The Great Effect Of Social Media On The Coronavirus

Coronavirus misinformation is flooding the web and experts are calling on the general public to practice "information hygiene". What are you able to do to prevent the spread of bad information?

1. Stop and think

You want to assist family and friends and keep them within the loop. So once you receive fresh advice - whether by email, WhatsApp, Facebook, or Twitter - you'd possibly quickly forward it on to them.
But experts say the number one thing you'll do to halt misinformation is to easily stop and think.
If you've any doubts, pause, and check it out further.

2. Check your source

Before you forward it on, ask some basic questions on where the knowledge comes from.
It's a big red flag if the source is, a friend of a friend or my aunt's colleague's neighbor.
We tried to trace a misleading post about one of the Masters' holders
Some of the small print within the post was accurate - some versions, as an example, encouraged hand washing to slow the spread of the virus. But other details were potentially harmful, making unproven claims about the because of diagnosing the illness.
The most reliable sources of data remain public health bodies a touch just like the NHS, the World Health Organisation, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the USA, says Claire Milne, deputy editor of UK-based fact-checking organization Full Fact.
Experts aren't infallible but they're much more reliable than a strange remote relative on WhatsApp.
More Coronavirus myths to ignore
Whom do I trust for health advice?

3. Could it be a fake?

Appearances are often deceptive.
It is possible to impersonate official accounts and authorities, including BBC News and thus the govt. Screenshots also can be changed to form it appear as if the information has come from a trusted public body.
Check known and verified accounts and websites. If you cannot easily find the knowledge, it might be a hoax. And if a post, video, or a link looks fishy - it probably is.
Capital letters and mismatched fonts are something fact-checkers use as an indicator a post could be misleading, consistent with Claire Milne from Full Fact.

4. Unsure whether it's true? Don't share

Don't forward things on just in case, they could be true. you'd possibly be doing more harm than good.
Often we post things into places where we all know there are experts - like doctors or medical professionals. which may be OK, but confirm you're very clear about your doubts. Be careful
- The image or text that you share may later be stripped from context.

5. Check each fact, individually

There is an audio note circulating on WhatsApp. 
The person speaking within the note says she's translating advice from a  colleague who features a friend performing at a hospital. it has been sent to the BBC by dozens of individuals around the world.
But it is a mixture of accurate and inaccurate advice.
When you get sent long lists of recommendation, it is easy to believe everything in them simply because you recognize surely that one among the ideas (say, about hand washing) is true.
But that's not always the case.
Italy sees the rapid spread of faux news

What misinformation has spread in Africa?

6. Beware emotional posts

It's the stuff that gets us fearful, angry, anxious, or joyful that tends to really go viral.
Fear is one among the foremost important drivers that permits misinformation to thrive, says Claire Wardle of First Draft, a corporation that helps journalists tackle online misinformation.
Urgent involves action that is designed to make anxiety - so lookout.
People want to assist their loved ones to stay safe, so once they see Tips for preventing the virus! or Take this health supplement!
 people want to undertake whatever they go to assist, she says.

How bad information goes viral?

7. believe biases

Are you sharing something because you recognize it's true - or simply because you accept it as true with it?

Carl Miller, director of research of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at think factory Demos, says we're more likely to share posts that reinforce our existing beliefs.
It's when we're angrily nodding our head that we're most vulnerable, he says. That's when, above everything else, we just got to hamper everything that we do online.

References:
https://www.bbc.com/news/coronavirus