Emerging media, emotions, and misperceptions in health crisis

From public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic to natural disasters and political unrest, fear-mongering misinformation fuels the accelerated spread of misinformation through diverse online media channels. This chapter presents a comprehensive examination of the psychological impact that advancements in media technology have had on the dissemination and potency of misinformation, especially in times of crisis. It delves into the interactive and immersive capabilities of media technology that amplify the influence of misinformation, specifically, the affordances of media technology within the realm of social media, artificial intelligence, and immersive media. Immersive media technologies such as mixed reality have been developed to enhance the level of immersion, interactivity, and vividness in mediated experiences. As misinformation is strategically designed to influence audiences' emotional states, the chapter addresses the emotional ramifications of misinformation across a variety of communication technologies.