Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Our lives changed with COVID-19, but not just because of the virus itself. In an instant our phones and computers became indispensable tools with news, comfort, and connection. Upon opening Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, and WhatsApp we recognized we were not only fighting COVID-19, but we were also experiencing an outbreak of misinformation. Misinformation in the form of rumors, outlandish theories, miracle cures, and incendiary arguments spread just as quickly as the virus leaving us all doubting what was real and what was not.The objective of this research is to examine and understand how and why misinformation about COVID-19 spread so easily on social media. More specifically, it aims to investigate what types of stories people shared, what made these stories catchy, and how the stories shaped our thinking, feeling, and doing during the crisis. This research not only analyzed actual posts but it built on dozens of published studies to examine how algorithms, emotions, and our own need for comfort or certainty contributed to misinformation going viral. The research also considered various ways that people and media literacy agencies fed misinformation like fact-checks or warning-labels stymied misinformation but very often these ways were ineffective and late. What is most apparent is that misinformation was not a technical issue or a system oversight. It was, at its core, human. Humans, existing in fear and uncertainty, sought answers and community, and sometimes that required engaging with messages that just made sense, even when that sense did not reflect truth. This study shows that to truly curb misinformation, we must have honest and empathetic communication that enhances trust and allows people to engage critically. If we can understand the lived experience of COVID-19, we can be better prepared—together—for whatever comes.
Authors: R.Subiksha R.Subiksha, Dr. shyamali banerjee
Institution: Jain University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4412380909