“It’s true! I saw it on WhatsApp”: Social Media, Covid-19, and Political-Ideological Orientation in Brazil

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil was widely affected by politics and the population’s consumption of information is fundamental to understanding the situation. This study aimed at understanding the relationship between political-ideological markers, consumption of information, and preventive practices during the pandemic. We conducted an online survey with 1,328 Brazilians who answered a questionnaire about authoritarianism, conservatism, political orientation, trust in social media, and preventive practices during the pandemic The results indicate that right-wing and centrist individuals, with higher authoritarianism or higher conservatism scores, put significantly more trust in the information about Covid-19 conveyed through WhatsApp and less trust in the information conveyed through traditional media, in comparison with left-wing individuals or individuals with low scores for these factors. Additionally, these elements were closely associated with worse practices concerning the use of masks, practices of social distancing, and the intention of being vaccinated. The findings warn of the impacts of fake news in health practices during the pandemic.

Psychological Adjustment Profiles of LGBTQ+ Young Adults Residing with Their Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Study

“…For example, 94% of people surveyed in Sweden said that homosexuality should be accepted, compared to 67% of respondents in Brazil. Regarding pandemic severity, at the time of data collection, infection rates were still growing in South America amidst an insecure political context [ 60 ]. In contrast, COVID-19 infection rates were starting to decrease across Europe [ 36 ].…”

“…While in Europe, most measures were in place from March to May, in some regions of the South American countries, they were still active at the end of the data collection period. Furthermore, in Brazil, there was active government resistance to adopting actions related to COVID-19, with broad presidential support for misinformation [ 60 ].…”

Bem-estar subjetivo de residentes da região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro durante a COVID-19 [Subjective well-being of residents of the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region during COVID-19] [Bienestar subjetivo de residentes de la región metropolitana de Río de Janeiro durante el COVID-19]

“…A crença em teorias da conspiração e notícias falsas se correlaciona com a elevada inconsistência na adesão às práticas preventivas da contaminação por COVID-19. Além disso, a resistência à adoção de comportamentos protetivos da saúde está relacionada com traços políticos atinentes ao autoritarismo e ao conservadorismo, ocasionando atitudes de baixa confiança nas informações veiculadas pela mídia tradicional 15,16 .…”

“…O contexto brasileiro de enfrentamento da COVID-19 careceu de articulação entre as esferas governamentais, gerando conflito entre as recomendações emitidas no âmbito federal e as medidas de controle preconizadas pela ciência e adotadas pela maioria dos governos estaduais e municipais, assim como incluiu posturas de negacionismo científico na política nacional, com desdobramentos importantes sobre diversos segmentos da sociedade 16,17 . Apesar desse cenário adverso, a maioria dos participantes detém confiança nas informações advindas de cientistas e universidades, significando que as estratégias para difusão e popularização da ciência devem ser instituídas para combater as notícias falsas e seus efeitos deletérios na saúde pública.…”

Изменчивость Ковид-Скептических Установок В России: Результаты Анализа Двух Волн Лонгитюдного Опроса «Ценности В Кризисе»

“…Использование социальных сетей в качестве основного источника информации положительно связано с поддержкой конспирологических идей и отрицательно -с соблюдением антиковидных мер [Allington et al, 2021]. Есть множественные свидетельства, что именно социальные сети сыграли ключевую роль в популяризации теорий заговора, связанных с пандемией,за счет того, что они позволяют быстро распространять информацию (включая непроверенную) и способствуют формированию информационных «пузырей», в которых люди общаются преимущественно с единомышленниками и не сталкиваются с альтернативными точками зрения [Goreis, Kothgassner, 2020;Joseph et al, 2022;Liu, 2021;Ramos et al, 2022].…”