The idea of social media is to make the interaction and exchange of information and ideas in virtual locations easy. With social media, you can easily get the latest news, trends, share your lifestyle, communicate with family and friends, and even air your views to the world without any hassle.
However, social media also has its many dark sides, one of which is fake news. The coronavirus pandemic has held the world to a standstill, with most countries initiating a lockdown to mitigate the crises.
Also Read: Alibaba Co-founder Jack Ma Donates To The US 500,000 Test Kits And 1 Million Masks For Combat Coronavirus
The lockdown has increased social media users' screen time as people stay online to get the latest news on COVID-19, communicate with loved ones via chats, and, well, present a perfect opportunity for some people to push a political agenda and cause confusion.
There are several fake news on coronavirus making the rounds on several social channels. One of which is that of Asia's richest man and co-founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma.
The message which is being spread on WhatsApp and Facebook in some countries in Africa, Nigeria to be precise, warns people to stay off "any CoronaVirus kits sent from China government through their agent called Jack Ma" because "their mission is to reduce the population of Nigeria and still make money from it."
Here's what the full message read:
In Spain: over 640,000 Covid 19 testing kits from China dont work
Czech: 150,000 kits from China re defective
Ukraine: 250,000 kits from China re defective
Turkey: 500,000 kits re defective
Netherlands: 600,000 mask from china hve been recalled
China proudly killing the world...
Please my fellow Nigerians...
Stay away from all the Coronavirus kits sent from China government through their agent called Jack Ma... It already arrived MMIA since Monday through Ethiopian airline. and I heard it was moved to Abuja for distribution... Who knows the fact.
But please don't get close to them in the name of God you serve i beg all of you...
Their mission is to reduce the population of Nigeria and still make money from it.
Those kits from China are the real Coronavirus.
Thanks...
Keep sharing please,
I love you all
Also Read: Man Building Coronavirus Device Gets 4 Magnets Stuck Up In His Nose
Obviously, there are very troubling times we are living in. Covid is not a joke. So you can understand why these rumors were troubling for the enigmatic billionaire. Apart from the fact that it is a very deadly virus, just catching Covid can bankrupt you because of many factors.
Even the prescription medication you must take is expensive. Nevertheless, there might be a solution at least for this issue. If you or a loved one has contracted covid and your medication is too expensive, you might want to consider joining a prescription advocacy program. You can get discounter meds like symbicort at a much lower price.
We have listed some tips on how to spot fake news.
1. Check deep:
Whenever you see a story of such nature, check if the site sharing it is a credible website. If you are not sure, check in the about section of the site and dig into the author.
2. Check beyond the headlines:
Don't just look at the headline of the article and then draw to a conclusion, read the entire article because many fake news uses shocking or sensational headlines to grab attention.
3. Check other sources:
Check if the story has a source, link, or if other reputable news/media outlets are reporting on the same story, or if the story even exist at all!
4. Check your biases:
Are your beliefs and views affecting your judgment of a news feature or report?
5. Jokes:
They are many popular satirical sites online and sometimes it's not clear whether a story is a joke or parody. Check about the sites to know more about it.