Rejection of crisis information: Public apathy and the macro‐crisis of Y2K

For more than a year, the Y2K “bug” was presented by the media as an international problem that could generate crises including the lack of an adequate water supply, food shortages, and computer breakdowns. The public as a whole was, however, relatively apathetic. Two months prior to the crises the researchers undertook a survey of a southern state to determine people's knowledge, information sources, and potential responses. The lack of responsiveness was attributed to the nature of Y2K, the uncertainty of the outcome, and the complexity of the topic. The study was supportive of Taylor's (1983) cognitive adaptation theory in that individuals perceived no personal risk in the crises.