AARTI SINGH New Delhi India
Infodemic: Time to break the chain!!!
"We are not just fighting an pandemic; we're fighting an infodemic".
This is what the World Health Organisation has stated on the seriousness of the fake news which being passed on in these times of crisis . Today, the world is already facing serious crisis due to novel coronavirus and what the need of the hour demands is the awareness of each and every human on this planet .
However, it is a tragic truth that in these times of crisis another similar virus is stepping in the society, it might not be scientifically proven but it starts with the unawareness of an individual and it starts spreading when we start believing what we see or hear without thinking about the credibility of the sources. And this psychological virus is leading to what we call as INFODEMIC , spread of fake news or misinformation among the individuals and the society. No vaccine can be ever be invented for this serious crisis . It traces our clicks and our speech every time when we share Fake News or Fake Facts .
It might not seem life threatening to many at first but false facts diminishes our process of acting like an aware citizen.
We can see how the world is suffering from this INFODEMIC from with the help of various false examples and fake facts being circulated about the NOVEL CORONA VIRUS and how it is brainwashing our minds.In many cases it has brainwashed the minds of numerous people that they are not even taking the necessary precautions required against the COVID-19 pandemic.In many cases this infodemic is also leading to violation of social distancing by creating panic amongst the people through circulation of any fake news .
We can understand the seriousness of this situation by the fact that not only the World Health Organisation but also the governments from around the world are trying to analyse the situation and keeping check on how the fake news actually spreads and they are firmly accepting the life threatening risk which can be caused by such circulation of fake news and facts.
Lot of portals and platforms are launched by the government to increase the flow of credible information amongst the citizens and to ensure that correct information is spread to them. Apart from this many social media platforms are also actively taking steps to break this chain of INFODEMIC. Celebrities from across the nation are also spreading the message to break the chain of INFODEMIC through campaigns like #MatKarForward.
The need of the hour is to be an aware citizen because individual efforts to stay aware and informed can only save our society , our family ,our nation and the entire world from this INFODEMIC.
Here are the some points which can help us to fight this serious problem:
· Look for the source and make sure that the source is credible.
· Read the entire content . Don't just go by the headlines as these could be crafted in a way to grab the attention .
· Ask experts , research about it from authorized authorities and confirm that if it is really true or not.
· Report if you receive any such message .
· Spread awareness in your family and friends as well and also make them aware about such fake messages and how it can create serious problems.
