For sometime now, Coronavirus misinformation has been on Social media.
In the wake of the pandemic enthralling the world, our leaders are putting in as much as they can to ensure the world is in one piece.
The issue, most times, aggravates with unnecessary panicking. Coronavirus, isn’t so fierce when we keep to the guidelines and prevention tips. Much of which is adequately provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
But then, there are those that would seize the moment to spread Misinformation. They would endeavour to cause a stir for their elation.
Misinformation, as it were, comes out of already established facts. This is what keeps it together, making it plausible.
When it appeals to the senses or it is very much expected, we are more likely to believe it is true, and hence act in favour of it, usually evident through sharing.
Our leaders, the government, at all levels are usually forced to introduce policies that would keep us in check and cause free will to be contained.
Although, Misinformation at times can be through a mastermind whose intent is to pass across a message to the seats of power, thereby influencing their decision making: Misinformation, howbeit misleading can represent the voice of the public.
Irrespective, spearheaded by an infamous fellow, Misinformation can cause harm; It can make people behave erratically, which would in turn lead them to make their own versions as well.
Nowadays, with social media becoming large, some obnoxious people, are trooping in to perpetrate their flippant objectives .
Time and time, we have been in purview to fake news being spread by these obnoxious people. They have consistently, almost without challenge, boldly took up authoritative designations in their content so as to prod gullible users into believing and hence sharing to whom it may concern.
The following image from WhatsApp indicates the designation whoever coined it took to procure attention and get it across: Ministry of Health.
The post was well forwarded to numerous WhatsApp groups and contacts regardless of several inconsistencies : undue repetition of ‘warning’, grammatical blunders – BE WARN, SIGNS, and the Call to Action (CTA) – Please forward to families and friends. In addition, ICIR proved it to be false.
When something very new happens, several versions of it would begin to stream, and of all these versions, few are authentic. For this reason, unless it has been confirmed to be authoritative (not just in writing), care should be taken to avoid jumping into the bandwagon.
