Interesting article from The Guardian today: Pinterest makes aggressive new move in fight against vaccine misinformation.
What this really means is that…
it will be harder for people to find stories about vaccine injury and vaccine risks.
Social media platforms are the way many people get their information and they will likely be major sources of information for the next generations of parents,” O’Brien said. “We hope to see more engagement from digital platforms in the future to provide credible health information to their users, while taking real-time actions to halt the spread of harmful content when it occurs.
This will drive the smartest people away from major social media platforms as they find other sources of honest, uncensored community sharing – because throughout history people assess choices by asking other people what their experiences have been. This is why Amazon’s customer ratings are so popular and why employers often ask for references.
So, on the new, improved and safer-for-your-health Pinterest, if a parent searches for “vaccines”, this is what they will see:
Imagine seeing similar results if you searched for information about a new heartburn medication: new-med works! feel more comfortable together! heartburn will return without new-med!
And then you notice that the Community Guidelines prohibit customer reviews of new-med because it might lead to people choosing not to take so many medicines; instead, you will be shown approved pins from the heartburn medicine manufacturers and your Department of Health.
Golly. Sign me up for Pinterest! I’ve always wanted to be told what to think by people who don’t know what they’re talking about.