PSYCHOMETRIC STUDY OF MEDIA INDUCED MORAL PANIC AMONG YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

Media-created moral panic describes the emotional and behavioral reactions to a perceived crisis or threat that is exaggerated and often sensationalized by the media. This is particularly pertinent to the study of young adults aged between 18 and 25, who are deeply engaged with digital platforms. Using a psychometric approach, the study creates and tests a formative model to measure the media-induced panic phenomena of fear perception, believing to social decay, and associated withdrawal tendencies. The final instrument, which achieved a formative model of panic with three dimensions, was tested with 398 respondents through a survey, supported by qualitative interviews. The instrument showed high reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89 and strong construct validity. Results indicate that media operated through social and streaming platforms, especially, is positively correlated with increased panic scores. Trust in media, ability to think critically about the media, and, more importantly, active media engagement and reflection, moderated these effects, indicating that media-induced emotional reactions are far more complicated than the content presented. The implications of the study affect media literacy, public policy design, and public communication targeting youth. In times when digitally framed narratives are used to construct a perception of public risk, the study provides understanding. It means resolving media-created moral panics and promoting smarter, emotionally healthier media use among young adults.