Misinformation isn’t just a political problem. Sometimes it’s personal too

When social media becomes a public health threat

Lucy lives a life on the move, travelling around Australia with a small dog in a pink caravan.
Early in the pandemic, she’d been staying in Queensland, far away from her son in Melbourne.
When restrictions eased for caravan parks in Victoria, she headed south to see him.
But their relationship came under pressure as the situation in Melbourne became more serious.
At one point, he told her: “Mum, if it wasn’t for Facebook, I wouldn’t know anything about the pandemic.”
Lucy told her story to Ariel Bogle as part of Click-Sick, a three-part series from Science Friction that’s all about how misinformation and conspiracy theories spread on social media.
It’s a great one to listen to, but make sure you check out the illustrated feature by Claudia Chinyere Akole too.
And if you’re not yet caught up on Patient Zero, another must-read is our story about Harvey – a man whose death in 1981 left doctors puzzled for more than a decade.
When they figured it out, it rewrote Australian medical history.
Until next time,
Rosie Ryan, digital editor

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