Right or wrong, when it comes to Covid, many of us turn to social media for information

Three-quarters of Americans say they’ve relied on social media “at least a little bit” to stay informed about the Covid-19 pandemic. However, only a third feel confident in the accuracy of the information they receive through these channels. 

That was one of the key findings from a national opinion survey conducted by researchers at the University of South Florida’s School of Public Affairs and its Florida Center for Cybersecurity. The survey, released earlier this week, included responses from more than 1,000 voting-age Americans from across the country. The first set of survey data came out two weeks ago and examined the way people view the Covid vaccine, with the majority of respondents saying they are likely to get vaccinated despite concerns about efficacy and safety.

This portion of the survey sought to measure how Americans have used social media to connect with information about the pandemic, along with their attitudes regarding the accuracy of the material they encounter online and politicization of the pandemic.

Politics have affected many people’s ability to objectively learn about the virus. Just over 65 percent agreed that the pandemic has been too politicized on social media, with 76 percent saying that politics has made it harder to separate fact from fiction. Along those lines, Republicans were slightly more likely to view the pandemic as politicized than Democrats or Independents and they were also a bit more likely to believe politics have made it more difficult to learn the truth about the virus. However, the majority of respondents – regardless of party – tended to agree with both of these sentiments.

Not surprisingly, these factors have led to considerable tension for most respondents. Nearly a third said that Covid has led to friction with friends and family, and more than one in five Facebook users reported having unfriended or unfollowed someone because of something they posted about the virus.

And while almost 75 percent of social media users admitted to being wary of Covid misinformation – and more than half said they personally had encountered falsehoods about the pandemic online – few have turned to medical experts for guidance. Only 36 percent of respondents reported speaking to a doctor or health care professional about the accuracy of something they saw online. 

A third round of results examining changes in personal and professional online behaviors related to the pandemic are set to be released within the next few days.

Looking for ways to cope with pandemic-related tension? Check out the Catalyst article five ways to reduce stress by focusing on the positive.