Social Media Information or Misinformation About COVID-19

Jayaseelan R., Brindha D., Kadeswaran S.

OAI: oai:igi-global.com:302081 • DOI: 10.4018/IJICTHD.302081

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered novel strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (WHO, 2020). With the internet, social media have become the most acclaimed tool for freedom of speech, democracy, truth, source of infotainment and the most-searched venue for information-gathering. However, there are thousands of people spreading information, sensationalism, rumours, misinformation, disinformation making it crucial for Governments and experts to fight the pandemic as well as the infodemic. In this study, the researchers have attempted to find out whether social media is informing or misinforming the public with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic, adopting the qualitative method of phenomenological study. The speed at which information spreads on social media is unimaginable and the findings will help understand if social media is diffusing information or misinformation to the public about Covid-19 outbreak. In-depth interviews were conducted using an open-ended question with 13 active social media users, from around 11 districts of Tamil Nadu.