Social Media is a big part of our everyday lives, people are always checking and posting on their accounts. It's a big part of how we communicate with others and stay in the know on what's going on -whether it be the latest fashion trends or political events. We all know that especially during this time, it is very important to stay informed on what is going on around your city, state, and country, although your social networking site may not be the best place to gather information about the worldwide pandemic. It can be filled with intentional lies and personal opinions that will change your stance on how you view things, so when it comes to checking on your friends' latest vacation photos -go for it! But when it comes to seeing the latest stats on Covid-19, you should probably stick with a health organization, not your favorite influencer.
User Influence
Social Media is a big part of our daily lives, but can often spread lies when you don’t even realize it. Let’s start from the beginning, in order to have access to social media you must make an account, on that account you can post anything you’d like. This is a problem because if everyone can post whatever they want, it can spread untrue information and lies. If someone posts something fake and people believe it, then the post can then be reposted over and over again until it goes viral. Now there are many people believing in fake news, wanting to create change about something unreal or trying to spread awareness about a fake event. This can be true for the CoronaVirus, there’s so much false and incorrect data out there that users can become misinformed. Many people don’t actually fact check which brings plenty of anxiety and panic, causing an even bigger problem.
Personal Opinion vs. Facts
In addition to people purposefully posting something false, users can post personal opinions and convey them as verified facts or sway how someone feels about something -even if it's unintentional. Personal opinion can sway what one thinks about a certain topic. It may even lead one into thinking that something is true, which may raise worry or concern. Opinions have a very high effect on people and can lead them to believe or think differently then what they originally thought. For example if a user posts how Covid-19 is a deadly virus that has killed thousands of people, someone who sees that will be put in that mindset that Covid is more serious than it actually is, even though those thousands are the 1% mortality rate. Or maybe their point of view can bring people to “realize” different things even if they aren’t actually confirmed by a health or public safety organization. If someone’s personal opinion is conveyed as a real fact, it can misinform their followers. Internet opinions on Covid-19 can change peoples’ mindsets about how they feel about something and misinform users around the globe.
Closing
All in all, social media is a very important part of the ever changing world we live in today. With so much going on, we need to stay in the loop of information so we aren’t caught off guard with something new or different. Social Media often misinforms its users, so to get the latest information on Covid-19, you should log-on to a trusted government website and not your Instagram account.