Covid-19, Memes, and the Infodemic
Whether it was whipped coffee or the cult-like following that series such as “
Tiger King” gained, the covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have led to the development of many an internet trend. But some of these trends are far more worrying than others, lockdowns and more time being spent online made it possible for misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories to be shared far and wide. Prior to the widespread and globalized usage of social media platforms, conspiracy theories had long been contained to the outskirts and outliers of society. But with the advent of algorithmic social media and the continuance of the covid-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories and accompanying information have been disseminated into the mainstream via inconspicuous means–MEMES. This rapid spread of information via social media platforms is now known as the infodemic.
What is the Infodemic?
Infodemics are described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as
An excessive amount of information about a problem, which makes it difficult to identify a solution. They can spread misinformation, disinformation and rumours during a health emergency. Infodemics can hamper an effective public health response and create confusion and distrust among people.
The infodemic seen alongside the covid-19 pandemic was witnessed taking place widely across the internet; from video sharing platforms such as YouTube and TikTok to the image and text-based platforms like Instagram and Facebook. The lockdowns induced by the pandemic made for a perfect storm–with people staying home and pushed out of their normal routines and social structures, people searched for and created spaces online for social networking. Conspiracy theories were started and disseminated through these social media platforms, then brought to life in the real world with people acting upon the information they consumed from these platforms.
In a study published by the Social and Personality Psychology Compass, researchers found that during the pandemic, people were faced with widespread disruption of traditional social and cognitive structures and turned to online alternatives as a result. Further, it was found that once people had ingratiated themselves in these alternative online structures, social media radicalized their beliefs leading to greater spread of information and reinforcement of conspiracy beliefs. The nature of social media to display radical and extreme beliefs led to this radicalization and this has led to a change in behavior offline. Offline behavior was then found to be posted back online, displaying more radicalization. And thus an endless cycle of “real world” and online radicalization was achieved.
Facebook, in particular, played an important role in the infodemic with its algorithms promoting content that elicited “angry” reaction emojis higher than other content that received likes or other reaction emojis like “love” and “haha”. This algorithmic phenomenon, although known about by researchers for a time, was recently brought into the light of the mainstream media by internal documents released by an employee whistleblower at Facebook. These documents are also said to recognize that posts that elicited “angry reaction emoji were disproportionately likely to include misinformation, toxicity and low-quality news.” (Merrill and Oremus 2021, WaPo)
This is further evidenced by previous outside research into the platform’s algorithms. A 2020 analysis into the platform found that the “newsfeed” (a primary function of the platform) prior to 2009, sorted itself chronologically and after 2009 prioritized high engagement, showing posts that gathered more engagement higher and more frequently in peoples newsfeeds. (Munn 2020) This type of information sharing and presentation leads to more reactionary posts to be shown to users as soon as the app or webpage is opened, rather than the chronologically ordered personal posts of family and friends that longtime users had come to know the platform for.
What is the role of memes?
Well, first of all–what even are memes? Many know memes as silly images or videos or pieces of text that are copied and reposted and remixed.
Perhaps the first image that comes to mind is a classic, the grumpy cat meme
Or maybe you are thinking about something a bit more cartoonish like the “y u no” character
Regardless of what silly image you first imagine, their meaning to the internet and our culture runs much deeper than just a humorous image. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines memes as first “an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from one person to another in a culture” and second as the meaning we commonly associate with the word in the context of the internet and social media–” an amusing or interesting picture, video, etc., that is spread widely through the Internet.” Through the first definition of the word, we can see that memes are much more intrinsic to our culture. Memes are representations of what culture is doing, the way it is acting, and what norms and values are being widely held. And through the second, more commonplace definition, we can see how memes are integral to the infodemic with their capabilities of “spread[ing] widely through the Internet.”
