Willingness to click: Risk information seeking during imminent threats

Short messaging systems have the potential to deliver targeted messages to individuals needing critical safety information. However, their limited content may provide insufficient life-saving information. One solution is to include a hyperlink that allows message recipients access to a web page. Research has not examined whether at-risk individuals are willing to use this strategy in time critical situations. Using constructs from the risk information seeking and processing model, this study investigates how individuals perceive and make decisions to click on hyperlinks during crisis events. Findings suggest that the nature and timing of the crisis, risk judgement, and risk perceptions strongly influence decisions to click in crises. Suggestions are offered on ways to facilitate information seeking on short messaging systems during crises.