The effect of institutional trust on the relationship between social media as an information resource and policy non-compliance: Dutch survey evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic
Dekker, Rianne
The effect of institutional trust on the relationship between social media as an information resource and policy non-compliance: Dutch survey evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic - 2025.
55
The abundance of information on social media, partly conflicting with government information, might negatively affect citizens’ compliance with policies. Based on Dutch representative survey data from the COVID-19 pandemic, we find that citizens who ranked social media as a more important information resource were generally less compliant with COVID-19 measures and less willing to get vaccinated. A higher ranking of social media is more strongly associated with non-compliance among citizens with lower levels of institutional trust. Based on these findings, we suggest that efforts to encourage compliance should focus not only on countering misinformation, but also on enhancing institutional trust.
The effect of institutional trust on the relationship between social media as an information resource and policy non-compliance: Dutch survey evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic - 2025.
55
The abundance of information on social media, partly conflicting with government information, might negatively affect citizens’ compliance with policies. Based on Dutch representative survey data from the COVID-19 pandemic, we find that citizens who ranked social media as a more important information resource were generally less compliant with COVID-19 measures and less willing to get vaccinated. A higher ranking of social media is more strongly associated with non-compliance among citizens with lower levels of institutional trust. Based on these findings, we suggest that efforts to encourage compliance should focus not only on countering misinformation, but also on enhancing institutional trust.
Réseaux sociaux