(CNN)Your cousin knows for a fact that coronavirus vaccines have mind-controlling microchips. "Stop the steal" conspiracy theories maybe flooded your social media feeds during and after the 2020 US presidential election. Your friend shares an article about why 5G technology will harm everyone's health.
"We even see misinformation about trivial matters," said Carl T. Bergstrom, a biology professor at the University of Washington, in an email. Bergstrom co-teaches a course that trains students on how to evaluate the onslaught of information in their lives. "Every year, a photograph of an adorable fuzzy rail chick goes viral as a picture of a 'baby crow.' (Newly hatched crows are blind, featherless and look nothing like this)."
An inaccurate story about wild animals might have limited repercussions, but misinformation about serious issues such as elections or the pandemic can be "deeply damaging," affecting people's motivations, beliefs and decision-making regarding their health, politics, the environment and more, said Bergstrom, the coauthor of "Calling Bullsh*t: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World."
"Sharing health misinformation and disinformation can get people killed," Bergstrom added. But "what if I share misinformation about something like the Afghanistan withdrawal? It's not like sharing vaccine misinformation, in that my friends and family who read it aren't in any way involved in making decisions about US foreign policy."
However, if we're flooded with...
Read Full Story: https://us.cnn.com/2021/08/29/health/misinformation-how-to-talk-to-family-friends-tips-wellness/index.html
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