Social Media Users More Likely to Believe COVID-19 Misinformation, Study Finds

Fake news has repeatedly undermined efforts to protect Americans from the coronavirus pandemic, with a new Harvard study revealing that where people get their news significantly influences whether they believe misinformation about COVID-19.

The research, published in the Misinformation Review, found that individuals who primarily rely on social media for news are considerably more likely to believe falsehoods about coronavirus. These users are also less likely to practice social distancing or consider COVID-19 a serious threat. In contrast, those who consume news from traditional media sources demonstrate greater adherence to public health recommendations.

“There is growing evidence that misinformation circulating on social media poses public health risks,” explains co-author Taylor Owen, an Associate Professor at McGill University. The researchers analyzed millions of tweets and thousands of news articles, discovering that inaccurate information about coronavirus spreads far more widely on social media platforms than in traditional news outlets.

Aengus Bridgman, a PhD Candidate in Political Science at McGill and study co-author, notes, “Platforms like Twitter and Facebook are increasingly becoming the primary sources of news and misinformation for Canadians and people around the world. In the context of a crisis like COVID-19, however, there is good reason to be concerned about the role that the consumption of social media is playing in boosting misperceptions.”

The influence of social media on public health behaviors has become increasingly apparent as the pandemic continues. With more than 150,000 American deaths from COVID-19 at the time of the study, understanding how information sources shape public perception has never been more critical.

Healthcare professionals have observed this phenomenon firsthand. Medical doctors regularly encounter patients who have absorbed health misinformation from social platforms. From dubious weight loss strategies to dangerous wellness trends, social media can rapidly popularize unsubstantiated health claims that contradict scientific evidence.

One recent example that gained traction on Instagram was “perineal sunning,” a practice where individuals expose their perineal area to direct sunlight, supposedly to gain vitamin D benefits. The trend became so widespread that Cosmopolitan magazine published an article warning readers against it, as dermatologists cautioned about increased risks of sunburn and potential skin cancer in sensitive areas unaccustomed to sun exposure.

The current pandemic has highlighted how quickly health misinformation can spread and influence behavior. Particularly concerning is the proliferation of mask-related falsehoods. Many parents across America, contemplating their children’s return to school, have expressed anxiety about whether masks cause lung damage—a claim widely circulated on social media but thoroughly debunked by medical professionals.

To counter this misinformation, many healthcare workers have taken to social media platforms themselves, posting evidence of their workouts while masked and sharing oxygen level readings to demonstrate that masks do not impair breathing. These medical professionals emphasize that masks remain one of the most effective tools against coronavirus transmission.

The impact of social media misinformation extends beyond individual health decisions to influence broader public health outcomes. When significant portions of the population believe misleading claims about virus transmission, preventative measures, or vaccine safety, community-wide protection efforts become compromised.

Media literacy experts suggest that consumers should diversify their news sources and verify information through multiple channels, particularly for health-related content. Fact-checking organizations and public health authorities continue to work toward countering misinformation, though they often struggle to match the viral speed at which false claims spread.

As one researcher observed, the irony is that “misinformation is viral” in the most literal sense—it spreads rapidly through digital networks, potentially causing real-world harm when it shapes behaviors during a genuine viral crisis.

The findings underscore the crucial role media consumption plays in public health emergencies and highlights the responsibility of both social media platforms and users to evaluate information critically, especially during a global pandemic.