.webp)
It’s safe to say there’s a lot going on in the world right now. Sometimes it can be difficult to discern real news from fake news. The good news is, many leading social media platforms, such as Instagram and Tiktok, are providing online users with reliable and genuine health sources about COVID-19, generated through the automatic detection of user tags including #coronavirus. Users are presented with a pop up from health.gov.au which prompts them to stay updated on health precautions and preventive strategies.
So how can we really combat fake news during this time? The main thing to question when reading an article or news story generated through social platforms is - how reliable is this source? If the source is from an Australian news or health website such as ABC, Nine News, or health.gov.au, your safest bet is that the news is genuine.
It’s times like these that make us thankful for social media now more than ever, with the chance to stay connected to our online community, while also remaining informed and educated about COVID-19.