Fighting misinformation with science

Issue 94: We summarize a new report from the APA on using psychological science to understand and fight health misinformation

In 2020, the World Health Organization declared that a worldwide “Infodemic”—a global epidemic of misinformation spreading rapidly through social media and other outlets—posed a serious problem for public health. Of course, the spread of misinformation is hardly new. From Flat Earthers to Truthers, there has always been a segment of society who believes and spreads fake news, conspiracy theories, and propaganda.

But there is also a growing consensus that misinformation presents a growing and pernicious threat to public well-being, harming our health, threatening democracy, and justifying violence. For instance, some dangerous forms of misinformation spread extremely rapidly during the pandemic (like the “Plandemic” conspiracy theory video in the figure below). And it has become impossible to tune into some platforms—like X or TikTok—without drowning in a sea of misinformation. Thankfully, there is also a growing body of scientific research explaining how it spreads and what we might b…