The Impact of Social Media Exposure on Health Risk Perceptions Survey on Jakarta Air Pollution Issues

Abstract

The high level of air pollution in Jakarta has become a hot topic of conversation on various social media platforms, including instagram. However, there are still many people in Jakarta who carry out activities outdoors without wearing masks, as if they do not feel the danger of air pollution to their health. This research aims to find out whether the level of exposure to social media instagram influences the level of perception of health risks in Jakarta, especially regarding the problem of air pollution in Jakarta. With a quantitative approach and survey on 109 respondents, this research uses the concept of The Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) which states that the media is the main channel in communicating risk to society. The results of hypothesis testing using regression tests show that exposure to information on instagram related to Jakarta air pollution influences perceptions of health risks. Thus, social media can be effectively used as a means to socialize issues surrounding health and the environment which will then shape people’s perceptions of the risk of those health and environmental problems.