26.05.2023Digital Health: COVID-19 misinformation on YouTube

COVID-19 vaccination misinformation on YouTube can have negative effects on users. Some, after being exposed to such misinformation, may search online for information that either debunks or confirms it. A new study by Sabrina H. Kessler and Edda Humprecht examined the impact of YouTube videos spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccination, showing that misinformation about COVID-19 vaccination on YouTube can have a negative impact on recipients and that unvaccinated citizens in particular are a vulnerable group to online misinformation.

Kessler, S. H. & Humprecht, E. (2023). COVID-19 Misinformation on YouTube: An Analysis of Its Impact and Subsequent Online Information Searches for Verification. Digital Health, 9, 1-25. DOI: 10.1177/20552076231177131