The outbreak of the coronavirus may be aggravated unless efforts are made to check the resulting panic among Nigerians and the misinformation on social media. Sensational news headlines circulating on social media at the moment, with regard to the deadly disease, give cause for concern.
A potent way to check the danger posed by the outbreak is through well planned and sustained information management. It is for this reason that efforts should be made to put a stop to the ongoing abuse of information on social media.
To date, several cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in over 25 countries. In many African countries, more vigilance is required for the rapid detection and containment of the virus at the various points of entry in order to prevent further transmission. Unfortunately, this may not be possible if nothing is done to stop the influx of false information about the disease on social media.
Social media postings are just difficult to control. This is generally due to weak legislation, poor quality control measures by social network providers, and sheer mischief by users. Misinformation and conspiracy theories currently spreading on social media have been found to generate panic and mistrust among the general public by diverting attention from responses to the outbreak, thereby impeding health care delivery.
The circulation of fake news on social media during infectious disease outbreaks can lead to the loss of lives. It can also jeopardise efforts aimed at curtailing the deadly virus. This is because the ordinary people are likely to believe rumours and false information about deadly diseases with ease. As a result, they may forget to protect themselves by observing good hygiene, washing their hands frequently and keeping away from other people as much as possible.
In other words, when fake news is spread on social media, it tends to make the people get easily distracted by the misinformation rather than adhere to useful and timely hints that can save lives. Most times, the influx of irrelevant news is so high on social media platforms that by the time a critical piece of information comes in, nobody ever notices it. To address this problem, it is vital to educate users on how to recognise false information that comes under the guise of authentic posts.
Recently, a controversial post quoted the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, as allegedly saying that corruption caused COVID-19 until it was refuted. Showing the concerns of the government the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, also warned against peddling falsehood on social media. This was sequel to the report that an Italian, who flew into the country from Italy was rumoured to have been infected with the virus. The Italian was said to have spent the night in a hotel located around the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos before leaving for Ogun State.
Until the social media hoax was debunked, it was reported that many residents in the Gateway State hurriedly relocated for fear of being infected with coronavirus. Aside from the agony of living in close proximity with the deadly disease, fear and anxiety tend to create another problem for the people due to mismanagement and abuse of information on social media.
Similarly, it was wrongly reported on social media that one Adewale Olorogun, believed to be the Uber driver, who allegedly picked up the same Italian patient from the airport, had equally contracted the virus and refused to be quarantined. Rather than restrict his movement, Olorogun was said to have threatened to spread the disease if the Ogun State Government failed to meet his demand for the sun of N100 million. However, it turned out that the images in the photographs attached to the fake story were not that of Olorogun. The images belonged to one Jude Ikuenobe who left Nigeria for greener pastures and got stranded in Libya.
The recurring abuse has partly justified why some members of the National Assembly once moved to pass a bill to regulate the use of social media in the country, even though their motives were doubtful and believed to be guided by sheer political reasons.
Under the prevailing circumstances, Nigerians should exercise great caution not to create more problems for the country through the social media. We should stop sharing unconfirmed messages. Once a dangerous message is not reposted to others, it will die naturally and cease to exist. This is what we should be doing. The social media is meant to make life worthy of living and not miserable. Today, many people are terribly addicted to and abuse the social media at home, in the offices, on the road, at worship places, and even while trying to sleep. Have we become slaves to technology?
Adewale Kupoluyi wrote in from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
