The Evolving Interplay between Social Media and International Health Security: A Point of View

Abstract

Human communication and interaction had been rapidly evolving with the advent and continuing influence of social media (SM) thereby accelerating information exchange and increasing global connectivity. Despite clear advantages, this new technology can present unintended consequences including medical misinformation and "fake news." Although International Health Security (IHS) stands to benefit tremendously from various SM platforms, high-level decision-makers and other stakeholders must also be aware of the dangers related to its intentional and unintentional misuse (and abuse). An overview of SM utility in fighting disease, disseminating life-saving information, and organizing people and teams in a constructive fashion is discussed herein. The potential negatives associated with SM misuse, including intentional and unintentional misinformation, as well as the ability to organize people in a disruptive fashion, will also be presented. Our treatise will additionally outline how deliberate misinformation may lead to harmful behaviors, public health panics, and orchestrated patterns of distrust. In terms of both its affirmative and destructive considerations, SM can be viewed as an asymmetric influencing force, with observed effects (whether beneficial or harmful) being disproportionately greater than the cost of the intervention.

Introductory Chapter: International Health Security in the Era of COVID-19

“…As the pandemic continues beyond 2020 the world will likely see an imbalance between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, the 'pro-maskers' and the 'antimaskers,' the believers of science and the non-believers of science, the true warriors (health workers on the ground) and the media warriors (the speakers in media), the false news mongerers and the seekers of truth [11,26,27]. As we battled to save lives, the pandemic tested our resilience at an individual level and also tested our values as a global society.…”

The Pandemic of Conspiracies in the COVID-19 Age: How Twitter Reinforces Online Infodemic

“…Önnerfors and Krouwel (2021) observe the mixed effect of different conspiracist narratives related to Europe as a challenging threat to the political unity especially in time of pandemic: the authors emphasize how conspiracy 'black box' containing two intertwined narrative strands, would provide both rational explanations and moral judgments concerning existential crises affecting the continent over the last decade. Conti et al (2020) focus on the evolving interplay between social media and the international health security, analyzing how fake news and disinformation could affect negatively a timely information about the most recent pandemic spread (Ebola, NH1 etc. ), while Shahsavari et al (Ib.…”