You can help stop spreading coronavirus right now, by being a bit more careful what you share.
A recent study conducted by University of East Anglia shows that misinformation contributes to diseases spreading faster (so when people believe eating garlic helps - alas, it doesn’t - they don’t take other necessary precautions). Reducing misleading tips just by 10% already helps fewer people get sick.
So, if every time you are about to share something on social media/whatsapp, you take a few seconds to double check it using credible sources (for example WHO myth busters), you are literally saving lives. Please, stay healthy and mindful of your impact!
PS if anyone wants to collaborate on creating an engaging pdf/video/pictures explaining people how to identify and handle misinformation, please say hi
It helps to gently notify and inform the people who are spreading misinformation. Most people do this with best intentions. I have already contacted numerous people who sent me hoaxes via Whatsapp. Even people with (medical) expertise might fall for such hoaxes, especially if they are a devious mix of true facts and fiction. So I usually try to find a URL of articles that confirm the message as a hoax.
At this point I’ll have to cut in. On this forum we are not going to discuss what works and does not work against the corona virus! For that you can go to World Health Organization and other places on the web.
The topic of this thread is misinformation and the role that technology plays in spreading it.
Overstating the level of certainty and/or applicability of academic findings is also a form of misinformation. In this case, the study does not show anything about the real world because the study based on simulations. Therefore, to be accurate, you might use a word such as suggests and explicitly note that the study is a simulation and not a study or real world human behavior.