Social Media: A Danger to Public Health

SarahBissRN

When it Comes to Making Health Decisions, Has the Media Killed Common Sense?

In order for something to be killed, it has to actually exist in the first place. So the question I propose is; does common sense even exist within the general population? To start off, I think we need to actually define what common sense is. To do this, I did what I think most people do these days when they have a question. I consulted the Google. I simply googled “what is the definition of common sense?” This took me to several different links leading me to various opinions on what this or that person feels is the definition. Since I was looking for the actual definition and not the opinion of “Joe Shmoe who runs his blog out of Grandma’s basement,” I decided to go with a known trusted source on all things definition; Webster’s dictionary. (Not that there is anything wrong with living in Grandma’s basement. I get it. Inflation is real and we’ve all got bills.) Webster’s dictionary defines common sense as sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts.

If Only We Lived in a Perfect World

Surely everyone would like to believe that people, in general, are sensible and reasonable beings who approach important decisions involving them and their family’s health with sound and prudent judgment only after gaining all the facts. Yes. That would absolutely be the ideal in a perfect kumbaya utopia. But last I checked, we don’t live in a perfect kumbaya utopia. And if these past 2 years of living in the midst of a global pandemic have shown us anything, it’s that we live in a society of people who form opinions and make decisions based on knee-jerk reactions and emotion, not facts, all while claiming to have done the research. But what does this general claim of doing the research actually entail?

Google Said It, So It’s True

As a licensed medical professional, I personally feel it’s my obligation and duty to do my due diligence when it comes to the research that backs my health decisions. Yes, like most people in the general population, I might start with Google, but only as a means to get me to where I need to be. I use Google to lead me to actual case studies and articles published by trusted sources like the National Institute of Health and the CDC. But that’s the thing. I’m a licensed medical professional. I know what the significance of a controlled double-blind study is because I learned about it in nursing school. The general population of Joe Shmoes are not licensed medical professionals who were taught about evidence-based research. So their research might include a meme that’s been circulating on social media, a blog written by Joe Shmoe, a “true testimony” of a friend of a friend who knows their aunt Margaret’s neighbor, and any other non-evidence based forms of actual research. But to them, they’ve found evidence backing their opinion. They’ve found others who agree with their opinion. So their perception is that they have done the research. The key word here is perception.

The Dooming of Society

Let’s circle back to Webster’s definition of common sense. Sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts. I do believe that the general population wholeheartedly believes they are exercising common sense when they make their health decisions based on the research that they feel they have done. So no, I don’t think that the media has necessarily killed common sense. I do believe, however, that it has had a huge role in creating a society of people who feel they can become experts on all things health-related merely by doing a couple of quick Google searches or by following a few health influencers on social media. And I believe that it is social media in particular that has created this bloated sense of self-expertise we seem to be seeing emerge more and more since the start of the pandemic.

Social media gives the general public access to loads of information which can be useful, but it can also be dangerous. It allows good old Joe Shmoe to create a platform he can use to spread any and all sorts of information he perceives as factual. As I stated before, more and more people are making important health decisions based on knee-jerk reactions and emotions which are often fueled by something they saw on these very social media platforms. Which would not be that big of a deal if their decisions only affected themselves. But as we’ve learned over the past couple of years, that is not always the case.

Those Experts Don’t Know Nothin' About Nothin'

The wealth of misinformation that gets shared and passed around on social media becomes downright dangerous when the general population as a whole makes the decision to not trust actual doctors or actual scientists who have not only done real and actual evidence based research, but had a hand in creating the actual studies and providing the actual evidence that backs the actual research. It becomes a real danger to public health when a large portion of the population decides they don’t need to listen to experts about preventing the spread of disease. They don’t need to vaccinate because their favorite celebrity said it does more harm than good. They don’t need to wash their hands or use hand sanitizer because Grandma always said God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt. They don’t need to social distance or wear masks because this whole pandemic is all a hoax anyway (they read all about it on Joe Shmoe’s conspiracy theory social media page.)

Education; the Key to Our Undooming

What does this mean for our society’s future? Has social media doomed us all? Not necessarily. As medical professionals we have the ability to use social media to combat misinformation. Several nurses, doctors, and other medical experts have already created their own social media platforms dedicated to presenting facts and facts only. They use their online presence to give expert advice and answer questions from the general public. Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not saying that every nurse and doctor needs to take to social media to fight the good fight. I do understand that creating a social media platform or becoming a keyboard warrior is not everyone’s cup of tea. There are other ways that we can combat misinformation.

As nurses, one of the most important things we do for our patients is to educate them. And you all know how we love to educate. Nothing makes me feel more fulfilled at work than to witness a patient empowered with the right education to move forward on their health journey. So why not carry that over into our personal lives? Educate your friends, educate your family members. Give them the tools to make an actual educated decision about their health. Provide them with trusted sources of health information. After all, you are the licensed medical professional backed by a hard-earned degree. Surely they can be convinced to use their common sense and trust you. Because if we as a society continue this trend of not trusting medical professionals and actual experts, then maybe we are doomed. I personally choose, however, not to believe that notion. I choose to be the ever-optimistic nurse and just keep on trucking along doing my best to do what I love best. Educate.

References

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Common sense definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved August 11, 2022