Identifying and addressing health misinformation is necessary.
We are exposed to vast amounts of information coming at us from many different sources, including misinformation. While misinformation often brings up big questions about what is factual and accurate, it is important to know where to find health information about gender-affirming care. We need access to resources that support our young people’s health and wellbeing and accurately informs decision-making. Knowing how to look out for accurate information and spot misinformation can help us stop the spread of harmful or inaccurate messages.
Misinformation refers to information that is false or misleading. Disinformation refers to false or misleading messages that are intentionally spread. There are many forms of misinformation. Some things to watch for are pieces of information designed deliberately to elicit super strong negative reactions and emotions such as fear or mistrust. When we see pieces of information being amplified to cause fear and concern without full context, this should be a sign to dig deeper.
Health misinformation can easily spread online through social media email, websites and other formats. It is easy to pass things along in our online environments, but we should be cautious to not contribute to the spread of inaccurate or harmful messaging.
“I don’t think people fully understand how hurtful it is to see hateful memes and other stuff like that online. It makes me feel like I’m hated. And when I see a friend or family member share or like something like that online it’s even worse.” — TTNB youth on witnessing misinformation and transphobic social media posts
We can stop the spread of misinformation by pausing and looking into messages before sharing them. We can learn to better spot misinformation when we see it. We can all play a role in helping to clarify the facts and help people find accurate, trusted sources of information
