Dynamics of changes in the psychosocial characteristics of online media consumers under the influence of official information and rumors about COVID-19

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to study changes in the psychosocial characteristics of network users who spread online rumors on during the pandemic COVID–19. Special attention is paid to the psychological reaction of consumers to reports of pandemic in the context of infodemiс. The subject is the peculiarities of the dissemination and perception of official information and rumors about the pandemic in network media. The object is information about the pandemic on two Chinese network platforms that posts with label "rumors". The research methods were Internet monitoring and statistical analysis. The entire early stage of pandemic is included in the research period (from January to March 2020). The author's special contribution is the analysis of the impact of social networks on the psychological state of consumers and the formation of public consciousness in the context of an infodemiс generated by mass and contradictory information COVID-19. The main conclusions are the need to take into account changes in the mental states of the audience and communicative behavior in information activities, depending on the stage of attitude to the event, pragmatic motives and social interaction. Different requirements should be imposed on the information disseminated at different stages, taking into account the psychological state of the audience, also the existence of various languages of consciousness used by an individual in cognitive and emotional manifestations. Government departments can appropriately publish, clarify and disclose reliable and useful information in a timely manner to prevent the spread of rumors. The scientific novelty consists in analyzing the cognitive and emotional reactions of the mass audience to the flow of information about COVID-10 in all periods, deepening media experts' understanding of the relationship between the behavior of users and the spread of disinformation, determining approaches to developing strategies to combat rumors on the Internet.