Information seeking behavior at the time of COVID-19

Italy was the first European country to be affected by COVID-19, facing an unprecedented situation. The reaction required drastic solutions and highly restrictive measures, which severely tested the trust of the Italian people. In this context, the role of information sources was fundamental, since they strongly influence public opinion. The central focus of this research is to assess how the information seeking behavior (ISB) of the Italian citizens affected their perception of government response strategies during the pandemic. Starting from the result of a survey addressed to 4260 Italian citizens, we used social simulation to estimate the evolution of public opinion. Particular attention has been given to different social categories, identified by age and gender. Comparing the ISB during and before COVID-19, we discovered that the shift in the ISB, during the pandemic, may have actually positively influenced public opinion, facilitating the acceptance of the costly restrictions introduced.