Responsible Social Media in the Era of the Coronavirus

It seems that every headline we see today is concerning the spread and dangers of the coronavirus. Because so much of the information we have is limited, governments around the world are asking its citizens to quarantine themselves so the sickness does not spread. But organizations and businesses are still cautious, cancelling events and encouraging those to work from home and stay away from possible exposure.

In times like these, people turn to social media for news and information. Many major platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and others are working hard to make sure the information people are finding are only helping us stay healthy, but we can do our part to help in this endeavor.

What They’re Doing

The World Health Organization (WHO) decided to partner with TikTok to make sure young people on its platform would get the information they needed quickly, so they created short informational videos to give up-to-date information on the virus and what young people could do to stay healthy. This is a great example of an organization using social media’s reach for good, allowing high-quality information to get to as many people as quickly and efficiently as possible.

In addition, Facebook is removing conspiracy theories and false claims that have been flagged as misleading or not true by leading global health organizations. Twitter and Google has joined the fight and is curbing all non-mandatory work travel and allowing employees to work from home. By using social media to spread the word, they’re hoping to inspire other businesses to do the same.

What You Can Do

Most social media websites are on constant alert for false information and conspiracy theories, but you can play your role by flagging things that are extremely misleading or false. Before sharing a particular post or considering it as truth, make sure the sources of the information are verifiable. You can do your part by thinking deeply about what you’re reading, and making sure it’s not a writer over-sensationalizing something for the wrong reasons. 

ABC News created this short questionnaire to help you think critically before sharing an article or blurb about the virus:

• Is this the original account, article or piece of content?
• Who shared this or created it?
• When was this created?
• What account is sharing this? When was the account created? Do they share things from all over the world at all times during the day and night? Could this be a bot?
• Why was this shared?

We understand that it’s better to be safe than sorry, but we want to remind our readers that social media platforms tend to revolve around popular topics and trends more than verifiable information. 

So if your business wants to spread the word responsibly, or you simply want to take your digital marketing to the next level, Influence Digital Solutions is here to help. Get started with us today!