Facebook announced last week that it will treat incorrect medical information as spam or clickbait articles in order to address the growing issue. Social media platforms are celebrated as a means for people to connect and stay connected with others, however, this has also created platforms for incorrect medical information to be rapidly spread to a wide audience. This poses as a health threat, especially because what is being instructed is potentially very dangerous including: encouraging parents to force their children with autism to swallow bleach, spreading anti-vaccine ideas, and selling false cures to vulnerable populations.
To read the full article by Abby Olheiser and published in The Washington Post, click here.