Over the last decade, social media has proven an effective messaging tool for affected communities, relief workers and those wanting to spread the news to the outside world. But with four billion active social media users, a number which continues to grow, misinformation also enjoys a free ride.
A gender reveal party, for example, took the blame for California’s fires online. In reality, they were the result of collective failures in land use planning and environmental management, exacerbated by climate change and global warming: How is social media shaping disaster governance? | PreventionWeb.net
Earthquakes, because they cause anxiety, are a fertile ground for misinformation. For instance, fake predictions often spread after damaging earthquakes.
Have you experienced that ?
In #Mayotte (France), following the mysterious earthquakes in 2018 many false rumors also circulated… that was due not only because of fear and anxiety but also because there was no scientific explanations!
Among the rumors? Secret petrol drills under the sea or a cow that had been burried alive and was moving underground.
What seems to be sure is that misinformation related to earthquakes is often linked to the cultural context. Here in Mayotte for instance, the beleif of the cow is influenced by animist culture.