The Effects of Social Media News on Human Psychology: A Narrative Literature Review

Abstract

This paper analysed the effect of social media news on human psychology during pandemic outbreaks by applying narrative literature review procedures. Social media is an online platform whereby people interact and share vital information, including human health issues. Health organisations, workers, and individuals use social media platforms on Websites 2.0 such as WhatsApp, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and many others to communicate and share health information with the public. Web 2.0 intensified user-generated content over the Internet, while 3.0 revolutionised information sharing in making the world information-oriented. Social media platforms such as Web 2.0 and 3.0 continually nourish the human mind and thoughts with positive and negative news during pandemic outbreaks. The absorbed nourishments affect human psychology positively or negatively. To achieve the aim of this paper, a narrative literature review (NLR) was deployed in evaluating some academic literature documents in seeking to understand the effects of social media news on human psychosocial well-being. This paper revealed an insightful positive effect of social media news on human psychology during pandemic outbreaks, in stimulating the human mind and creating a positive action and feeling. At the same time, the negative effects of social media news create fears, anxiety, tension, panic, and many others in the users‘ minds during the health crisis period.