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3 Ways Social Media is Affecting Politics During the Age of Coronavirus

Posted on by Zora Harley

With the pandemic leaving many individuals stuck at home and seeking out instruction, posts on social media and the reach of these posts have increased. From the most recent information about the known cases to possible “miracle cures,” information about this novel virus is quickly spreading. This speedy spread of information can result in harmful misinformation gaining traction and ultimately clouding viewers’ awareness with a false understanding of this new health risk. Information from politicians and citizens alike is affecting the public’s knowledge and understanding of coronavirus and what measures we should be taking to prevent the spread. These varying perspectives affect the public’s expectations of government agencies. Additionally, many comments on social media sites such as Twitter and Youtube claim that the President’s response to the pandemic will determine the results of the 2020 election. Social media platforms help foster the conversations about Covid, but not without downfalls.

 

The Spread of Misinformation from Government Officials

Due to the general unfamiliarity with Covid-19, it is expected that we will receive inaccurate information as society learns how the virus affects those infected as well as how to respond to its spread. The government is “doing its best to efficiently share factual and up-to-date information” (Lima et. al, 2020) Whether it’s information on whether or not to wear a mask or how to further protect oneself during this time– such as drinking bleach or using medications intended to help with other illnesses, government officials have contributed to the spread of these falsehoods. This contribution can result in citizens not trusting these officials in the future.

 

Misinformation from Non-Governmental Sources

With the public searching for information to cope with and learn about this virus, many have been turning to unconventional sources of information. Many of these sources have distributed false information about the origin, spread, and cure of the virus. Some sources attribute the virus to 5G signals, others state that the virus is a cam orchestrated by the government to embed chips into citizens. (NPR, 2020) These sources claiming to have the most reliable information on the virus mislead readers and viewers. The audience will often believe this information they are told and lose trust in their government– convinced that the government is hiding these details from them. This lack of trust in the government can make policy change harder. These online sources also provide “cures” for the virus. Some of which are relatively harmless: drinking garlic water. Others, such as using cocaine, are not as harmless. This information can lead to people causing bodily harm to themselves and encouraging others to do the same. 

 

Unappeasable and Unreasonable Expectations

As a result of the misinformation that social media users have received and continue to receive, they are expecting results that cannot be granted. For example, some individuals are expecting the virus to just “go away”  Other people expect the CDC and Anthony Fauci to know exactly how to handle this virus despite its unfamiliarity. The spread of information on social media and much of what we learn online about Covid-19 from informal sources contains false information and leads citizens to believe in miracle cures and government conspiracies.

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Zora Harley

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35 Comments

  1. This is such an important topic to discuss during COVID-19 especially with students. Many younger people get a lot of their political information off of social media and its so important to stress that even though something might be put out on the internet, not everything is factual and true. When discussing COVID you raise a good point that because the virus is ever changing, so is the information and people need to be aware of this. Social media in the time of a presidential election and a global pandemic raises a lot of questions of how far can these social media websites go with censorship or when is censorship infringing on peoples rights?

  2. 1. Unfortunately, almost all forms of fake news and conspiracy theories have been considered free speech and have been protected by the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution. This allows anybody from the crazy neighborhood guy to malintentioned individuals to write and spout off their conspiracy theories and fake news on any social media platform. This has allowed non-state actors and even hostile countries to enter this dynamic and sway public discussion and opinion towards one side or the other. We saw this when Russia and its interests intervened in the 2016 presidential election. Fortunately, people are starting to catch up to this issue, and social media platforms and governments are making strides against misinformation and disinformation. For example, Twitter recently has flagged or blocked certain tweets which promote fake news. Also, Mark Zuckerberg and social media giant Facebook are the target of a Congress investigation which in part targets the spread of fake news on the Facebook platform. Hopefully this problem will be resolved sooner than later.

  3. This blog post really made me think about how active users are influenced by the content they receive and share through their social media platforms. Misinformation on Covid-19 treatments posted on the internet can risk the public’s life by following “home remedies” that can harm or threaten their health. I agree with the author in stating that the public is losing trust in the government because of the fact that false information is leading citizens to believe in miracle cures and government conspiracies. People expect to see positive results; however, that cannot be granted. As an active user of social media trying to prevent misinformation and disinformation, I think that it is really important to verify who is providing that information, and where it came from. We should be careful with what we share on these platforms since a majority of people from all ages and backgrounds rely on social media platforms to inform themselves on actual global events.

  4. This post made me relate to what I personally have noticed from society. I totally agree that social media has been a gateway for people to state information (whether it be true or not) pertaining to Covid-19. These statements cause crowds of people to think something is true even if it is not, basically rumors. these statements lead to people feeling confused, nervous and uncertain. Clearly the virus is still not completely understood by scientists, however, they would be the first ones to find out anything new relating to the virus. So, if you had to trust a source- i’d say to trust SCIENCE! In my opinion, the virus is becoming something political in to certain people, and unfortunately it is 100% real!
    I do understand that people are unsure about whether or not they should trust the government because of different theories such as, drinking hydroxychloroquine or not wearing a mask to protect yourself and others. however, again leave it to science! ear a mask if the source says to wear a mask!
    it is totally understood that people are unsure about what trust or not based off of what they are reading on social media, but science is real!

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  7. Absolutely true. Now, once the crisis is almost over and stories are popping out gradually and we see that how the Social Media was misused during this time-frame. There were numerous fabricated stories that spread just for the sake of gaining Social Media Following. There were pros, antis, miracle curers and what not. During that period, I had been active on Pinterest and found out that I could not download videos which I liked. So, I had to resort to a separate downloader that I bookmarker with me. And, it is handy to me till now, https://pintvideodownloader.com/ helps you get any video downloaded.

  8. Additionally, many comments on social media sites such as Twitter and Youtube and Pinterest claim that the President’s response to the pandemic will determine the results of the 2020 election. Social media platforms help foster the conversations about Covid, but not without downfalls.

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