Misinformation-21: The Hidden Pandemic

September 7, 2021

This post was written by Sonya Harvey-Justiniano. Sonya is a blog editor with the Alhambra-US Chamber.

Misinformation has a large presence in our daily consumption of media. One example of misinformation that is highly relevant to us that we all may have encountered is misinformation about COVID-19. While countries around the world struggle to keep COVID under control, they also struggle with another crisis, an infodemic. According to the World Health Organization, an infodemic is caused by too much false or misleading information in our digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak. This causes confusion, mistrust in health officials, and risk-taking behaviors that can harm us. An infodemic can ultimately intensify and lengthen an outbreak. This infodemic has produced inaccuracies about vaccines, masks, and treatments, just to name a few. It has also produced conspiracy theories claiming that the pandemic was intentionally planned and that 5G towers are contributing to the spread of COVID. While there is no evidence of such claims, they are still widely believed, and continue to cause harm to the world.

Misinformation is false, inaccurate, or misleading information that is communicated with or without intent to deceive. This is to not be confused with disinformation, which is a subset of misinformation that is deliberately deceptive. Misinformation can unintentionally come from a source that we trust, such as family, friends, or even your favorite social media influencer. It may also align with what we already understand or believe to be true, which makes us more susceptible to accept it as truth. Studies have found that people are less critical of ideas that already align with their beliefs. Even after misinformation is corrected, false beliefs can still persist.

The persistence of incorrect beliefs is not just a theoretical problem--misinformation and disinformation may have differences of intent, but they both ultimately spread fear and suspicion. They can also affect people’s motivations, beliefs, and decision-making regarding politics, health, and environment, so much so that some people have even died due to misinformation related to COVID-19. 

Information is distributed by various means, and because of this, it is often hard for us to ask questions regarding the credibility of what we are seeing. Many online sources of misinformation use techniques, like designing their page to look like a valid news source and using quotes from fake experts, to trick users into believing that their sites are legitimate and that the information is factual. Sources of misinformation can also be politically motivated, and often distract the public from criticism or scandal associated with a given person or policy issue. They may also use emotional language to appeal to our emotional vulnerability regarding a complicated topic. 

Advances in digital media make it easier to spread information. In the United States alone, 18 percent of adults receive their news from social media and this number continues to grow. Unlike with other sources of credible news media, regulation and examination of the information is not required before it is posted online. This makes social media an ideal tool for spreading misinformation quickly and easily. 

Being misinformed could be viewed as worse than being uninformed. While the uninformed person is encouraged to search for the right information they need, the misinformed person will make decisions based on inaccurate information with the belief that they received valid information. Perhaps worse than misinformation are the passive sharers of misinformation, because they allow inaccurate information to be spread to others, who may also be passive sharers, thus continuing the cycle. This is why it is important for us, as individuals, to be critical and analyze the information we receive before deciding to share, otherwise we risk unintentionally sharing bad information with others.  

Fortunately, we are making strides to combat misinformation, and we must continue to do our part to prevent its spread. We need to be more aware of misinformation and learn how to identify it. Websites have been created, such as factcheck.org, PolitiFact, and the Associated Press Fact Checker, to discern fact from fiction, although not everyone trusts these organizations to do a good job fact-checking. Even though sometimes, people dig deeper into their incorrect beliefs when confronted with conflicting evidence, fact checking is still a valuable tool against falsehood.

Social media platforms should also be mindful that they have a role to play in mitigating the spread of misinformation, since they are a primary source where many people receive their news and are a convenient hotspot for misinformation. We should always check the accuracy of information being shown to us by reviewing multiple sources for the same information before sharing. If the information is consistent across multiple credible sources, then it is more likely that information is reliable. Misinformation is a dangerous reality that is detrimental to our well-being, causing harm ranging from mild inconveniences to death. It is a problem which we must take seriously for the good of society.

Here at Alhambra-US Chamber, we care about the accuracy and credibility of information being shared with our clients and partners. If this blog interested you, be sure to check out the other blogs on our website and connect with us on our other media platforms:

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