Misinformation as a Determinant of Response to COVID 19

Abstract

Abstract Most of the micro and macro effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy have been investigated in the past two years. Few studies have examined COVID disinformation in non-Western countries. India produced the most social media disinformation, probably due to its high internet penetration, increased social media consumption, and low internet literacy (Al-Zaman, 2022a). To quantify the influence of disinformation on pandemic response, this study used mixed methods. The variables were examined through in-depth interviews. As they use digital media more than others, participants under 40 provided quantifiable data (The Future of India Foundation. (2022). Politics of disinformation: Why the current approaches are geared to fail and possible path forward. Retrieved from https://futureofindia.in/reports). It is mainly collected from metro cities of India. Moderation analysis using PLS-SEM examined whether self-perceived media literacy moderates the link between fake social media news and COVID-19 anxiety. The study findings have been linked to the theoretical foundation, the availability heuristic. This study holds significance as its implications will be beneficial in tackling the challenges associated with misinformation and its influence on response to pandemics that might be experienced in the future.