Psychosocial effects of social media on the Saudi society during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been posing a substantial challenge to human survival and well-being, which rely on the actions and behaviors of individuals. It is essential that accurate information is distributed; however, misinformation has been spread via social media. Consequently, the resulting panic has to be addressed while putting essential public health measures in place. It is also important to explore the link between the social media exposure and well-being. Therefore, in the current study, we aimed to identify the levels of anxiety, depression, and social isolation among individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we explored the relationship between exposure to misleading social media news and anxiety, depression, and social isolation. A cross sectional design was employed to collect data from 371 Saudi participants (aged 16–60 years), using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Results showed that the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and social isolation was 47.82%, 47.57%, and 46.42%, respectively. Further, more than 83% of the participants reported using social media frequently during the pandemic. We found that exposure to misinformation via social media has a significant positive relationship with anxiety, depression, and social isolation. However, Due to the cross-sectional nature of this study it cannot be determined whether social media causes negative mental health outcomes, or if individuals experiencing greater depression, anxiety and social isolation turn to social media more than others, or if some third variable might explain both. Based on our findings, we present specific suggestions related to the COVID-19 pandemic to the government of Saudi Arabia. Minoring and filtering out misleading information with the cooperation of the World Health Organization (WHO) can promote the spread of accurate news in Saudi Arabia.

COVID-19 news valence effects on emotion and its modulation by a relaxation: A randomized online experiment during COVID-19 pandemic

“…For example, increased exposure to social media about the coronavirus was positively associated with the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and a combination of both, as verified in an online survey in China ( Gao et al, 2020 ). Similar relations between psychological distress and information consumption or social media use were found in other countries as well ( Bazán et al, 2020 ; Hammad and Alqarni, 2021 ; Mongkhon et al, 2021 ; Piltch-Loeb et al, 2021 ). The changes in the emotional state of health care professionals due to the valence of news about the coronavirus were evaluated just after they listened to audios with positive or negative content.…”

COVID-19 news consumption and distress in young people: A systematic review

“…There was one study within the reviewed literature that assessed the impact of information uncertainty on acute stress disorder ( Lin et al., 2020a ), finding a significant association. Research has indicated that exposure to misinformation via social media also has an association with anxiety, depression, and social isolation in the general population ( Hammad and Alqarni, 2021 ). With misinformation most likely to be shared across social media platforms and instant messaging services, resulting in greater misinformation exposure for younger age groups ( Lee et al., 2020 ), it is important for the role of information uncertainty and its impact on youth mental health to be explored further.…”

The Role of Social Media Use in Peer Bullying Victimization and Onset of Anxiety Among Indonesian Elementary School Children

“…However, the Internet is a double-edged sword: Research has noted the negative impacts of digital technology on children, including poor self-esteem, mental health problems, and social difficulties (Wood et al, 2016 ). The use of social media, such as Instagram and YouTube, is also one of the leading causes of self-harm (McDool et al, 2016 ), cyberbullying, poor body image, and decreased academic performance (Wallsten, 2013 ; Akram and Kumar, 2017 ). Excessive use of social media generates anxiety (Sagioglou and Greitemeyer, 2014 ), addiction (Van Rooij and Prause, 2014 ), and can affect sleep behavior (Hisler et al, 2020 ).…”