Szeto Stephanie, Au Algae Kit Yee, Cheng Sophie Kai Lam
Felizberta Lo Padilla Tong School of Social Sciences, Saint Francis University, Hong Kong, China.
Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2024 Aug 28;14(9):759. doi: 10.3390/bs14090759.
The social distancing measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have transformed people from social to isolated individuals. During that time, social media became a useful tool for satisfying people's need for social interaction. Previous systematic reviews, however, have focused largely on the negative impact of social media use and ignored the positive side. Hence, this systematic review examined the role of social media use in providing support-be it social, emotional or informational-during the pandemic. Four databases were systematically searched, and the selection procedure followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Protocol registration: PROSPERO (CRD42022367903). A total of 20 papers were deemed eligible for data extraction. The findings showed that active engagement on social media contributed significantly to maintaining social capital and collective resilience amidst social restrictions. The emotional support obtained from social media was proven effective in alleviating feelings of loneliness and isolation. Also, social media facilitated the rapid dissemination of information and the grassroots mobilization of support by overcoming bureaucratic hurdles and addressing urgent community needs. This review concluded by highlighting the transformative potential of social media in crisis contexts and suggesting implications for mental health interventions and community resilience strategies.
为应对新冠疫情而采取的社交距离措施，已将人们从社交型个体转变为孤立个体。在此期间，社交媒体成为满足人们社交互动需求的有用工具。然而，以往的系统评价在很大程度上聚焦于社交媒体使用的负面影响，而忽略了其积极的一面。因此，本系统评价探讨了在疫情期间社交媒体使用在提供社交、情感或信息支持方面所发挥的作用。我们系统检索了四个数据库，筛选过程遵循系统评价与Meta分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）指南。方案注册：国际前瞻性系统评价注册库（PROSPERO，注册号：CRD42022367903）。共有20篇论文被认为符合数据提取的条件。研究结果表明，在社交限制的情况下，积极参与社交媒体对维持社会资本和集体复原力有显著贡献。从社交媒体获得的情感支持被证明能有效缓解孤独感和孤立感。此外，社交媒体通过克服官僚障碍和满足社区紧急需求，促进了信息的快速传播和基层支持的动员。本综述最后强调了社交媒体在危机情况下的变革潜力，并提出了对心理健康干预措施和社区复原力策略的启示。
