TITLE:
Infodemic Accelerates Psychological Effect in Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross Sectional Study
AUTHORS:
Muhammad Kawsar Mahmud, Mehedi Hasan, Tahmina Sultana, Mynul Islam
KEYWORDS:
Infodemic, Psychology, Pandemic, Covid-19
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Journalism and Communication,
Vol.11 No.3,
September
11,
2023
ABSTRACT: An infodemicis is an influx of wrong or deceptive information on social media during a pandemic. It results in misunderstandings and risk-taking actions that have a negative psychological effect. The Infodemic intensified the effects of the pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate how Infodemic made people squandered, which caused psychological damage. Primary and secondary data have been used, and 310 usable questionnaires have been collected for this study using a purposive sampling technique. For data analysis, SPSS-22 software has been used. The study found that people are bewildered, causing Infodemic rapidly spread on digital platforms and creating psychological pressure. The study has recommended that all netizens should apply common sense to believe any news, check the authenticity of the news through various prescribed websites, and talk with the concerned authority for clarification so that they could clog any unwanted situation. Our findings give insights into how Infodemic and psychological effects are closely associated with handling such situations at the initial phase. These findings also could assist us in intuitively comprehending the effects of Infodemic spread on people’s emotions during the Covid-19 pandemic and assist the government in reducing panic.