{"id":7813,"date":"2025-10-14T19:57:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T15:57:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/?p=7813"},"modified":"2025-10-14T19:57:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T15:57:40","slug":"how-to-protect-yourself-from-disinformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medscriptum.org\/en\/how-to-protect-yourself-from-disinformation\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Protect Yourself from Disinformation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, the accessibility of information seems to have deprived us of the luxury of selective engagement with it. The continuous flow of information on social media allows users to quickly acquire superficial data in several areas simultaneously, which often leads to an exaggerated sense of competence. This kind of fragmented knowledge concurrently generates a certain self-confidence. Information wrapped in the illusion of authenticity is instantly shared by users so that others don’t miss out on “important discoveries.” This dynamic creates a continuous chain of “self-declared experts.”<\/p>\n

It is enough to recall the COVID-19 pandemic as proof of this phenomenon. Along with testing global healthcare systems, it tested people’s critical judgment skills. “Miraculous” traditional remedies for COVID were instantly replaced on social media by the debunking of the vaccine’s deadly properties. Truly, it was a dangerous combination: people confined within four walls, armed with an endless stream of information. The final result was a public that became unintentionally “learned” in healthcare and, paradoxically, full of distrust toward the healthcare system.<\/p>\n

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Source: 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, Who Is Trying to Deceive Us?<\/p>\n

To answer this fundamental question, it is necessary not only to identify the source of disinformation but also to conduct an in-depth analysis of the entire information ecosystem. This is a complex phenomenon that the World Health Organization (WHO) defines by the term Infodemics.<\/p>\n

In essence, an infodemic is “an overabundance of information\u2014including false or misleading content\u2014that occurs during a disease outbreak and makes it difficult to find reliable sources and trustworthy recommendations” (WHO 2020). It is not limited to misinformation (inaccurate information spread unintentionally) or disinformation (deliberately spread false content) but encompasses the entire information ecosystem\u2014the physical and digital space influenced by social, cultural, and structural factors.<\/p>\n

Sylvie Briand, who heads the Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness program at the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasizes: “A person’s information ecosystem is complexly structured and changeable; it is affected by interactions with healthcare systems, social behaviors, and structural limitations that hinder accessibility.” The intensified process of information seeking and its creation during emergencies complicates the situation, effectively blurring the boundary between reliable and unreliable content and at the same time hindering independent decision-making.<\/p>\n

The scale of the infodemic was revealed during the COVID-19 pandemic: the unprecedented volume of rapidly produced scientific evidence exceeded the public’s capacity for perception and assimilation. Reliable information was lost amidst sensational media and polarized discourse, which, along with fueling distrust, contributed to the spread of disinformation. This informational chaos “distorted” risk perception and significantly reduced adherence to medical recommendations, convincingly demonstrating the massive impact of the infodemic on public behavior.<\/p>\n

The Harmful Impact of Disinformation<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The infodemic carries a massive threat. In addition to causing harm to individual health (for example, the tragic cases of methanol poisoning recorded in Iran during the early phase of the pandemic), it reduces trust in healthcare systems.<\/p>\n

False or misleading content also strengthens vaccine distrust and contributes to its perception as a potential threat to individual health. This trend was clearly evident in the monitoring of COVID-19 by the WHO and the European Commission.<\/p>\n\r\n