As part of this course, I am examining the dangers of health misinformation. With the rise of social media platforms, information is everywhere. Wang (2024) estimates that children in kindergarten see as many as 70 media messages per day and our teens spend at least a third of their day on social media. So how do we decipher what health information is based on evidence?
Take for example vaccines. Some common myths discussed by Wang (2024) include:
vaccines cause autism
the ingredients in vaccines are dangerous
vaccines are medically unnecessary
Myths like these can lead to less people getting vaccinated and present a danger in healthcare (Wang, 2024).
Wang (2024) offers several strategies to help decipher if the information is credible:
Check the source and determine the credibility
Examine the the author's credentials
Cross-reference to determine scientific consensus
Talk with a healthcare professional
Prioritize information grounded in scientific study
When in doubt, don't share
I hope this post is helpful,
Kimberly
Reference
Wang, M., (2024, Feb 12). POV: Health misinformation Is rampant on social media. BU Today, Boston University. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2024/health-misinformation-rampant-on-social-media/
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