Data-Driven Regression Modeling for Measuring the Influence of Infodemic over Social Media

The infodemic, which encompasses rumors, fake news, disinformation, and misinformation, has resulted in significant collateral damage alongside epidemics. However, the main factors and impact of the infodemic on epidemics remain unresolved. This study systematically reviews the concept and influence mechanism of the infodemic on social media based on previous literature and external influencing factors. Empirical data is collected through questionnaires from 1125 individuals. By employing ordered logistic regression modeling, this paper analyzes the factors influencing respondents' awareness of the infodemic from four perspectives: the extent of social media usage, media preference, rational information processing, and personal factors such as education level and age. The findings suggest that individuals who are more influenced by social media exhibit higher preference for its usage and employ more rational information processing. Additionally, it is observed that those with lower levels of education and older age tend to have relatively higher levels of information cognition.