Exploring the Impact of Personal and Social Media-Based Factors on Judgments of Perceived Skepticism of COVID-19

Skepticism of COVID-19 has consequences for public health. We examined several variables that we reasoned were related to skepticism, including demographic factors, people’s perceptions and experiences related to COVID-19, and social media usage. The sample consisted of 294 participants recruited in April of 2020. Participants filled out a survey that included questions related to demographics, social media use, COVID-19 anxiety, COVID-19 interference, and COVID-19 skepticism. In the main, biological sex, ethnicity, and social media use were not significantly associated with skepticism regarding COVID-19. Alternatively, older participants and those who experienced greater anxiety related to the pandemic were less skeptical of COVID-19. Interestingly, people who experienced more interference in their lives because of COVID-19 were more skeptical of the pandemic. Finally, social media use moderated the influence of anxiety and interference on skepticism. The negative effect of anxiety on skepticism became weaker as people’s use of social media increased. The positive effect of interference related to COVID-19 on skepticism became stronger as people used more social media. Our findings underscore the importance of personal beliefs, attitudes, and experiences when explaining skepticism of the pandemic.