Medical News Today In the age of viral content and fast and furious social media communication, disinformation and misinformation, including about health matters, are spreading more widely than ever. Why is this the case exactly, and how can we learn to spot inaccurate and even malicious health information? Why do we fall so easily for false health info, and how can we update our mistaken beliefs? These are some of the questions this episode aims to answer. Nowadays, thanks to the widespread availability of internet access, almost any piece of information we may want is just one click away. While this is generally a positive development, it can also mean that we become exposed to untrustworthy, unchecked information on any topic, including health.
According to a report issued by the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) in 2024, communication experts are currently most concerned “about the threats to the information environment posed by the owners of social media platforms.”
Such platforms regularly circulate a varied array of videos, articles, and posts on topics including health. However, in the absence of strict rules and regulations around the information shared on social media, there is a clear danger that at least some of what we see being shared online amounts to misinformation or even disinformation.