Swamped: Misinformation and information overload

Abstract

This chapter examines the relationship between COVID-19 misinformation and information overload and avoidance in the late stage of global COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. Results from new telephone survey data in Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei show that information overload and the tendency to avoid information about COVID-19 were significantly related to respondents’ demographics. Male and older respondents were more overloaded than were female and younger respondents. Further, male respondents had a higher level of avoidance than female respondents. But those who were more educated were less overloaded; they were less likely to avoid information. In addition, exposure to both information and misinformation about the pandemic was also significantly related to the mental state of overload, which was strongly related to information avoidance. Information overload was the strongest predictor—when overwhelmed, respondents quit. Across the four cities, respondents in Singapore under the living with COVID policy were the most overloaded; respondents in Hong Kong had the strongest tendency to avoid information.