Anti-vaxx groups spend nearly $1 billion on social media
Registration for the Warrior 4 Zoom workshop is now open
Last week, I had an opportunity to chat with Imran Ahmed, founder of The Center for Countering Digital Hate. His organization recently released a report identifying that anti-vaxx organizations reach 58M users and drive $1B in revenue to social media platforms, most prominently Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
I recognize vaccines are a contentious issue. One argument hinges on the greed of pharmaceutical companies. This is a topic I research often; my forthcoming book on psychedelic therapy takes that industry to task regarding the overprescribing of antidepressants. But the efficacy of vaccines is another story—one we need to discuss during a pandemic.
If greed is a problem, what incentive does anti-vaxx organizations, which are primarily funded by two men, have for spending nearly a billion dollars on social media?
While my career focus is on health, Amhed looks at this issue from a technological standpoint. In a week in which headlines are dominated by demon sperm, his take on how social media platforms spread content is especially pertinent. As he told me,
"If you see misinformation, ignore it, because engaging with it helps the platforms accomplish the goal of further spreading it. Block the person that sent it, then find some good information and share it to try to balance out the algorithmic logic that underpins it."
This poses a challenge to many of us (myself included) that want to correct the record when disinformation is shared. Ahmed made me realize that while my reflexive response is to debate, I’m only perpetuating the spread of dangerous information by engaging with conspiracy theorists.
This is a dangerous situation. So much remains unknown about the coronavirus pandemic (and uncertainty fuels conspiracies). Two recent studies in Germany found that three-fourths of COVID-19 patients are suffering from heart damage two months into recovery; 87% of recovering patients have at least one lagging symptom, according to a study published in JAMA.
There may never be an effective coronavirus vaccine. The more disinformation spreads, however, the more skeptical we become regarding any information, whether it involves treatments or vaccines. At a time when we the Commons is needed more than ever in our lifetimes—a place where we gather to share, heal, and grow—the disinformation pandemic is harming us all.
Conspiracy theories are the topic of my latest project, Conspirituality, a podcast I host with Matthew Remski and Julian Walker. We kicked it off about three months ago to address the growing intersection of wellness influencers and rightwing conspiracy theorists. The podcast is on all major platforms (iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, Google Play). If you’re interested in supporting our work, please click here, or stay in touch with us on Facebook. Tomorrow’s episode features my interview with Imran Ahmed above.
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Warrior 4 : Zoom Workshop
Sunday, August 9, 2020
10-11:30 am PST
$15 / Free for Substack subscribers
August’s edition of the EarthRise Yoga Zoom workshop series will focus on the Warrior sequence. We’ll break down the poses individually and create a challenging and informative flow after a mobility warm-up. Substack subscribers get access to all of my Zoom workshops, as well as the workshop archive. You can also sign up for the workshop here.