Believe it or not, you may have more power in getting others vaccinated against COVID-19 than scientists.
In recent years, social media research and large-scale social network experiments have shown that family and friends could be more effective than public health officials in terms of directing useful information to those around us, largely because we tend to trust knowledgable people who are close to us and can tailor our messaging to better connect with loved ones.
Indeed, a sibling or a friend online or next door is in some ways better able to underscore the importance of behaviors such as masking and physical distancing than public health agencies or experts such as (Dr. Anthony) Fauci. It’s not only that we trust information from knowledgeable people who are close to us but that those in our lives can find opportune moments to explain why preventive behaviors are important to them and why they trust the science that says those actions reduce the spread of the virus. A neighbor or a friend can respond with messages tailored to a person’s interests and concerns. In addition to correcting misconceptions in real time, a confidant can create an environment inhospitable to misinformation in the first place. Finally, and critically, deception and debunking usually occur in different venues: those who are exposed to misconceptions rarely encounter the fact-checks.
In other words, you and I have a part to play in championing the truth. And it's a good thing we have that...
Read Full Story: https://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2021/09/15/covid-19-vaccine-misinformation-social-media/8317306002/
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