What have researchers learned about the impact of Misinformation about covid 19 on social media

Objective Summary: What have Researchers Learned About the Impact of Misinformation about COVID 19 on Social Media

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The covid-19 pandemic inflicted fear, panic, and challenges on the global healthcare systems. Tasnim et al. (2020) worked closely with other scientists to determine the impact of misinformation on social media about the pandemic. Further, the study by Tasnim et al. (2020) further proved that the fear of the disease engineered multiple misconceptions, rumours and hoaxes about the condition. Only 57% of the information shared by healthcare organizations was accurate about the courses and containment measures for the disease (Tasnim et al., 2020). The upsurge in information about the disease made 89% of social media users post updates to warn and inform their followers on the walls. The researchers sent online questionnaires to social media users in 97 countries, and all the respondents claimed that over 90% of their contact shared information about the pandemic. However, 89% of the respondents stated that the information shared on social media was inaccurate, putting them at a higher risk (Tasnim et al., 2020). The researchers collectively analyzed the impact of the misinformation about covid-19 pandemic that was shared on social media platforms.

The research inferred that misinformation on covid-19 pandemic had a negative outcome on the containment measures. 50% of the participants were misinformed that once people were vaccinated, there was no need for social distancing (Tasnim et al., 2020). As a result, the elimination of physical distancing for protection was jeopardized. Further, the research found that 33% never went for vaccination because they needed to be more informed about how the vaccines affected people’s DNA. The fear of DNA interference made many people avoid the vaccines. Consequently, the effort to vaccinate the people was affected in the discourse. Further, the research established that e-health literacy lowered on the internet as people who ran for the media platforms for health knowledge. Tasnim et al. (2020) conducted research using online questionnaires and realized that 40% of social media users consumed inaccurate information and therefore made wrong decisions, negatively impacting healthcare outcomes.

The researchers inferred that misinformation in social media platforms hindered the delivery of healthcare services. Misformation made people make wrong decisions, such as refusing vaccines and changing their behavioural measures. The misinformation, therefore, posed a danger in maintaining the covid-10 containment measures and put numerous people's lives at risk. The researchers concluded that people must be warned of getting healthcare information from incredible sources. People must therefore be made to pay attention to health information that does not originate from a credible source. Thus social media users must only consume healthcare information from credible sources.

References

Tasnim, S., Hossain, M. M., & Mazumder, H. (2020). Impact of rumours and misinformation on COVID-19 in social media. Journal of preventive medicine and public health,  53(3), 171-174. https://doi.org/10.3961%2Fjpmph.20.094