Andre Sebastian Luzuriaga Arellano 

21007213 

157240 Social Media Network for Business

Appendix

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction

2. The Social Media Presence in Public Health

3. The New York Times: Part of the Problem

4. Multiple Measures of Data Sources

5. Conclusion

6. Bibliography

 

"Unveiling the Dangers of Misleading Information in Social Media on Public Health"

 

    Progressively Social media platforms have become powerful tools of communication. Media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become powerful tools for disseminating information while also becoming one of the main sources of misinformation. The spread of misinformation has become a significant concern within the public health sector. Recently misinformation has led to cases such as individuals restraining from getting vaccines for Covid-19 due to the abundant misleading information regarding its effectiveness which has put their health and their families at risk (SWG, 2022). Within this blog, we will be exploring how popular social media together with established social media such as the “ New York Times” can be sources of misinformation in regards to the public health system and the potential negative effects that the misinformation is able to generate.

 

The social media Presence in Public Health 

 

    Social media has shifted the overall access in regard to health information as now it has become easier to get medical information from social media and other online platforms replacing traditional sources such as doctors and health care professionals. The National Library of Medicine published a paper by Sumayyia D. Marar where highly relevant data was presented where it established based on their testing group around 85% looked for health information using different social media while only 29% shared their overall experience. (Marar 2019). Considering these data although social media is able to provide medical information in a faster and less expensive way than traditional sources information on social media can provide false information which can be counterproductive to the health of the individuals seeking medical information within social media where instead of a solution and bigger issue is created. The use of Social media within the public health sector can be attributed mainly to social media that implement the use and gratification theory where media is designed as a one-way communication where individuals will seek information that will fulfill their needs leading to the ultimate gratification. Sometimes individuals will be on denial of their health status and will choose to proceed with and easy to get treatment as social media platforms can present a “solution “ to its audience based on a range of symptoms making assumptions that can lead to unproperly treatment of the illness and potentially increasing the symptoms or harming the individual. 

 

The New York Times part of the problem 

 

The Credibility of the source is one of the most important measures that individuals should consider when doing research especially when their health is involved. The New York Times is one of the largest newspapers in the U.S with a quite large amount of registered users and one of the most respected and credible sources as is one of the most know newspapers in the world they have an extensive online presence including the public health sector (Meylan, 2021). The New York Time can be considered a social platform where people can obtain accurate information the reputation of The New York Times is recognized worldwide as they provide wide coverage on several topics with numerous awards allowing them to have an established reliable and credible reputation regardless even reputable sources are susceptible to the spread of misinformation. 

 

Platforms as the NY Times construct their articles and reports based on the best available information in 2020 Tiffany Hsu published an article regarding the impacts that misleading information during the Covid-19 pandemic where simple rumors evolve into outlandish claims that were able to avoid content moderators. Where individuals were consuming Ivermectin endangering themselves. Megan Marelli was mentioned in the same article where she stated, “We know for a fact that health misinformation contributes to the spread of real-world disease.” (Hsu 2022). 

 

There are several factors and practices that might affect the overall content of the information of a reputable source. Social platforms such as the NY Times usually have guest contributors which are individuals that have a certain level of expertise within a subject which can provide useful insights and information while they can also have misinformation. Contributors and the NY Times construct their paper based on the available information within the health industry many areas have been extensively tested and investigated while there is other that might need further advance in their research still due to this lack of information a reputable source as the NY Times might provide its audience with misinformation helping with the spread of false information. 

 

Multiple Measures of Data Sources 

 

The use of multiple credible sources of information which is a source of information that provides an accurate set of information regarding a specific topic (Bartleby, 2023). This allows communication platforms to provide a more comprehensive set of information establishing a comprehensive set of resources allows to enhance the information provided rather than reduce its credibility. There are several factors that need to be taken into consideration for each individual source such as the time the source was published the potential bias of the author and its reliability. Having multiple reliable sources where all these factors have been taken into consideration allows us to avoid providing individuals with misleading information. Providing data that’s accurate and it’s backed by multiple sources of data is essential within public health as these will protect the well-being of individuals making sure that the information is able accurate and will not be affecting them or their family or friends. 

 

 

 

Conclusion 

 

In Conclusion, Social platforms have become powerful communication tools connecting people and allowing the share of information on a worldwide level regardless there are many growing concerns specially within the public health sector where social platforms have become popular sources of misleading information due to their lack of credible sources. There are social platforms with both low and high standards in regard to the information they provide regardless even the outmost reputable social platforms such as the New York Times are not immune to the spread of misinformation. The use of multiple credible data sources is something that is a must in regards to providing individuals and groups the most accurate information in regards to something that can directly impact their family and their own well-being, therefore, showing the importance of ensuring accurate and reliable information in regards to the public health sector.

Bibliography 

 

Bartleby. (2023). Importance Of Credible Sources - 918 Words | Bartleby. Www.bartleby.com. https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Importance-Of-Credible-Sources-FCQ5WLV7DV

Hsu, T. (2022, December 28). As Covid-19 Continues to Spread, So Does Misinformation About It. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/28/technology/covid-misinformation-online.html

Marar, S., Al-Madaney, M., & Almousawi, F. (2019). Health information on social media. Perceptions, attitudes, and practices of patients and their companions. Saudi Medical Journal, 40(12), 1294–1299. https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2019.12.24682

Meylan, P. (2021, September 21). Is the New York Times Liberal? The Factual | Blog. https://www.thefactual.com/blog/nyt-bias-credible/

Quilbot. (2017, June 9). Finding Your Sources - Boundless Writing. Boundless Writing - Simple Book Publishing. https://quillbot.com/courses/introduction-to-college-level-writing/chapter/finding-your-sources/

SWG. (2022). Misinformation on Social Media – Guidance, Impact and Support | SWGfL. Swgfl.org.uk. https://swgfl.org.uk/topics/social-media/misinformation-on-social-media-guidance-impact-and-support/#:~:text=Misinformation%20is%20a%20more%20technical

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