Social Media Platforms and COVID-19-Related Misinformation in India (Chapter 8)

Abstract

There was an upsurge in the spread of misinformation during the first and second wave of COVID-19 in India to the extent that, along with health hygiene, it also became important to practice information hygiene. Social media platforms evolved as a major source of information to learn about how the world is coping with the pandemic and how people are being connected with friends and families amidst lockdown and restrictions on social gatherings. At the same time, it turned out to be the source of misinformation about COVID-19. This study attempts to identify the underlying factors driving the spread of misinformation during the first two phases of COVID-19 in India among people and the extent to which the information was accepted, believed, and spread. Further, we examine the association of demographic factors on the acceptance and spread of misinformation and its implications on people. The findings of the study reveal that people believed in all kinds of information received on social media mainly, due to fear of the uncertainty associated with crisis. People tend to circulate information received on social media (often not verifying the authenticity of the information) to their friends and family out of concern about their well-being.