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This study draws upon the stimulus-organism-response (S–O-R) framework in examining the influence of stimulus factors (i.e., passive exposure to and active information seeking for COVID-19 vaccine information on social media) on users' internal psychological mechanisms (i.e., perceived information overload and psychological reactance) and vaccination behavior. We collected two-wave online panel data (W 1 N = 411, W 2 N = 264) in Hong Kong and tested our hypothesized model using structural equation modeling. The results showed that passive information exposure and active information seeking on social media were positively associated with both vaccination initiation (i.e., receiving the first dose) and full vaccination (i.e., completing the recommended 3-dose schedule at W2). We identified different mediation pathways from passive information exposure and active information seeking to vaccine skepticism through perceived information overload and psychological reactance. Specifically, a double-edged sword effect was found for active information seeking. Active information seeking was associated with lower vaccine skepticism both directly and indirectly through lower psychological reactance. On the other hand, active information seeking was associated with higher perceived information overload, which in turn was associated with higher psychological reactance and subsequently higher vaccine skepticism. Passive information exposure indirectly affected psychological state and vaccine skepticism through higher active information seeking. These findings contribute to the literature on the impact of social media use on vaccination behavior in the context of public health emergencies and offer practical implications for governments and social media platforms in risk communication and vaccination promotion. • Passive information exposure and active information seeking on social media were positively associated with COVID-19 vaccination behaviors. • Active information seeking was associated with lower psychological reactance but higher perceived information overload. • Active information seeking had a dual effect on vaccine skepticism mediated via perceived information overload and psychological reactance. • The effect of passive information exposure on psychological states and vaccine skepticism was fully mediated by active information seeking. • Lower vaccine skepticism led to the initiation and completion of COVID-19 vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the proliferation of COVID-19 misinformation through Plandemic—a pseudo-documentary of COVID-19 conspiracy theories—on social media and examines how factors such as (a) themes of misinformation, (b) types of misinformation, (c) sources of misinformation, (d) emotions of misinformation, and (e) fact-checking labels amplify or attenuate online misinformation during the early days of the pandemic. Using CrowdTangle, a Facebook API, we collected a total of 5732 publicly available Facebook pages posts containing Plandemic -related keywords from January 1 to December 19, 2020. A random sample of 600 posts was subsequently coded, and the data were analyzed using negative binomial regression to examine factors associated with amplification and attenuation. Overall, the extended an extended Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) provided a theoretical lens to understand why certain misinformation was amplified, while others were attenuated. As for posts with misinformation, results showed that themes related to private firms, treatment and prevention of virus transmission, diagnosis and health impacts, virus origins, and social impact were more likely to be amplified. While the different types of misinformation (manipulated, fabricated, or satire) and emotions were not associated with amplification, the type of fact-check labels did influence the virality of misinformation. Specifically, posts that were flagged as false by Facebook were more likely to be amplified, while the virality of posts flagged as containing partially false information was attenuated. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed. • "Manipulated"/"fabricated" content were the most prevalent forms of misinformation. • Emotions were not associated COVID-19 amplification. • Posts flagged containing partially false information were not amplified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research draws upon the extended social cognitive model to examine how external factors such as adolescents' relationship with their parents, and personal antecedents including depression, loneliness, self-reactive outcome expectation, self-identity, deficient self-regulation, and habit strength, relate to Singaporean adolescents' time spent on social network sites (SNSs). We used multi-stage cluster sampling to recruit a nationally representative sample of adolescents between 13 and 17 years old ( n = 4920) to complete a self-administered survey. Our extended model achieved good psychometric properties and we found support for most of the proposed hypotheses. Most notably, we found a nuanced difference in how paternal and maternal relationships were associated with adolescents' SNSs use through dependence on SNSs for identity formation—only positive relationship with father has a negative association with adolescents' dependence on SNSs for identity formation. Dependence on SNSs for identity formation has the strongest association with deficient self-regulation and SNSs habit strength, which are antecedents of adolescents' time spent on SNSs. Findings suggest that it is important to account for both external and personal antecedent factors of SNSs consumption. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine how factors in the TPB, along with personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion), need to belong, self-identity, and self-esteem relate to excessive social network sites (SNSs) use and SNSs addiction among Singaporean adolescents and adults. We conducted two nationally representative surveys of Singaporean adolescents (n = 4920) and adults (n = 1000). Results indicated that adolescents showed greater addiction to SNSs as compared to adults, and that there are key differences between how the antecedents relate to the two dependent variables. TPB variables were found to be associated with SNSs addiction only among adolescents. Neuroticism was a consistent antecedent of both excessive use and addiction in the two samples, while extraversion was related to the outcome variables only among adults. Self-identity has the strongest association with excessive use and addiction for both samples; self-esteem was negatively associated with the two dependent variables among adults. Implications for theory and practice were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite widespread concerns that misinformation is rampant on social media, little systematic and empirical research has been conducted on whether and how news consumption via social media affects people's accurate knowledge about COVID-19. Against this background, this study examines the causal effects of social media use on COVID-19 knowledge (i.e., both in the form of factual knowledge and misinformation detection) as well as the underlying mechanisms through which such effects occur. Based on original panel survey data across six weeks (W 1 N = 1,363, W 2 N = 752) in the U.S., we found that consuming news from social media fostered the perception that one need not actively seek news anymore because it would reach them anyway through their social connections (i.e., "news-finds-me" perception). This, in turn, can make one both uninformed and misinformed about COVID-19 issues. Furthermore, this mediated relationship is stronger among those who experience higher levels of information overload while on social media. • Consuming news from social media fostered the "news-finds-me" perception (NFMP). • NFMP made people both uninformed and misinformed about COVID-19 issues. • Information overload amplified the NFMP's negative effect on learning about COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]