Purpose

Social distancing is an important strategy to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is imperative to understand the behavioral impact of social distancing on individuals. This research studied social distancing from a cognitive appraisal of voluntary social distancing compliance (CAVSD) point of view and a non-medical perspective, specifically the psychological impact (PI) of social distancing on the usage intensity of social networking sites (SNS) during the COVID-19 outbreak in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted on 477 SNS users as a full sample and groups based on age, sex and work status. The model was empirically investigated using structural equation modeling.

Findings

CAVSD was negatively associated with PI although it was not a significant predictor, while CAVSD and PI were significant predictors of SNS usage intensity; moreover, SNS usage intensity differed between groups of people.

Practical implications

These findings are significant for organizations, corporations and educational institutions in both the public and private sectors. There is a need to identify subsections of individuals in need of social support and relief from isolation and loneliness. Individuals are relying on social media to handle social distancing and the pandemic, and this shows up in an increase in social networking activity.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the existing literature by positing social networking as a basic virtual need for socialization, and social media platform assists in that. Cognitive appraisal is an important determinant of individual response.

中文翻译：

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社交距离，认知失调和社交网站使用强度之间的联系：COVID-19爆发期间的国家级研究

目的

社交隔离是控制COVID-19大流行扩散的重要策略，因此必须了解社交隔离对个人的行为影响。这项研究从对自愿性社会距离合规性（CAVSD）的认知评估和非医学角度研究了社会距离，特别是在社交活动期间，社会距离对社交网站（SNS）使用强度的心理影响（PI）。印度爆发COVID-19。

设计/方法/方法

这项研究针对477名SNS用户进行了全面抽样，并根据年龄，性别和工作状况进行了分组。使用结构方程模型对模型进行了经验研究。

发现

CAVSD与PI呈负相关，尽管它不是一个重要的预测指标，而CAVSD和PI是SNS使用强度的重要预测指标。此外，不同人群之间SNS的使用强度也有所不同。

实际影响

这些发现对于公共部门和私营部门中的组织，公司和教育机构都具有重要意义。有必要确定需要社会支持和摆脱孤立和孤独感的个人的各个部分。个人依靠社交媒体来处理社交距离和大流行，这表明社交网络活动的增加。

创意/价值

这项研究通过将社交网络视为社交的基本虚拟需求，为现有文献做出了贡献，社交媒体平台对此进行了辅助。认知评估是个人反应的重要决定因素。