Evgeny Morozov posts on Neteffect.The New ForeignPolicy.com April 25 5.56 P.M.:
“Despite all the recent Twitter-enthusiasm about this platform’s unique power to alert millions of people in decentralized and previously unavailable ways, there are quite a few reasons to be concerned about Twitter’s role in facilitating an unnecessary global panic about swine flu”.
(..) “First of all, I should point out from the very outset that anyone trying to make sense of how Twitter’s “global brain” has reacted to the prospect of the swine flu pandemic is likely to get disappointed. The “swine flu” meme has so far that misinformed and panicking people armed with a platform to broadcast their fears are likely to produce only more fear, misinformation and panic”
“Here is a tough question to communication experts out there: how do we reach the digital natives out there, especially those who are only accessible via Facebook and Twitter feeds? The problem is that while thousands of concerned and misinformed individuals took to Twitter to ventilate their fears, government and its agencies were still painfully missing from the social media space; the Twitter of account of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] was posting updates once in a few hours – and that was probably the only really trustworthy source people could turn to online”.
Also check Ben Parr’s posting on the Social Media Guide Mashable ‘HOW TO: Track Swine Flu Online’
“This resource guide will help you better track not only cases of Swine Flu, but other public health concerns as well”.
“Stay Calm, Stay Informed. While there’s likely to be much concern on social networking sites about public health incidents, it’s important to keep things in proportion, and go direct to the sources of news rather than spreading panic”.
Comments
@ 05:25
Mexico and over population is the real problem.
Just ask the Catholic Church.
The Wolfman
@ 09:41
As with everyting in life it is best to be prepared. Here is a link to the CDC for information on the Swine Flu. http://pfx.me/NR
@ 18:37
Because we in the US have swine all around us and especially in the midwest and south where swine smell actually permiates the air, and because we eat large portions of swine, we are less apt to get severe cases of swine deseases. Our immune system is set up because of our contact with the animals.
Swine do not die from swine flu.
@ 09:43
You’re ignorant “Wolfman” but i dont expect any better with someone who refers to themselves as that.
Mexico is not the problem. The first cases were reported in the United States in mid March. The first reported case in mexico was in mid April. The problem that it hit so hard in Mexico is because they do not encounter the flu as much as the U.S. population does, so the people in Mexico have not developed any sort of immunity towards the virus. Also, mexico city is a cluttered place yes but it does not differ from places like Los Angeles, New York, etc SO DONT BLAME IT ON OVERPOPULATION. It surely does not help the situation but it is not the main blame.
So.. ignorants out there who blame it on mexico and like those delagates in Israel that want to change the name to Mexican Influenza, you aught to know better. So what if you dont eat pork? It’s airborne. If they are so sensitive to the name why arent theys sensitive to the fact that changing the name to Mexican Influenza will piss off the Mexican people. People cant look past their own nose.
Lear the facts and stop blaming people. This is all over the world and nobody knows where it started. Just like with any other disease, it always Kills the people who are most unprepared; in this instance it just so happened to be Mexico.
@ 04:31
yeah..Twitter has gone crazy those days with swine flu…We launched a review-debate on our blog “is the swine flu infecting social medias?”. Your input will be much appreciated.
Regards
@ 10:52
Raymond–You are a Moron if you think things are clean in Mexico some or these poor people still live in squaler and guess what I blame dumb ass people like you for this problem.
Smell The Wolfman