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Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Usage during COVID-19: Motivating Factors and Implications

This study was designed to investigate the roles information and communications technology (ICT) played during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we focused on the relationships between ICT use and perceived importance of social connectedness and future anxiety, while considering relevant...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Lee, Yi-Ching, Malcein, Lindsey A., Kim, Sojung Claire
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8036312/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33808218
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073571
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author Lee, Yi-Ching
Malcein, Lindsey A.
Kim, Sojung Claire
author_facet Lee, Yi-Ching
Malcein, Lindsey A.
Kim, Sojung Claire
author_sort Lee, Yi-Ching
collection PubMed
description This study was designed to investigate the roles information and communications technology (ICT) played during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we focused on the relationships between ICT use and perceived importance of social connectedness and future anxiety, while considering relevant personality and psychosocial factors. A U.S. sample of 394 adults answered questions about ICT use, pandemic-related reactions and actions, demographics, and psychosocial factors via an online survey. Using logistic regression, findings indicated that personality (extraversion and conscientiousness) and psychosocial (need to belong and perceived attachment to phone) factors, types of ICT as news source, and gender were associated with perceived importance of social connectedness. Neuroticism, time spent on ICT for social purposes, and perceived threat of COVID-19 were associated with future anxiety. In addition, using Mann–Whitney U test, people who rated higher on importance of social connectedness had higher ICT use, both in terms of types and time spent on ICT. Overall, results are consistent with the idea that technology is a coping tool during the pandemic and balanced use can lead to feelings of social connectedness and less future anxiety. Therefore, it is important for authorities to align their messaging and outreach with people’s psychosocial, personality, and health considerations through ICT channels while empowering ICT users to be responsible for their interactions with the technology.
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spelling pubmed-80363122021-04-12 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Usage during COVID-19: Motivating Factors and Implications Lee, Yi-Ching Malcein, Lindsey A. Kim, Sojung Claire Int J Environ Res Public Health Article This study was designed to investigate the roles information and communications technology (ICT) played during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we focused on the relationships between ICT use and perceived importance of social connectedness and future anxiety, while considering relevant personality and psychosocial factors. A U.S. sample of 394 adults answered questions about ICT use, pandemic-related reactions and actions, demographics, and psychosocial factors via an online survey. Using logistic regression, findings indicated that personality (extraversion and conscientiousness) and psychosocial (need to belong and perceived attachment to phone) factors, types of ICT as news source, and gender were associated with perceived importance of social connectedness. Neuroticism, time spent on ICT for social purposes, and perceived threat of COVID-19 were associated with future anxiety. In addition, using Mann–Whitney U test, people who rated higher on importance of social connectedness had higher ICT use, both in terms of types and time spent on ICT. Overall, results are consistent with the idea that technology is a coping tool during the pandemic and balanced use can lead to feelings of social connectedness and less future anxiety. Therefore, it is important for authorities to align their messaging and outreach with people’s psychosocial, personality, and health considerations through ICT channels while empowering ICT users to be responsible for their interactions with the technology. MDPI 2021-03-30 /pmc/articles/PMC8036312/ /pubmed/33808218 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073571 Text en © 2021 by the authors. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
spellingShingle Article
Lee, Yi-Ching
Malcein, Lindsey A.
Kim, Sojung Claire
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Usage during COVID-19: Motivating Factors and Implications
title Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Usage during COVID-19: Motivating Factors and Implications
title_full Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Usage during COVID-19: Motivating Factors and Implications
title_fullStr Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Usage during COVID-19: Motivating Factors and Implications
title_full_unstemmed Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Usage during COVID-19: Motivating Factors and Implications
title_short Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Usage during COVID-19: Motivating Factors and Implications
title_sort information and communications technology (ict) usage during covid-19: motivating factors and implications
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8036312/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33808218
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073571
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