Why moms are the perfect target for anti-vax influencers
If you?re a mom and have found yourself wondering if it?s really a good idea to vaccinate your children after scrolling through Instagram, that could be thanks to the concerted efforts of anti-vaccine influencers, according to a new study.
The research, which was published in January 2022 in the journal Information, Communication & Society, looked at how anti-vaccine sentiments are disseminated on Instagram and discovered that anti-vax influencers were methodically targeting mothers. They do it, says the study, by carefully packaging their message with themes that appeal specifically to new moms: being protective of our children, not allowing harmful chemicals in their bodies, and being in tune with their needs.
?There is somewhat of an assumption that moms, and in particular suburban mothers, are key players [in vaccine misinformation],? says Stephanie Baker, the lead researcher on the study and a senior lecturer in sociology at the University of London. But the study found that mothers are actually ?strategically targeted as a group by key players. And this complicates the cliche.? The study analyzed the types of posts made by thirteen anti-vax Instagram influencers. Twelve of them were influencers whom other researchers in the field have called the ?disinformation dozen? since they were found to be responsible for two-thirds of all misinformation on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also looked at posts by Andrew Wakefield, the discredited academic who ...
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