How Does Digital Media Search for COVID-19 Influence Vaccine Hesitancy? Exploring the Trade-off between Google Trends, Infodemics, Conspiracy Beliefs and Religious Fatalism

Abstract

Digital media has remained problematic during COVID-19 because it has been the source of false and unverified facts. This was particularly evident in the widespread misinformation and confusion regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Past research suggested infodemics, conspiracy beliefs, and religious fatalism as potential threats to public COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. However, the literature is primarily void of empirical evidence associating demographic attributes with efforts to build vaccine hesitancy. Therefore, this research uses two studies: (Study 1) Google Trends and (Study 2) survey method to provide inclusive empirical insight into public use of digital media during COVID-19 and the detrimental effects of infodemics, conspiracy beliefs, and religious fatalism as they were related to building COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Using Google Trends based on popular keywords the public searched over one year, Study 1 explores public digital media use during COVID-19. Drawing on this exploration, Study 2 used a cross-sectional national representative survey of 2120 adult Pakistanis to describe the influence of potential hazards such as infodemics on public vaccine hesitancy. Study 2 revealed that infodemics, conspiracy beliefs, and religious fatalism predict vaccine hesitancy. In addition, gender moderates the relationship between infodemics and conspiracy beliefs and vaccine hesitancy. This implies that there is a dispositional effect of the infodemics and conspiracy beliefs spread digitally. This study’s findings benefit health and other concerned authorities to help them reduce religious fatalism, vaccine hesitancy, and conspiracy theories with targeted communication campaigns on digital media.

Assessing How Risk Communication Surveillance Prompts COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Among Internet Users by Applying the Situational Theory of Problem Solving: Cross-Sectional Study

“…COVID-19 vaccinations were initially administered internationally. However, many nations that promptly immunized a large proportion of their populations found that protective antibodies started to wane over time or were ineffective against COVID-19 variants [ 4 ]. To date, these variants have lingered, often infecting people on a large scale, which has resulted in mounting pressure on health care systems.…”

Effect of religious fatalism and concern about new variants on the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines

“…Religious fatalism had a negative influence on vaccination against new variants, similar studies indicated that rejection in religious groups is due to the fact that vaccines tend to be an act of interfering with divine providence (12,39). That is, to the extent that conflicting religious beliefs about the origin and consequences of COVID-19 prevail, the less likely vaccine acceptance will be.…”

Understanding the “Infodemic” Threat: A Case Study of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has often been labeled as a "digital pandemic" due to the widespread dissemination of information facilitated by modern technology. 4,5) These digital tools have facilitated the creation, consumption, and dissemination of false information, thereby making it more challenging for people to differentiate between accurate and false content online. 4,5) Social media platforms have played a pivotal role in disseminating a plethora of information since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…4,5) These digital tools have facilitated the creation, consumption, and dissemination of false information, thereby making it more challenging for people to differentiate between accurate and false content online. 4,5) Social media platforms have played a pivotal role in disseminating a plethora of information since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the number of COVID-19 cases increased, searches for COVID-19-related information on social media also witnessed an exponential rise.…”