The Role of Social Media in Creating Awareness During and in The Aftermath of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Field Study of A Sample of Future University Students in Yemen

Ebtesam Abdullah AL-Maswari; Nur Kareelawati Abd Karim

doi:10.33102/jcicom.vol1no2.17

Authors

Ebtesam Abdullah AL-Maswari UNIVERSITI SAINS ISLAM MALAYSIA
Nur Kareelawati UNIVERSITI SAINS ISLAM MALAYSIA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33102/jcicom.vol1no2.17

Keywords:

Media Dependency Theory, Digital Wellbeing, Youth And Social Media, Media Effects

Abstract

In light of the increasing role of social media and the spread of the COVID-19 worldwide, including Yemen, and the importance of awareness role in preventing the spread of the virus, the problem of the study focused on identifying the role of social media in raising awareness of COVID-19 risks and its repercussions from the point of view of Yemeni students Future University. The study falls within the descriptive and analytical studies and relied on the method of a social survey by sample. The study was conducted on 16% of Future University students (520) students. The questionnaire was used during March and April 2021. The two theories of effective networks and cultural cultivation were relied upon to explain the study issue, and the study reached several conclusions, including; 1) the using hours of social media varied from less than two hours to six hours or more, and less than two hours came in first place with a ratio of 31.0%, 2) the importance of social media role in raising awareness of COVID-19 risks, reached 58.6% of those who answered yes and 31.0% of those who answered (somehow), 3) the positives of social media in raising awareness of COVID-19 risks have varied, and the average answers to this field choices range between 2.3678 and 2.0460, and it reflects a high degree from the point of view of the study sample, and 4) the confidence ratio in the information provided by social media was little trust 42.5%, and medium trust 27.6%.

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