Applauding Social Media Health Influencers: A Researcher´s Perspective

The 2023 COVID-19 Influencers Social Media Awards showcase and thank those individuals who use their platforms to share evidence-based information, combat misinformation and support public health measures against the pandemic.

As a researcher, I am committed to promoting the advancement of science and public health. As a father, my children’s care and well-being are my priority. As a citizen, I want to give back part of my understanding to the world and share whatever information helps everyone to be safe.

So, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, I started actively sharing the scientific findings and information I could access being a researcher, via social media, print and broadcast news. It was one way I could see to fulfil my role as a scientist and relay reassurance and evidence-based guidance during a time of uncertainty.

Clearly, I was not alone.

Many research colleagues and health professionals did the same. Like me, they helped provide information at pace, especially as health authorities were typically moving slowly, sometimes without apparent explanations as to why.

Researchers Desire to Drive Change

There is a misconception that researchers only aim to publish academic papers – one right after the other. But the truth is that dedication to research is often accompanied by a strong desire to drive change in our communities and worldwide. I believe that’s why you can find many of us active on online platforms – such as Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. It is not just about pouring over the latest scientific findings ourselves but also sharing how they can promote global health.

There is a misconception that researchers only aim to publish academic papers – one right after the other. But the truth is that dedication to research is often accompanied by a strong desire to drive change in our communities and worldwide

Everyone has a right to access available health information – to understand what it means for them and their loved ones and to be actively engaged in managing their own health. During COVID-19, many health professionals found ways to engage with others online to spread the word about how to keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe.

Stronger Health Communications Is the Key to Ending COVID-19

In a recent paper published in Nature, hundreds of academics, health officials, and non-governmental experts concluded that stronger health communications is the key to ending COVID-19 as a public health threat.

Social media has shown its value throughout the pandemic. It gave us the opportunity to post information about protective measures and what public health loves to call ‘good practices.’ Online platforms also served as a temporary meeting place and relief for people with COVID-19 - or shielding from it - who could not visit their physicians, families, or friends.

Growing Disinformation and Online ‘Trolling’

But social media can also be a double-edged sword.

I did not anticipate the scale of COVID-related misinformation: ambiguous, inaccurate, or false information shared accidentally or unintentionally. I did not foresee how tired and frustrated many of us would become, incessantly combating incorrect information and misleading details about the biggest health crisis in living memory.

Health professionals and scientists who shared information online frequently encountered negative feedback, including inaccurate criticism, strong opinions and incorrect information. These negative responses were often expressed by online ‘trolls’ posting biassed comments about scientific facts and other people re-sharing them. Some scientists even received personal threats along with hostile remarks.

I did not anticipate the scale of COVID-related misinformation: ambiguous, inaccurate, or false information shared accidentally or unintentionally. I did not foresee how tired and frustrated many of us would become, incessantly combating incorrect information and misleading details about the biggest health crisis in living memory

Compounding the problem was the rise of disinformation: when misinformation is shared deliberately. Who – or instead what – were citizens to believe? How could they trust that information was reliable or accurate, especially when misinformation sometimes came from apparently credible sources? Remember that at one stage, an American president hinted that injecting bleach might kill the virus.

As a result, researchers and health professionals who attempted to share information online frequently found themselves engaged in ongoing conflicts with online trolls.

A Time to Thank. A Moment to Give Back. A Second to Reflect

Seeing so many colleagues recoil from this experience took me back almost a decade to when I had co-founded awards to highlight similar efforts by colleagues who had used social media to help strengthen health systems worldwide. In 2021, the same small team that had worked on the 2014 awards came together again, rekindling the idea by creating the first-ever social media awards to recognize and thank those who have been part of the online COVID-19 community. Finally, here was the opportunity to spotlight those social media users who were beacons of science-based information and hope during the pandemic.

Finally, here is the opportunity to spotlight those social media users who were beacons of science-based information and hope during the pandemic

The 2023 COVID-19 Influencers Social Media Awards showcase and thank those individuals who use their platforms to share evidence-based information, combat misinformation and support public health measures against the pandemic. The main goal is to identify and honour the COVID-19 ‘influencers’ who emerged during the pandemic and introduce them to wider audiences. The awards are co-hosted by eight globally-renowned health organisations (including ISGlobal) and will conclude with the announcement of winners in May 2023.

The Awards give everyone an opportunity to step back and appreciate what impacts can be generated when people commit to promoting accurate, evidence-based health information online.

Curious to learn more about the 2023 Awards? They are open until late April 2023, so you still have time to nominate and vote! Take a look here.