ASSESSING SEMINARIANS’ APPROACH TO WHATSAPP INFODEMICS AND INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Abstract

This work investigated seminarians’ approaches to WhatsApp infodemics and information overload, a growing challenge in digital ecclesial contexts. Anchored on information overload theory, cognitive load theory, and stress and coping theory, the research examined how seminarians perceive, process, and respond to incessant WhatsApp communications. Employing a cross-sectional quantitative descriptive survey design, the study targeted all 47 Catholic diocesan seminarians of Uromi Diocese across three Nigerian seminaries: All Saints, Ekpoma, SS. Peter and Paul, Bodija, and St. Albert the Great, Abeokuta, using 15-item four-point Likert scale questionnaire administered via Google Forms. With 43 valid responses (91.49% response rate), instrument validity was ensured through expert review, while reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficience of 0.89. Findings show that seminarians experience significant and pervasive information overload, often resorting to avoidance and prioritization as coping mechanisms, yet struggling with consistency in organizational habits. While media literacy is embraced for validation purposes, its practical application remains weak. The study concluded that unchecked information overload constitutes a pandemic of the mind, threatening seminarians’ vocational formation and future ministry. Consequently, it recommended stricter group communication guidelines, structured digital literacy workshops, and mandatory curriculum integration of applied media literacy skills. By equipping seminarians with these competencies, formation houses can transform the challenge of infodemics into an opportunity for disciplined digital engagement and priestly readiness.