More people turning to social media for COVID-19 information, survey shows

About 75% of all Americans say they use social media to get information on COVID-19, even though that same percentage also says they don’t trust what they read there.

The virus, and subsequent changes to everyday life, are impacting not just how we communicate with each other but how we go about living our lives.

A new survey from the University of South Florida shows significant percentages of people are shopping online.

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It also shows a majority of Americans plan to continue shopping online even after the pandemic.

But this comes at a cost.

“The trends are disappointing and problematic,” said Dr. Ronald Sanders, who conducted the survey for USF.

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He notes that not only are people reporting significant problems online with their personal and financial security since the pandemic.

But there’s a social toll, too.

“They too are being exacerbated by life online, reliance on social media, the social isolation that people are having,” Sanders said.

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The same survey also found that more than one in five Americans have unfriended someone on Facebook since the pandemic.

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Cox Media Group