Disinformed social movements: A large-scale mapping of conspiracy narratives as online harms during the COVID-19 pandemic

Darius, Philipp; Urquhart, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.osnem.2021.100174

Cited by 27 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 56 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This was also confirmed in the study we conducted, and among those who consider the pandemic as a conspiracy, more than 80% do not plan to ever be vaccinated, as do 65% of those not concerned about SARS-CoV-2. This attitude translates into a lack of adherence to recommendations, including a full unwillingness to vaccinate—all that makes such people pose a health risk to others [ 29 , 30 ]. They are most likely to represent a younger, female population, with lower levels of education, with no previous vaccination and no fear of COVID-19, which is consistent with the findings of other studies [ 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Attitudes, Main Concerns and Sources of Knowledge Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination in Poland in the Unvaccinated Individuals—A Nationwide Survey

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Vaccination is the most effective tool to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is ineffective without appropriate public acceptance. In Poland, 53% of the country’s population is vaccinated, which puts us in the last position among the EU countries. Therefore, this study aims to assess the main concerns regarding vaccination in the unvaccinated population of Poland. The study was based on an original questionnaire that was distributed online. There were three phases of the study: Phase 1—before the preventive vaccination plan, Phase 2—2 months after implementation of the programme, Phase 3—after 4 months when the immunisation rate in Poland was 42%. A total of 4459 individuals participated in the study. As many as 1943 participants were excluded from the analysis due to lack of consent (30 subjects) or COVID-19 vaccination (1913 subjects). Out of the remaining 2516 unvaccinated individuals, 463 were participants in the first phase of the study, 1137 in the second phase of the study, and 916 in the third phase. As the preventive vaccination plan in Poland continued, concerns about vaccine adverse events, safety and efficacy were raised. The only lower concern was that about the vaccine transportation rules. Moreover, as the vaccination programme continued, there was an increase in the percentage of individuals declaring their full reluctance towards vaccination against COVID-19. Conclusions: The Internet is the main source of knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccination, so it should be focused on during vaccination campaigns. The public is primarily concerned about adverse events of vaccines and the lack of appropriate tests of the products used. Therefore, it is advisable to popularise the current state of knowledge and promote reliable information concerning the COVID-19 vaccination.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Attitudes, Main Concerns and Sources of Knowledge Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination in Poland in the Unvaccinated Individuals—A Nationwide Survey

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Several authors have claimed that these movements in current times are misinformed and hence see the rise of these movements as dangerous ( 174 ). However, simply claiming that those movements are misinformed and labeling all information, not in line with official guidelines as “conspiracy theories” [e.g., ( 175 )] may be too naïve. Some countermovements may be strongly motivated to be well informed.…”

Section: Centralized Decision Making and One Narrativementioning

confidence: 99%

Aggressive measures, rising inequalities, and mass formation during the COVID-19 crisis: An overview and proposed way forward

Schippers

Ioannidis

Joffe

2022

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A series of aggressive restrictive measures were adopted around the world in 2020–2022 to attempt to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from spreading. However, it has become increasingly clear the most aggressive (lockdown) response strategies may involve negative side-effects such as a steep increase in poverty, hunger, and inequalities. Several economic, educational, and health repercussions have fallen disproportionately on children, students, young workers, and especially on groups with pre-existing inequalities such as low-income families, ethnic minorities, and women. This has led to a vicious cycle of rising inequalities and health issues. For example, educational and financial security decreased along with rising unemployment and loss of life purpose. Domestic violence surged due to dysfunctional families being forced to spend more time with each other. In the current narrative and scoping review, we describe macro-dynamics that are taking place because of aggressive public health policies and psychological tactics to influence public behavior, such as mass formation and crowd behavior. Coupled with the effect of inequalities, we describe how these factors can interact toward aggravating ripple effects. In light of evidence regarding the health, economic and social costs, that likely far outweigh potential benefits, the authors suggest that, first, where applicable, aggressive lockdown policies should be reversed and their re-adoption in the future should be avoided. If measures are needed, these should be non-disruptive. Second, it is important to assess dispassionately the damage done by aggressive measures and offer ways to alleviate the burden and long-term effects. Third, the structures in place that have led to counterproductive policies should be assessed and ways should be sought to optimize decision-making, such as counteracting groupthink and increasing the level of reflexivity. Finally, a package of scalable positive psychology interventions is suggested to counteract the damage done and improve humanity's prospects.

show abstract

“…The American Academy of Pediatrics, for example, has provided its members with resources to communicate key messages and combat misinformation [ 20 ]; it also provides members with courses and other resources to communicate key messages with families. Because social media is a major platform for circulating misinformation or disinformation [ 21 ], it is also a key place to address or correct it [ 22 ].…”

Section: Combating Misinformation and Disinformationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Twitter Amplifiers by Medical Professionals to Combat Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Royan¹,

Pendergrast

Rios

et al. 2022

J Med Internet Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Social media is an important tool for disseminating accurate medical information and combating misinformation (ie, the spreading of false or inaccurate information) and disinformation (ie, spreading misinformation with the intent to deceive). The prolific rise of inaccurate information during a global pandemic is a pressing public health concern. In response to this phenomenon, health professional amplifiers such as IMPACT (Illinois Medical Professional Action Collaborative Team) have been created as a coordinated response to enhance public communication and advocacy around the COVID-19 pandemic.

show abstract

Disinformed social movements: A large-scale mapping of conspiracy narratives as online harms during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 27 publications

References 56 publications

Assessment of Attitudes, Main Concerns and Sources of Knowledge Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination in Poland in the Unvaccinated Individuals—A Nationwide Survey

Assessment of Attitudes, Main Concerns and Sources of Knowledge Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination in Poland in the Unvaccinated Individuals—A Nationwide Survey

Aggressive measures, rising inequalities, and mass formation during the COVID-19 crisis: An overview and proposed way forward

Use of Twitter Amplifiers by Medical Professionals to Combat Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About