It’s been some time since I’ve last was here but came across this article on Bluesky and wanted to share it here and hear from you.
The article is about how misinformation is impacting public health in New Zealand. Tl;dr: vaccination rates are plummeting, trust in institutions is crumbling, and diseases we thought we’d wiped out are creeping back into communities. If you’re curious, here’s the link to the article: National capacity needed to monitor misinformation.
And coincidentally I was having a chat with a friend about how some parents in his son’s school don’t believe in vaccines. For context my friend lives in Europe.
Reading this article got me thinking, this isn’t just New Zealand’s headache. It’s a global crisis. You hear the same stories in the US as well.
Once upon a time, science used to be about facts. Now, it’s a battleground for beliefs. Families fight, friendships dissolve, and kids suffer, literally. Do you guys remember the 2015 Disneyland measles outbreak? Over 125 cases, all because of a handful of people spreading anti-vaccine rhetoric.
And who can forget Covid-19? Misinformation was deadly. People were drinking bleach, and popping hydroxychloroquine because some “expert” on Facebook or a viral tweet said so.
Yet, here’s the kicker: how can you ask them to trust institutions like the WHO and CDC? It’s pretty obvious that they’ve got their own agendas, often tied to politics or funding, fueling skepticism.
The real issue is this: who do you trust when everyone seems to have a bias? And even if you find someone credible, who’s making sure they’re held accountable?
Governments? Sometimes they’re too slow or influenced by politics.
Tech platforms? Their algorithms thrive on outrage and division, so don’t hold your breath.
Civil society? They’ve got the potential, but do they have the resources?
What’s worse, the lack of monitoring in places like New Zealand, because many organizations that tracked and monitored misinformation have closed, leaves a gaping hole in our ability as a society to counter harmful narratives.
Globally, we’re not doing much better. Social media platforms, wether they deny it, continue to profit from spreading polarizing content, and we’re all left wondering how to separate fact from fiction.
Sorry for the rant but here is my question to you:
Are we doing enough to combat misinformation, or have we already lost the battle? And who should lead the charge, governments, tech platforms, or civil society?