The use of meme templates in information spread is of particular interest. According to Scott DeJong of the Algorithmic Media Organization (AMO), “ using templates that recontextualize images from popular culture, meme makers have exploited the meme format to propel narratives that might be misleading or downright incorrect.” In doing so, memes are presented and used by and for users and creators as an approachable template for giving opinions and starting discussions. (DeJong 2020) However, the shareable nature and ease of creation lead memes to play a key role in spreading information. And of course, the spread of information in this quick and easy fashion leads to a greater spread of the infodemic.
The memes spread about covid-19 vary in their seriousness. This kind of variability leads to conspiracies being grouped in with jokes. For example, they range from the relatively silly and low stakes:
To the more serious, but still silly and excusable:
Finally the most serious in the series, where information provided is misleading and irrevocably harmful to gullible users. Sometimes providing information in such a way that demonstrates a sort of knowledgeability and power with its visual rhetoric:
Other times it is presenting the information in a way that distorts or entirely leaves out the necessary context required to understand the gravity of the issue at hand:
And finally, sometimes the information is just flat out false and purposely misleading to users:
What is Disinformation?
Within the greater scheme of history and society, disinformation is commonly known to be “false information created by governments in wartime for military purposes and by totalitarian governments for political purposes in peacetime.” Under this definition, a historical example of disinformation includes the rumors and lies started by the Soviet Union in hopes of discrediting the United States–reportedly starting in 1923 as a weapon of the KGB. (Manning 2004)
We see the term being used differently now though, in the age of the internet. Merriam-Webster defines disinformation as “false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth.” In this, there is no mention of the start or spread of false information originating from government or politics–simply it is spread purposely by any source in order to influence the public.
What is Misinformation?
Misinformation, quite simply, is defined by Merriam-Webster as “incorrect or misleading information.” People spreading misinformation are not the same that are spreading disinformation. The difference between the two terminologies is the intent and knowledge behind the act of spreading the information. In the case of misinformation, anyone can spread it unknowingly. In the case of disinformation, the deliberate nature of the act of spreading the information is what sets it apart from the rest.
Who made the current Infodemic so bad?
As discussed previously, the mere nature of social media algorithms has lent itself to the proliferation of the infodemic. However, this nature has also been exploited by a select few, leading to investigations to be done on such users.
The Disinformation Dozen
The Disinformation Dozen is a study published by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) that uncovered that just twelve individuals and their organizations were responsible for almost two-thirds of the anti-vaccine rhetoric swirling around the internet during the covid-19 pandemic. These individuals were found to mostly use Facebook and Twitter in order to propagate their propaganda. The article points out that despite many terms of service violations made by these people and organizations, they and their posts were allowed to remain on the platforms. The research displays the problem very clearly: the infodemic is large, widespread, and originating from just a few individuals and organizations which have been allowed to keep their platforms despite continuous rule-breaking. (CCDH 2021)
Additional Disinformation Spreaders
The Associated Press has also worked to uncover such actors in the infodemic. Working together with the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, research was done into the superspreaders of covid-19 conspiracy theories. This research uncovered nine individuals and organizations that on the surface had some qualifications and authority. But when investigated more deeply, they actually did not possess such qualifications or their authority was exaggerated. The AP found that many of these individuals used their false authority to garner respect and followers of their conspiracies. It is found that legitimate questions about the pandemic are misconstrued and weaponized by individuals in order to gain power, relevance, and a following.
Conclusion
The Infodemic we have and are experiencing in tandem with the covid-19 pandemic is a complex and worrying issue plaguing our internet-facing culture. Memes are of special interest within the infodemic as their mode of creation and dissemination lends itself especially well to how the Infodemic is perpetuated. We can only benefit from understanding the ins and outs of the infodemic. By exploring the role of visual rhetoric (in the form of memes), understanding the differences are in the types of information being spread, and knowing where the significant bulk of disinformation is coming from, we are more able to become cognizant of the dangers of social media and its role in our post-pandemic lives.
For a look at the creative portion of my project, take a look at the twitter account I have made to present my research and additional thoughts on the subject.
Works Cited
David Klepper, Farnoush Amiri. “The Superspreaders behind Top Covid-19
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DeJong, Scott. “Memes in the Infodemic: Circulation of Conspiracy and
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