With the wake of the CoronaVirus pandemic there are lots of groups and conversations concerning it. Along with this also comes it to play the way social media has been reacting to the situation. Social Media in today's Day and Age tends to be very controversial with many opinions and facts floating about there are bound to be spreads of misinformation and many falsehoods. Even though it may not sound that bad it can be very dangerous for waves of false claims going out at once which then spreads chaos across multiple countries. In a post by BBC News they say that “Some 649 posts were reported to Facebook and Twitter, including false cures, anti-vaccination propaganda and conspiracy theories around 5G.”. Theories around the cause of the Corona and if it is real or not have been plaguing the internet with false information. One of these claims is that newly planted 5g towers in towns and cities are the ones causing Corona Virus among people. In an article by the Washington Post they say”... conspiracy theories, such as the false claim that 5G mobile networks spread and worsen the coronavirus, which has led to dozens of instances of arsonists setting fire to cell towers across Europe.”.
Another example of false spread of Information are the multiple fake virus cures spreading on the internet, most of them comprise of swallowing dangerous substances that can be deadly to people.On a post about Coronavirus by The NY times they say that “An internist in New York treated a vomiting patient in May who drank a bleach mixture as part of a fake virus cure found on YouTube” they also continue to talk about more of these cases as well as another man who,”...refused to go to a hospital after reading misleading warnings about poor coronavirus treatment on social media.”. The thing is that the spread is causing mass hysteria and lives that wouldn’t have been taken if the proper nformation was out there are now being taken due to it, Although, there are people trying to help and stop this spread including doctors themselves. In the same post from the Ny times they say that, ”Doctors on the front lines of the global pandemic say they are fighting not just the coronavirus, but also increasingly combating a never-ending scourge of misinformation about the disease that is hurting patients.” and they continue to say that “researchers said that at least 800 people worldwide died in the first three months of the year, and thousands more were hospitalized, from unfounded claims online that ingesting highly concentrated alcohol would kill the virus.”.
The misinformation being spread across the world everyday leads to new victims being caught up in a lie everyday and being potentially dangerous to people reading them and the people around them. With people who are on social Media being more likely to receive untrustful information. People are being asked to double check information before acknowledging it as fact. The Oc Register have sent out someways that the public can use to help stop the spread if misinformation it includes, - Pause and be doubtful. - Investigate it by looking for information issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) or Snopes. Try finding more information by doing an online search. - If the information is false, let others know. If you cannot determine if it’s false or not, it’s probably best not to share. They also advice that, “The best defense to halting the spread of coronavirus is good hygiene and preventative habits, and social distancing according to the CDC. Wash your hands several times daily, avoid touching your mouth, nose and face and limit contact with sick individuals.” With the recent reopening of schools in other states and online Learning in our school it is best for all those to keep up to date about information about the virus in their area,and to social distance and take all necessary precautions. As well as to stop the spread of fake information by double checking sources and making sure to get reputable information.
References
https://www.ocregister.com/2020/04/22/how-to-spot-coronavirus-misinformation-and-where-to-go-for-the-truth/ https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52903680 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/technology/coronavirus-disinformation-doctors.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/01/5g-conspiracy-theory-coronavirus-misinformation/