A new study revealed that people who turn to Facebook as their main source of news are less likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19. So, it is very important to know how to spot misinformation on social media.
Facebook is a digital platform for sharing photos, stories, and opinions. It is also a great way to stay connected with near and dear ones. But many people get most of their news via Facebook.
A survey conducted in the USA found that a number of vaccine-hesitant people get their COVID-19 information primarily from social media like Facebook.
A co-author of the survey results Katherine Ognyanova said, “This could be because they encounter more bad information on those platforms. False stories can spread fast and reach large groups of people online. It could also be because Americans who do not trust traditional institutions (mainstream media, the government, health experts) rely primarily on social media for their news.”
The researcher also said, “Most likely, it is some combination of the two, and we need more research to better understand what’s happening.”