Written by on January 21, 2021

Think before you tweet & beware before you share

Health . Media . Society
Several social media platforms displaying COVID-19 related news and information

I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, but in retrospect, I never imagined that something like this pandemic could take place, not even in my wildest dreams. Since this coronavirus nightmare began, we bumped into a reality we had never faced before. Waking up to this new reality is tough and mentally exhausting, especially when you are continuously bombarded with mostly pessimistic information about it wherever you look: the news, radio, TV, social and printed media… Nonetheless, even from the worst of experiences (such as this pandemic that totally caught us off guard) we can learn something. The problem is to learn or believe something which isn’t even real. Fake news, disinformation, misinformation, lies, rumors… You name it. The covid-19 pandemic has generated an unprecedented tsunami of misinformation, a true “infodemic”.

CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND FAKE NEWS

“5G signals are to blame for the expansion of the virus. Covid-19 was created in a Chinese laboratory as a chemical weapon. Covid-19 doesn’t even exist. Billionaires want us to vaccinate to implant us with microchips. Masks aren’t useful at all. Coronavirus is a microscopic alien invasion. Infrared thermometers will either blind you or kill your brain cells, or even worse, steal our ideas!”

I’d love to say I’m exaggerating, but all of those are examples of conspiracy theories, hoaxes and fake news circulating in the media and that, unfortunately, many people believe or share without previously checking if they’re genuine. I myself have been tricked by covid-19 conspiracy theories on the internet… The thing is that this great amount of misinformation that abounds lately fills us with scandalous data that needs to be checked beforehand.

It goes without saying that the use of social networks has grown voluptuously since the beginning of the lockdown, primarily as an escape route from the situation, as well as a form of entertainment and, obviously, information. Reading the news on the internet has increased by 40%, while consulting the latest events in the press has decreased by 32%: However, this increased use of messaging channels brought about the spread of lies on the wave on a massive scale.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE SPREAD OF FAKE NEWS

According to the EAE Business School’s research about fake news in covid’s time, 44% of the Spanish population found fake news in social networks about covid last April alone. Cristina Gallego, author of the study and professor in said institution, explained after the investigation that social networks and messaging apps are the most dangerous channels in terms of spreading hoaxes about the coronavirus. “Not only journalists have a challenge, but also academics to prepare the new generations to face the information and to know how to differentiate what is opinion information, using several sources and not limiting themselves to read only one medium, or the media more related to their ideology”, concludes Gallego.

Beatriz Peña, responsible for ACCU’s Communication Department (a well-known Spanish association of Chron disease patients), points out how official sources are our best allies in fighting disinformation: “they provide truthful and quality information in circumstances where evidence should prevail rather than unchecked opinions”. 

Even Twitter itself has made a statement on this subject while also advocating for caution, asking users to contrast and verify information first and reading the article fully before sharing or publishing it. The platform is trying to encourage and spark “informed discussion”, not rumors and lies.

DO YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS WAVE OF MISINFORMATION?

Surprisingly, it is not just experts in high-profile communications positions or at the head of far-reaching companies who believe that the pandemic has also led to a surge in publications with wrong, fraudulent or false content. Many young people think so too, and they even admit to having once believed or shared one of these coronavirus-hoaxes without having first checked its veracity or even read it in full. 

An astonishing 96% of the young individuals I asked claimed to have found some fake new about covid since the beginning of the pandemic, a fact that surprised me a lot. More than half of them admitted they were embarrassed to have wondered about the veracity of some of the craziest conspiracy theories. “I guess a lot of the articles and posts that we share on social media about covid, especially the positive and hopeful ones, we want to believe because we are so fed up with the situation that it is a way of clinging to change”, affirms Marta (19), who also admits to having shared one of these erroneous publications without consulting other sources previously. On the other hand, Sergio (20) declares that he’s never believed any of those conspiracy theories about the coronavirus, although he has found a lot on his Twitter timeline. Last but not least, 25% regret having shared a post on social media with their family and friends before checking if the information was actually true.

HOW TO MAKE A CHANGE

But if everyone else keeps spreading fake news and rumors massively, how can we make a difference and fight this infodemic? It is very simple:

  • Review the entire article without focusing only on the headline
  • Check, compare and contrast the source with others
  • Look for similar articles in official sources
  • Be skeptical of the wildest claims
  • Never share a publication whose veracity hasn’t been analyzed previously 

Truth is the most powerful weapon there is against disinformation, fear and lies. We can all do our bit to contribute to a more informed and well-educated community, it’s a matter of reading before tweeting and bewaring before sharing!

RECOMMENDED FURTHER READING

  • “The COVID-19 social media infodemic” (Scientific Reports) by Matteo Cinelli, Walter Quattrociocchi, Alessandro Galeazzi, Carlo Michele Valensise, Emanuele Brugnoli, Aana Lucia Schmid, Paola Zola, Fabiana Zollo & Antonio Scala: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73510-5

Rumor, no other evil can move more quickly

Virgil (The Aeneid, chapter IV)