Communication use in the times of the coronavirus. A cross-cultural study

Abstract

The results of an online cross-cultural survey conducted from mid-March to mid-April 2020 in various countries (N = 789) are presented. The theoretical basis of this work is uses and gratifications theory. This work provides a novel contribution regarding communication use in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. The results indicate that the consumption of information about the coronavirus is structured along four latent dimensions: (a) specialized health information on the Internet, official websites, and obtained through health personnel; (b) through “visual” social media; (c) through “written” social media and face-to-face contacts; and (d) through the mass media. Significant differences are found in all the dimensions of consumption depending on age and country of residence. Furthermore, it is observed that high consumption of information about the coronavirus increases perceived knowledge on the subject, which in return leads to the adoption of preventive measures. The present work provides a first snapshot of communication use in the face of the coronavirus pandemic crisis and provides a portrait of the behavior of communication users in the month imme-diately after the declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide. It can be concluded that communication has played a fundamental role in transmitting preventive information in the face of the coronavirus crisis.