How to Fight the Spread of COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media
- Misinformation has always existed on the internet, but with COVID-19, the risks can be greater.
- Experts are encouraging people to confront misinformation with credible links and sources.
- Dispelling misinformation means also knowing where to look for correct information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a good place to start.
During the COVID-19 outbreak, the internet has been a reliable — and for some of us the only — way to connect with others and stay informed.
However, it’s also the way most misinformation about the pandemic has been, and continues to be, spread.
The use of the internet, and particularly social media, to spread misinformation is nothing new and often people aren’t aware they’re sharing inaccurate information when they do so.
But regardless of intentions, misinformation about COVID-19 can have deadly consequences.
So, when you encounter misinformation being spread by someone in your social media feed, what’s the best way to deal with it?
Healthline spoke with experts who helped shed some light on the reasons why people share misinformation online and how you can approach countering it if you decide it’s something you feel moved to do.
Of course, providing factually correct information means first knowing where to look for that information yourself.
“The best way to vet the information is to search for the uploader or writer to see what their motivation might be to post or write the article,” Poston said. “Many of the misinformation campaigns are getting pretty well identified and described online which makes it much easier.”
In other words, before you share anything yourself, it’s a good idea to look up the person responsible for initially sharing that information and see if anyone has already debunked what they’re saying.
The next step is knowing where to look for the most up to date, accurate information so that you can provide factually correct resources.
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When you respond to misinformation that’s being shared, it’s important you have credible links to back up what you’re saying.
Also, approaching the situation gently can help avoid the potential for bruised feelings.
Instead of simply pointing out that the person isn’t sharing accurate information, a better approach could look something like this: “I understand the desire to believe what’s being said here, but this person has already been debunked pretty heavily and called out for manipulating the facts and data. Here’s a link detailing everything that’s wrong with this video. I hope you’ll read it.”
Of course, you can’t force your friend or family member to do so, but hopefully by approaching them gently and with understanding, you’ll at least be able to convince them to consider what you’re sharing.
And even if you can’t help them directly, you might be able to save one of their friends or family members from making the mistake of buying into it and sharing the same misinformation they have.