University Students Behavior in Searching and Disseminating COVID-19 Online Information

Abstract

Various accesses to information of COVID-19 can be reached through the internet. The internet, which can be used by anyone, anytime, and anywhere, pervades the boundary of people's dimensions of life, time, and space. Social media is the platform used by internet users to search for information about COVID-19. From the perspective of technological determinism, technology determines and shapes human life. This research attempts to analyze the use of social media for searching for information regarding COVID-19 and aims to comprehend the use of social media for searching for information regarding COVID-19 among Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta's students. The research is essential to map out student's behavior in searching for information regarding COVID-19. The research found that students were digital natives that used social media for searching for information about COVID-19. The students were digitally literate in using social media to search for information regarding COVID-19 by verifying information before disseminating it on their social media account.