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by Lynette Owens<\/p>\n
Although \u2018fake news\u2019 is not new to many, and something Trend Micro has been tracking for years<\/a>, the threat of misinformation continues to be on the rise as we transition into 2021. \u00a0The good news is that many organizations are trying to do their part to help combat the threat of both misinformation and the spread of harmful content. \u00a0These efforts include Trend Micro creating its free Trend Micro Check tool<\/a> to protect consumers, to Twitter creating \u201cBirdwatch\u201d a community effort<\/a> to battle misinformation on its platform, to even Apple rolling out a new iMessage tool called \u201cBlastDoor<\/a>,\u201d a new sandbox inside iMessage that receives and sanitizes all iMessage content before it\u2019s shown to a user.<\/p>\n However, outside of politics, no other topic has quite been the focus of misinformation like the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 With the arrival of a vaccine for COVID-19 now rolling out across the globe, there is great hope that the pandemic will soon be behind us. But misconceptions and misinformation about it persist, especially online. What are the myths and the facts? Why do both exist online? And how do we distinguish one from the other?<\/p>\n In our 15th<\/sup> episode of Managing Family Life Online Webinar Series, \u201cCOVID-19: Finding Reliable Vaccine Info Online,\u201d we tackled these questions and debunked the falsities with an emergency room physician and one of the nation\u2019s leading experts Dr. Megan Ranney.<\/p>\n A few key takeaways from this discussion:<\/p>\n According to Dr. Ranney, there is rarely a single solution to any large-scale problem. \u00a0Similar to other public health issues such as underage drinking or distracted driving accidents (driving under the influence, texting while driving, etc.), it takes a number of entities and behavioral changes to make a lasting impact. \u00a0Misinformation during this pandemic is like a public health issue, and no one entity can tackle it alone. \u00a0It can only be countered through a combination of personal changes in behavior, enforcements from platform providers and government regulation. There is no one person to blame or to shoulder this; everyone must do their part.<\/p>\n Dr. Ranney recommended a few resources to help fight misinformation about the virus, illness and vaccine, and be empowered with facts backed by scientific data.\u00a0 As part of her work with the Center for Digital Health at Brown University, she and a team developed the MyCOVIDRisk App<\/a>, which helps users estimate their risk of contracting COVID-19 when doing different kinds of activities. \u00a0Answer the questions honestly and it will share with you a quantifiable risk \u2013 based fully on science (not opinion) \u2013 to any activity you are considering from now and even after your vaccination.<\/p>\n Beyond great tools like this, we also recommend along with Dr. Ranney that you spend time to educate yourself on how exactly the vaccine works, what the actual side effects and risks are, and how effective it is \u2013 both in the short and long term.\u00a0 While there is still a lot of information we don\u2019t know and that scientists continue to collect and analyze, there are wonderful resources out there to shine a light on the answers we may be seeking.\u00a0 The CDC, State Departments of Health, and your physician are some of those sources. Experts like Dr. Ranney who have been working tirelessly to treat COVID-19 patients, understand the virus, vaccines and treatments, and educate the public on the facts are worth a follow online, too.<\/p>\n To hear more on these topics,\u00a0listen to the full conversation\u00a0<\/a>with Dr. Ranney.<\/p>\n For a list of tips to help stop the spread of misinformation on COVID-19 read our latest tip sheet.<\/a> Additional helpful resources include:<\/p>\n NEXT UP:<\/strong>\u00a0 The Managing Life Online Series will address \u201cHow Algorithms Perpetuate Inequality\u201d as Lynette will speak with Dr. Safiya Noble, Associate Professor<\/p>\n Join us on February 10, 2021 as we dive into this discussion. For details please visit us at our Internet Safety Webinars<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Outside of politics, no other topic has quite been the focus of misinformation like the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 With the arrival of a vaccine for COVID-19 now rolling out across the globe, there is great hope that the pandemic will soon be behind us. But misconceptions and misinformation about it persist, especially online. What are the myths and the facts? Why do both exist online? And how do we distinguish one from the other?<\/p>\n In our 15th episode of Managing Family Life Online Webinar Series, \u201cCOVID-19: Finding Reliable Vaccine Info Online,\u201d we tackled these questions and debunked the falsities with an emergency room physician and one of the nation\u2019s leading experts Dr. Megan Ranney.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4734,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"by Lynette Owens\r\n\r\nAlthough \u2018fake news\u2019 is not new to many, and something Trend Micro has been tracking for years<\/a>, the threat of misinformation continues to be on the rise as we transition into 2021. \u00a0The good news is that many organizations are trying to do their part to help combat the threat of both misinformation and the spread of harmful content. \u00a0These efforts include Trend Micro creating its free Trend Micro Check tool<\/a> to protect consumers, to Twitter creating \u201cBirdwatch\u201d a community effort<\/a> to battle misinformation on its platform, to even Apple rolling out a new iMessage tool called \u201cBlastDoor<\/a>,\u201d a new sandbox inside iMessage that receives and sanitizes all iMessage content before it\u2019s shown to a user.\r\n\r\nHowever, outside of politics, no other topic has quite been the focus of misinformation like the COVID-19 pandemic.\u00a0 With the arrival of a vaccine for COVID-19 now rolling out across the globe, there is great hope that the pandemic will soon be behind us. But misconceptions and misinformation about it persist, especially online. What are the myths and the facts? Why do both exist online? And how do we distinguish one from the other?\r\n\r\nIn our 15th<\/sup> episode of Managing Family Life Online Webinar Series, \u201cCOVID-19: Finding Reliable Vaccine Info Online,\u201d we tackled these questions and debunked the falsities with an emergency room physician and one of the nation\u2019s leading experts Dr. Megan Ranney.\r\n\r\nA few key takeaways from this discussion:\r\n\n
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The Solution to Vaccination Misinformation is Not a One Stop Shop<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Educational Tools You Can Use<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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