UNCOVERING THE SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND CONCERNS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

Abstract

The coronavirus (COVID-19) began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in which the pandemic has spread worldwide. Before the outbreak, Malaysia'’s government implemented precautionary measures by enforcing the Movement Control Orders (MCO). Social media sites that focus on a photo-based usage are currently a vital part of young people's lives. COVID-19 has enormously affected people's mental health, such as anxiety, fear, hopelessness, and sleep deprivation. Social media became a reliable way of seeking resources, especially for university students during the pandemic. This concept paper builds upon various insights from many researchers on social media within the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher first presents background on social media and COVID-19 pandemic. Next, based on prior literature, she provides the logical reasons for using social media during this unprecedented time. Additionally, the researcher discusses the conceptual framework explaining why individuals consume social media during these challenging times, including the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), given the recent growth of studies on this research question. Finally, the researcher offers discussion and recommendations for future research in this range.