Social Media Use for Covid-19 Related Information: Generation X, Y and Z Differences

Abstract

Social media platforms seem to be popular for consumers and businesses as they provide new opportunities for interactivity, connectivity and information seeking. During Covid-19 there was an increase in the use of social media all over the world. The current study presents the results of a research that was conducted in 2021 during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. It aims to explore and analyze social media usage during Covid-19 pandemic among the generation X, Y and Z cohorts in Greece regarding information about Covid-19. For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed and 312 responses were collected through online channels. By carrying out ANOVA analysis and Post Hoc tests, significant differences among generations X, Y, Z were noticed for the following questions: (a) quality of social media coverage with respect to Covid-19 (b) feeling of happiness and calmness while browsing social media during Covid-19 and (c) reliability of information obtained from social media pages with respect to the pandemic. On the other hand, referring to the feeling of anxiety or fear while browsing social media during Covid-19, no significant difference was observed. Implications are discussed for social media use from companies in related periods with crisis issues.