Health Communication
Prompt 1
The world is living in an era of unprecedented information growth necessitated by increasing the need for knowledge and technological advancements. The internet, and especially social media, have often received negative reviews from different parties when these platforms are misused. However, in the face of the novel coronavirus, the world has witnessed the positive side of the advanced information technology, which has enabled the major organizations to reach out to people from all over the world and keep them abreast on the strategies of remaining safe in the face of the virus whose cure has not yet been gotten.
In the respective videos, the world health organization (WHO), the center for disease control and prevention (CDC), and Viet Nam National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health took to social media to sensitize the public on the reality of the coronavirus in an attempt to prevent an increase in the infection rates. This was especially a smart strategy because by that time., people were still stuck in conspiracy theories and the process of getting themselves infected with the infection. The stated organizations’ decision to utilize the social media was a success because they clarified the risk posed by the new virus and explicitly defined the means of infection and how people could keep themselves safe using interactive social media platforms.
Additionally, the partnership initiative by WHO and FIFA was an effective strategy meant to get the word out on how to remain safe in the face of the pandemic. The ‘pass the message to kick out coronavirus’ initiative was doctored according to WHO’s guidelines and sensitized the public on the ways to ensure safety in the public sphere. This was especially effective because FIFA, being very popular, attracted people from all regions. Another effective strategy that entertained the world in delivering educating messages was the Vietnamese dance challenge. The #Ghencovychallenge was a good way of passing the need to be safe using a comic way. As more people took onto the challenge and got captured on social media platforms, the need to remain safe and wash hands was passed to more domains, thus achieving two goals; educating and entertaining the public.
However, although the Surgeon General’s request and the Tik Tok challenge were effective ways of passing messages globally, these strategies only reached out to those on social media platforms. Among the older population, for example, or regions that are still technologically backward, such a message would not have been received. Thus, both cases’ messages directly favored those in social media platforms, leaving out the older population or those not connected by the modern social media platforms.
Social media accounts have especially been useful to me during this crisis. From platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and twitter, I got educated on the coronavirus’s spread methods, the methods of prevention, and confirmed that this infection indiscriminately affected everyone. Besides, I often visited the WHO’s website and their social media accounts, which revealed the extent of the infection’s spread by giving numbers of the afflicted regions. I am therefore positive that CDC, WHO, and other organizations effectively utilized the social media platforms’ speed and broad reach. By engaging renowned social media persons and making simulations to educate the public, the organizations spread important facts across the world and have been crucial in preventing the disease. The videos and information presented in the CDC and WHO’s social media websites have had a significant educative value, which taps on social media’s interactivity to reach out to as many people as possible.
Prompt 2
It was intriguing to observe people’s creativity, such as the hamster succeeded in relaying important facts concerning the coronavirus’s spread. Such posts were purposed to be funny and capture the viewers’ attention to realize the importance of the handwashing being done. Therefore, they were important in casting educative information on the ways of keeping safe from coronavirus infection.
The Colorado man’s Instagram stories effectively painted the real impact of the virus in China, the hotspot. For instance, people who viewed how deserted the ever-crowded town was understood the seriousness of the situation and embraced the need to remain indoors. This video garnered him followers who wanted more information concerning the state of things in China, who benefited by getting information on how China was coping with the infection.
During the pandemic, I used social media to pass information to friends and relatives. For instance, I would share a link to the WHO website to see the increasing infections and keep safe. I also utilized social media for communicating with friends whom I could no longer meet physically. Again, I would use video calls and Facebook posts to encourage my friends and relatives to remain indoors and keep safe from the deadly infection.
However, some initiatives, such as the coronavirus challenge, sent the wrong messages across social media. This challenge sparked other similar incidences upon which the virus allegedly infected one person. In similar incidences, Tik Tok registered increased users capturing videos licking doorknobs, toilets, and more, which placed them at risk of contracting coronavirus. However, other challenges such as Ghencovychallenge invited people to dance to the tune, too, passing message on the need to prevent oneself from coronavirus.
However, the incidence of miscommunication and wrong interpretation of information is disappointing. I pitied the man who ingested chloroquine as a preventive measure against contracting the disease. In addition to this misinformation spreading so quickly, more people fell for the rush to procure the same drug at exorbitant prices in countries such as Nigeria. This misinformation caused harm to people in multiple dimensions.
As a public health worker, I would have created a video advising people to beware of reacting to information from sources that could not be confirmed. Furthermore, I would take to social media to advise people to avoid making decisions informed by panic since the WHO and CDC had not announced a drug found to cure the virus.
WHO’s response to the miscommunication was sufficient because they created a website with accurate information concerning the infection and partnered with Facebook to redirect searches. This response was official and in most social media platforms, advising people to follow the information they gave and ignore other toxic communication. This was effective because it addressed the issue on the same and other popular social media platforms. Again, the move by Facebook was effective because it prevented innocent people from getting falsified rumored information. Redirecting searches to the WHO wall was an effective way of giving people accurate information on the pandemic.
Overall, social media had more advantages in passing relevant information to the public that outweighed the disadvantages. Most of the shortcomings were products of people stuck in unfounded conspiracy theories. However, social media laid down facts and encouraged people to follow the spelled out regulations and remain safe. Given the speed and the reach of social media, I am convinced that it presented more advantages than disadvantages.