Our Infected Information Ecosystem, How It Fell Ill, and How We Treat It

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how susceptible to misinformation people can be. In the USA, trust in institutions is at an all time low, and that has adverse consequences for the spread of misinformation. Even worse off are social media consumers in foreign countries who navigate a landscape of less policing of misinformation and sometimes faster spreading conspiracy theories and lies. This article suggests that, rather than only focusing on cracking down on misinformation, experts should also think about how providing easier access to medically sound information might help curb misinformation, particularly in the medical arena. Further, this article suggests that medical doctors are best positioned to counter currently rampant misinformation because of the elevated trust they have with the general public.