‘Your Road Ahead’: Navigating social media and divisions between family as COVID misinformation continues

A new study has found Canadians believe society has become increasingly polarized because of COVID-19. In the final installment of our series “Your Road Ahead,” Nicole Martin talks with experts who provide ways to navigate social media and divisions between family and friends as COVID misinformation continues.

More than 2 years after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, WHO doctors say they’re continuing their fight against the virus and an ‘info-demic’. “Huge amounts of misinformation out there. The misinformation that Omicron is mild. Misinformation that the pandemic is over. Misinformation that this is the last variant that we have to deal with. This is really causing a lot of confusion that’s out there.”

Professor Timothy Caulfield says the amount of misinformation is unquantifiable. “I’ve been studying misinformation for decades and I haven’t seen anything like this.” From falsehoods about the vaccines to the cause of the pandemic, Caulfield says empirical research has shown that it’s not only done real harm but has become political.”It’s become incredibly ideological and that’s what has caused real, real division because people get inside their own information bubbles they use confirmation bias, they start to distrust sources from the other team and that becomes a real problem.”

Internet researcher and assistant professor Fenwick McKelvey has noticed in his studies of online behaviours saying politicizing COVID-19 has made it difficult to regulate. “We are getting into a fine line between someone’s personal opinion and what someone is spreading health misinformation and disinformation.”

According to Twitter, the platform saw a COVID-19 related tweet every 45 milliseconds in April 2020. Not all were accurate and since then Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have provided links to credible information sources, placed warning labels on potentially misleading content and have removed posts altogether.

40 percent of people surveyed in a University of Saskatchewan study said they’ve actually reduced contact with family and friends over an argument about the pandemic.
Professor Caulfield says having conversations with others in your everyday life
who may have differing viewpoints makes a difference. “Research tells us that yes, people trust scientists and they trust health care providers but they really resonate with someone like them. Someone who has shared values and shared experiences so those conversations matter.” His advice is to be kind and provide a path to credible information. “The last piece of advice, know when to tap out. When the temperatures start to rise, there’s no point going forward. Know when to back away and keep those friendships intact.”