Impacto del aislamiento social por COVID-19 en los hábitos de consumo de los medios de comunicación en Perú

The research aimed to determine the impact of social isolation by COVID-19 on the media consumption habits among the Peruvian population. It was a simple descriptive study that included a sample of 3618 people between the ages of 18 and 69, residing in Peru. A Likert questionnaire of 36 items measuring 6 dimensions was applied online; the content validity of the instrument was evaluated by 20 experts, and the construct validity and reliability were evaluated in a pilot sample of 200 subjects. The results showed a positive impact of social isolation on media consumption habits (54,4 %), which was higher in the frequency of online media consumption (62.2 %), the usefulness of the media (59.1 %), the need for information about COVID-19 (47.7 %), the interactivity through the media (43.7 %), and the media preference (41.9%); whereas the null impact was predominant in the frequency of offline media consumption (46 %) and in the attitude towards the treatment of information about COVID-19 (48.4 %). It was concluded that the impact of social isolation by COVID-19 on media consumption habits among the studied population was positive, with greater incidence in online media.