Abstract
Concern about the COVID-19 pandemic is driving an increase in media consumption. While media sources such as the Internet can be substantial repositories of health information during epidemic diseases, they may also have negative psychological consequences, such as increasing anxiety. It is imperative to determine what effect Internet sources have on COVID-19 anxiety. The purpose of this study was to explore whether online health information utilization and exposure to COVID-19 Internet news predict COVID-19 anxiety. A convenience sample of 427 Iranian college students completed the COVID-19 Anxiety Questionnaire and Online Health Information Utilization Questionnaire. Participants were also asked to rate their online news usage related to COVID-19. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed that online health information utilization and COVID-19 Internet news usage significantly predicted COVID-19 anxiety. Greater frequency of Internet news use and online health information about COVID-19 was linked to higher anxiety levels. These findings suggest that the Internet plays a remarkable role in COVID-19 anxiety.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 469-482 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | North American Journal of Psychology |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- COVID-19
- Internet
- Media
