By Mateo Diaz-Magaloni and Ben Fry
Although masks have come off, mandates have been lifted, and lives are starting to return to normal, there are still lingering fears and myths about COVID-19. One of the most widespread myths is about the COVID-19 vaccine. Mateo Diaz-Magaloni and Ben Fry with Peninsula 360 Press interviewed several teens and young adults in the Bay Area to see how these myths have affected young people’s perception of the vaccine and rumors about its effects.
During the first distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, logging into various social media sites made it easy to find information about the vaccine. Several “influencers» and individuals shared their opinions about the vaccine on Instagram and Twitter. Some of this led to misinformation being spread on the platform, with myths about the vaccine becoming a widespread problem on social media.
This misinformation was considered dangerous as it spread unnecessary fear. For this reason, Instagram found it beneficial to provide a COVID-19 fact-checking service on posts related to the topic, while Twitter kept an eye on accounts that sought to spread myths.
This is important because even before COVID-19, misinformation, especially in politically charged messages, was found to spread at an even higher rate than truthful information (Langin 2018).
While Instagram has maintained its fact-checking capabilities, placing a flag on posts that spread falsehoods, Twitter has stopped monitoring accounts and even restored some that spread vaccine myths after the recent acquisition of Elon MuskGiven how social media has spread myths about the vaccine, what have people heard, how did they hear it, and why does it matter?
When we asked young people why they got vaccinated, the top reason they gave was that it was to protect their families. Most did so because of their family values, even if they had varying levels of confidence in its effectiveness. One senior at Palo Alto High School said, “I got vaccinated as soon as I could, with boosters too, I did it because everyone around me did and it was important to my parents.”
Additionally, when asked if they were afraid of the vaccine, one Mountain View resident stated that they were “more afraid of getting COVID… than they were afraid of the vaccine itself.” This is not the same experience that everyone has regarding the vaccine.
When speaking with a Mountain View High School sophomore, they said they were afraid of the effects of the vaccine. They explained that a lot of these fears came from their friends and what they were told. They noted that many of their friends did not get vaccinated due to fears, however, they chose to go against those fears because it was important for their families.
The same interviewee explained that this fear came from the belief that there was “a chip that they put in you so the government can spy on you.” This belief was corroborated by a senior at Palo Alto High School who also claimed to have the same belief, about microchips in the vaccine. We asked where they had heard these myths and both responded that they originated through social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram.
The second major myth with the COVID-19 vaccine was the belief that after being vaccinated you can develop autism. One Stanford student we interviewed explained that he had heard through social media that getting the vaccine would cause autism. They say spreading myths about autism is harmful to people on the autism spectrum.
Both myths seem to be widespread, despite different stances, with some considering them as jokes and others with a sense of fear regarding them. Despite the feeling that these myths are more like jokes, they are dangerous as they create fears about the vaccine and unnecessary stigma towards others.
The overwhelming consensus from our interviewees was that the spread of false information does have a detrimental impact on the safety, trust, and transparency of their communities. Given that young people today spend a significant amount of time on social media and are heavily influenced by their peers, it stands to reason that those in the Bay Area who are surrounded by friends who believe these falsehoods are more likely to accept them as truth.
For example, when we asked our participants about their beliefs in vaccine myths, they all expressed skepticism towards such claims. Interestingly, that individual was part of a social circle where most people were unvaccinated. It is crucial for young people today to be able to discern fake news and navigate social media without blindly believing everything they come across.
With the increasing use of social media, more and more people are making use of sites like Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date. The problem is that the rates of myths and misinformation being spread on these platforms are alarmingly high. While some people can discern fact from falsehood, the spread of misinformation is still dangerous as seen with COVID-19.
The spread of these myths represents a great danger to our society as it creates fear and mistrust. This point was excellently made by one interviewee who said: “The spread of myths gives rise to fear where there need be no fear.” It is essential to eradicate these myths and provide only the truth when there are many doubts and questions about a new topic.
Mateo Diaz-Magaloni:
She is 18 years old and a senior at Palo Alto High School. She has written extensive research papers on issues related to social justice in Latin America and the United States. She has interned at a consulting firm in Berlin, Germany, for German anthropologists in Mexico, and for the Stanford Center on the Economy and Institutions of China lab. She helped write a scholarly paper for the lab.
Benjamin Fry:
He is an 18-year-old student at Palo Alto High School. He is a Bay Area native and has lived in Fremont his entire life. For the past several years, he has written works primarily related to psychology, often involving adolescents and young adults. These topics range from gambling addiction to migration stress. He is currently conducting his own research project for a class that delves into the psychology of young adult gambling addicts.
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