According to an exclusive recent study carried out on behalf of the Ontario Medical Association, nearly 6% of Ontarians online are distributing lies and misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, with the overwhelming majority of them being older people.
Ontarians aged 55-64 are the most active online across all COVID hoax topics, with men and women involved pretty much equally. Men who spread misinformation on the internet prefer to address the government’s use of COVID for its interests, while women appear to concentrate on the government as the source of COVID-19 and why the vaccine is to be distrusted.
It’s unclear why this age group has now become accountable for so much misinformation on social networking sites, but it’s worrying, particularly because many of them are now qualified for COVID vaccinations. This new research shows that misinformation is a persistent problem that must be tackled in every society and demographic group.
According to OMA President Dr. Samantha Hill, the best way to respond is to provide straightforward, reliable, and accurate details. Throughout the pandemic, Ontario’s doctors have been combating COVID confusion, and these latest findings make them even more dedicated to presenting evidence-based knowledge to counteract misleading information on social sites.
