The Impact of New Media Usage on Risk Perception of International Students in North America from the Mainland China during Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

In the post-pandemic era, China and countries in North America have adopted completely different COVID-19 policies, so the content and attitudes of the pandemic information on the media platforms are also different, which means that the media environments of the two places are quite different. For international students, whether their risk perception is affected and their behavior changes in different media environments is an interesting topic worth exploring. In this study, media usage, risk perception and behavior of international students in North America from mainland China during the pandemic were investigated in the form of questionnaires. The study found that these students perceived less risk after going abroad and showed stronger intention to reduce preventive behavior and increase recreational activities such as eating out with more people. Therefore, this study can indicate that changes in media environment together with media usage can affect people's risk perception and have a significant impact on people's behavior.