Week Two-The Vaccine Epidemic
Miscommunication
Prompt #1: Briefly describe how the readings by Nebel and Stobbe and Sun relate to one of the types of miscommunication of science and technology we have discussed. Find an example of public communication of science or technology here that also evidenced one of the types of miscommunication and explain how.
In the reading by Nebel, the idea of SSRI causing autism during pregnancy is discussed. To quote Stobbe, “Correlation does not imply causation. This is a phrase used in science and statistics reminding us that a correlation between two variables does not automatically imply that one causes the other,” (Stobbe, 2011, p. 1). As all of the articles discuss vaccines, it is important to note that we live in a digital age by which one angry mom can post something on her Facebook and suddenly Pampers has a flock of 8,000 moms on their doorstep talking about diaper rashes.
One of the key points I think that all of the articles highlight is the importance of being cautious when using “Google University,” or social media to retrieve information. While it is helpful to use these platforms to gain information sometimes, at the end of the day they are all fallible.
The spread of false information has also proven to be dangerous. According to Sun, “Measles, which remains endemic in many parts of the world, was eliminated in the United States at the start of this century. It reappeared several years ago as more people — many wealthier, more educated and white — began refusing to vaccinate their children or delaying those shots,” (Sun, 2017, p. 7). This shows that angry Facebook moms are not only spreading false information but rather that what they are communicating is believed by many and has caused further outbreaks of diseases.
Attached is an anti-vaccine ad that was released in Germany per, https://global.handelsblatt.com/opinion/germany-land-anti-vax-moms-895184. It shows a child who is safe from all of the diseases because he is pure and doesn’t need to be vaccinated.