Despite the hype surrounding the metaverse, there is scant empirical research that examines who uses the service, for what specific purposes, and with what consequences. Based on a survey of current Zepeto users ( N = 200), a popular metaverse application that enables people to create avatars and socialize while exploring the virtual spaces, we investigated (a) the key motives of Zepeto use, (b) how Big Five personality traits predict specific motives of Zepeto use, and (c) how specific motives of Zepeto use are associated with users' psychological well-being. Overall, users were largely driven by the desire to explore the virtual world and enjoy unique experiences, but such a tendency was stronger among those higher on openness and agreeableness. Extroverts were more likely to use Zepeto for functional purposes, while those higher on neuroticism turned to Zepeto to escape from reality. As for psychological consequences, while those using Zepeto for functional and escaping purposes reported higher levels of loneliness, those who used Zepeto for social and experiential goals were less lonely. The experiential and escape motives predicted perceived social support in the opposite directions. Moreover, by comparing Zepeto users' responses with those of non-users ( N = 200), we found that (a) non-users overestimated users' motives of Zepeto use, especially social and escape motives, (b) Zepeto users were higher on extraversion and openness than non-users, and (c) users reported higher levels of loneliness than non-users with no significant difference in perceived social support. Implications of the findings and future directions are discussed.

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Two surveys investigated whether the exposure to COVID-19 news widens (polarization) or narrows (mainstreaming) the partisan gap in perceived seriousness of the pandemic, and how the perception affects individuals’ susceptibility to COVID-19 misinformation that either exaggerates or downplays its health risks. Overall exposure to COVID-19 news homogenized the partisans’ otherwise divergent risk perceptions, but the partisan divide was wider among those selectively approaching like-minded news outlets. Perceived seriousness of COVID-19 subsequently altered participants’ susceptibility to either fear-arousing or fear-suppressing COVID-19 misinformation in a belief-confirming manner. It is discussed how news media shape the public’s reality perception amid the global crisis.