The Effect of Social Media on Spreading Fear and Panic during COVID-19 Pandemic in Sri Lanka

D. A. Akuratiya
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D. A. Akuratiya: Department of Accountancy, ATI-Dehiwala, SLIATE, Sri Lanka

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2021, vol. 5, issue 5, 190-196

Abstract: People around the world have been directly and indirectly affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its spread has heavily impacted global health and mental health. The rapid spread, uncertainty, and high death rates due to the corona pandemic created huge fear and panic all over the world. With physical isolation, people heavily rely on social media to seek information regarding this pandemic. This paper presents how social mediaaffected on spreading of fear and panic during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka. An online questionnaire (Google Form) was prepared and conducted with a sample of 102 participants from the Western province in Sri Lanka. Correspondently, data were analyzed using SPSS software. The study reveals that social media has a significant impact on spreading fear and panic related to the COVID-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka, with a potential negative influence on people’s mental health and physical well-being. Facebook is the most used social media network for spreading fear and panic about the COVID-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka. In conclusion, can say that social media has played a crucial role in creating and spreading fear and panic about the COVID-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka.

Date: 2021
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