People who use social media to obtain information are less willing to receive a coronavirus vaccine than others, according to a study.
The researchers surveyed 1476 adults and five focus groups in the UK in December 2020, as the vaccine roll-out got under way.
They found that YouTube users were significantly less willing to be vaccinated, with a 45 per cent probability of vaccine willingness.
Recommendations based on a person’s viewing history can create an echo chamber effect on YouTube, the researchers say.
“Misinformation proliferates on some social media platforms because users receive content suggestions aligned with their fears and watch histories, driving them into deeper rabbit holes,” said study author Melinda Mills from the University of Oxford, UK.
“Information is often presented by non-experts, with limited fact checking, making it difficult to gauge the accuracy or balance the information. There was often a knowledge void in understanding the risks.”
Source: YouTube “echo chambers” may increase covid-19 vaccine hesitancy | New Scientist