ◽  
Eugenio Santoro ◽  
Alessandra Lugo ◽  
Juan J Madrid-Valero ◽  
Simone Ghislandi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Sleep Onset ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Italian Adolescents

scholarly journals Understanding the buffering effect of social media use on anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yousri Marzouki ◽  
Fatimah Salem Aldossari ◽  
Giuseppe A. Veltri
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Functional Role ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Positive Perception ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
Collective Resilience

AbstractDuring the COVID-19 outbreak, lockdown measures have been deployed worldwide. In the wake of these measures, internet and social media use has reached unprecedented peaks. We hypothesize that social media can, in the context of the pandemic, be a placeholder for collective resilient processes modulated by cognitive and emotional components. An online survey (N = 1408) using a cross-sectional design was carried out over nine weeks from the beginning of March 2020 to the end of May 2020. The triangulation via SEM statistical modeling, text mining, and sentiment, discriminant, and entropy analyses revealed the granular functional role of social media use in promoting a positive perception towards stressors during the pandemic. This study provides an empirically tested theoretical framework to understand the evolution of buffering mechanisms of social media use as a result of collective resilience. Recommendations on social media use for future lockdown scenarios were provided.

scholarly journals Consuming information related to COVID-19 on social media among older adults and its associations with anxiety, social trust in information, and COVID-safe behaviours: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frankie Ho Chun Wong ◽  
Tianyin Liu ◽  
Dara Kiu Yi Leung ◽  
Yan A. Zhang ◽  
Walker Siu Hong Au ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Related Information

BACKGROUND COVID-19-related information on social media is overabundant and sometimes questionable, resulting in an “infodemic” during the pandemic. While previous studies suggest social media usage increases the risk of developing anxiety symptoms, how induced anxiety affects attitudes and behaviours is less discussed in the literature, let alone during a global pandemic. Although older adults may not use digital media as extensively as younger adults, they use social media differently to address information needs. Little is known about the effect of using social media during a pandemic on their anxiety, social trust in information, and behaviours to avoid contracting COVID-19. OBJECTIVE To investigate the associations between using social media for COVID-19-related information and anxiety symptoms and the mediation effect of anxiety symptoms on social trust in information and COVID-safe behaviours among older adults. METHODS A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted in Hong Kong between May and August 2020 among service recipients of local NGOs providing active aging activities or mental health services. A rapid warm-call protocol was developed to train social workers and volunteers from particpant NGOs to conduct the telephone survey that included questions related to COVID-safe behaviours, social trust in information, social media use, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and sociodemographic information. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at the community level was used to account for the risk of contracting COVID-19, which may prompt COVID-safe behaviours and affect social trust in information. OLS regressions examined the associations between social media use and anxiety symptoms, and how they were associated with social trust in information and COVID-safe behaviours. Structural equation modelling further mapped out these relationships to identify the mediation effects of anxiety symptoms. RESULTS This study collected information regarding 3421 adults aged 60 years and older. Use of social media for COVID-19-related information predicted more anxiety symptoms and lower social trust in information but had no significant relationship with COVID-safe behaviours. Anxiety symptoms predicted lower social trust in information and more COVID-safe behaviours. Lower social trust in information was predicted by social media usage, mediated by anxiety symptoms, while no mediation effect was found in COVID-safe behaviours. CONCLUSIONS Older adults who rely on social media for COVID-19-related information are exposed to a higher risk of anxiety if they, while showing mixed effects on attitudes and behaviours. Social trust in information may be challenged by unverified and contradictory information online. The negligible impact on COVID-safe behaviours suggested social media may have caused more confusion than consolidating a consistent effort against the pandemic. Media literacy education is recommended to mitigate the negative effects of social media usage, promote critical evaluation of it and responsible sharing among older adults.

scholarly journals Loneliness and Its Association With Social Media Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512110338
Author(s):  
Tore Bonsaksen ◽  
Mary Ruffolo ◽  
Janni Leung ◽  
Daicia Price ◽  
Hilde Thygesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Social Loneliness

Social distancing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic changed social interaction for many and increased the risk of loneliness in the general population. Social media use has been ambiguously related to loneliness, and associations may differ by age. The study aimed to examine loneliness and its association with social media use within different age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia during April/May 2020, and 3,810 participants aged 18 years or above were recruited. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between social media use and social and emotional loneliness within separate age groups. Emotional loneliness was higher among young adults and among those who used social media several times daily. Adjusting by sociodemographic variables, using more types of social media was associated with lower social loneliness among the oldest participants, and with higher emotional loneliness among the youngest participants. Among middle-aged participants, using social media more frequently was associated with lower social loneliness. We found that the associations between social media use and loneliness varied by age. Older people’s engagement on social media may be a resource to reduce loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. We observed higher levels of loneliness among high-frequent social media users of younger age.

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