Publication Date: 2021/06/30
Abstract: The ongoing Anglophone crisis and measures to manage the spread of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has severely tested the Cameroon’s preparedness in crisis containment systems especially in the Bamenda in the North-West region. The aims of the research were to understand and contextualize the behavior of Bamenda people towards Information and Communication Technology (ICT) communication tools and social media interventions for the containment of the spread COVID-19 pandemic as they continue to confront the impacts of the Anglophone crisis misinformation and disinformation; to date literature on this topic is limited. The study approach examines the people’s ideas, mindsets, views, behavior, attitudes, perspectives, evaluation, acceptance, and utilization of ICTs and social media towards COVID-19 containment measures in the context of the Anglophone Crisis. A conceptual grounded theory [ICT Communication Tools and Social Media Acceptance in Crisis Context (GT-IACC)] is generated able to explain what happened, predict what will happen, and interpret what is happening in our area of formal inquiry. The conceptual grounded theory supports understanding of facilitators and challenges to use of the ICTs and social media by Bamenda people. This research provides a number of implications for the government, practitioners, policymakers and researchers for the effective utilization of the existing ICT interventions and for the future potential research and technological development to the containment of the pandemic spread of COVID-19 and future pandemics.
Keywords: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Anglophone, Crisis, ICT Intervention, Social Media, digital intervention, Grounded Theory Research
DOI: No DOI Available
PDF: https://ijirst.demo4.arinfotech.co/assets/upload/files/IJISRT21JUN693.pdf
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