Communication Factors Model to Increase the Efficiency for Social Media Literacy Toward Preventing the Coronavirus Disease 2019 for Undergraduate’s Students in Phitsanulok

Abstract

The purposes of this research were to study 1) to develop a causal model of the factors social media literacy toward preventing the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic for undergraduate’s students. 2) to analyze the factors that directly effect indirect effect and total effect that focused on testing of the social media literacy toward preventing the Coronavirus disease 2019 for undergraduate’s students. And 3) to study the pattern of communication that help increase the efficiency of online social media literacy for preventing the Coronavirus disease 2019 among undergraduate’s students. This study employed Mixed methods research. Quantitative data was collected by questionnaire with 500 undergraduate’s students in Phitsanulok and data analyzed by using Path analysis. Qualitative data was collected by in-depth interview form 10 sample group that divided into lecturers and parents. The results were as follows : 1) Social media literacy toward preventing the Coronavirus disease 2019 for students model which develop was consistent with empirical data goodness of fit statistics with indices as follow : Chi-square = 0.25, df = 1, P-value = 0.615 and RMSEA = 0.000 2) The factors that have positive direct effect to affected the social media literacy toward preventing the Coronavirus disease 2019 for students were Demographic characteristics, Level of knowledge and skills in using social media, Online media exposure behavior and Social Media Literacy that mean students who had various factors in high levels to be affected in high level of social media literacy toward preventing the Coronavirus disease 2019 too. And 3) Communication to increase the Efficiency for social media literacy toward preventing the Coronavirus disease 2019 model as the following 2.1) Family that is closely to students. 2.2) University that instills learning for students 2.3) Government/private sector to help rigorously regulate social media contents production. And 2.4) Students must be self-aware to use social media for preventing the infection and spread of the Coronavirus disease.