Misinformation During The Coronavirus
False information is very easily spread especially on topics with no widespread accepted facts. One such topic is COVID-19 and this spread of misinformation about COVID-19 can be explained by information cascade.
In the article “When False Information Goes Viral, COVID-19 Patient Groups Fight Back”, the author starts with the fact that in the age of the internet, whenever people struggle with illnesses, they seek help from online support groups to receive quick and easy remedies. However, all the uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus make it a target for the spread of false information. Because there is no certain cure, “a lot of bad information is spread because patients so badly want to find ways to feel better.” People “want to find hope” so, they gobble up any new information thrown at them. Beyond the notion that people are desperate to find relief, to understand why misinformation regarding COVID-19 spreads so easily, we can apply the concept of information cascade. In an information cascade once a few people make a decision on a product, the rest of the group follow suit thinking that the people previously making the decision must have made right decision. Here the product is misinformation regarding COVID-19 and people are deciding whether to follow them and spread them around. Because it is easy to misinterpret likes and the number of views as a mark of approval, people are easily lulled into thinking that posts with a high number of likes must have worked for other people.
However, in order fight back amongst this rampant spread of misinformation, many activists have stepped up and joined social media groups that post and repost the misinformation. These activists flag the posts containing nonfactual information and inform the viewers of the correct information. Fadi Quran, campaign director of Avaaz, a human rights group says in order to stop this information cascade, social media sites need to revise the way they prioritize content. For example, “Facebook’s algorithm prefers misinformation, prefers the sensational stuff that’s going to get clicks and likes,” “so the misinformation actors, because of Facebook, will always have the upper hand.” As long social media sites don’t take an active stance against the spread of harmful information, the misinformation will continue to spread through information cascade and impact the lives of the innocent.
External Resource: When false information goes viral covid-19 patient groups fight back