Misinformation about COVID-19 has spread rapidly due to Social Media.
Almost 49% of the world's population uses social media. Social media is not only a way for people to stay in touch with others, but is also a way to spread information, whether if it is false or true. With the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, false information about statistics, remedies, and theories quickly spread, making it almost impossible to distinguish what is fact.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres describes the spread of made up information a "pandemic of misinformation". Because this pandemic was so sudden, people are eager for information. To add to this, officials and authorities have been struggling to agree on many topics causing people to either easily believe what others say or always be skeptical. With so many people on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, information from people without medical backgrounds are spread quickly despite being false. No one tends to do their own research or check if the source was credible: they just believe it. Social media apps have been trying to use artificial intelligence to patrol platforms of misinformation. However because of the large number of false information, it's almost impossible to delete them all.
"Social media brings many great things but it also provides a platforms to sow the seeds of doubt, and that's what has happened." -Dr. John Wright, Bradford Institute of Health Research in England
In July, a YouTube video by a channel called "America's Frontline Doctors" was viewed millions of times. The video claimed that intaking hydroxychloroquine was a way to prevent the virus and wearing masks was not effective. Although doctors continuously encourage people to wear masks, many posts on social media say otherwise, and many end up not listening to what doctors have to say.
Knowing this false information and believing in it is dangerous because false cures and remedies may lead to death. Earlier this year, someone in New York drank bleach after reading that it was a way to prevent COVID-19. In June, a man refused to go to the hospital after reading online that going to a hospital is not beneficial and staying home would be better. This is only two of the many deaths that have been caused by false information on the internet and social media. Doctors always had to debunk false information, but it has gotten worse. In mid-August, reasearch revealed that 800 people died worldwide and thousands hospitalized because they had taken in high levels of alcohol after reading that it would prevent them from getting the virus. People have open-minds towards information on social media, but are not willing to listen to officials. However this is also caused by the lack of trust between authorities and other people. Socail media isn't the only reason for this spread of false information, but also the fact the people fear trusting authorities who may be doing things for their own benefit.
pauline kang