Population Health
July 25, 2024
How online influencers profit from spreading anti-vaccine misinformation
Instagram is increasingly serving as both a prominent news source and a platform awash in misinformation. University of Washington researchers recently investigated three Instagram influencers who disseminated anti-vaccine messages to better understand how such dissemination led to the promotion of products and fostered parasocial relationships with their followers to endorse products that supported anti-vaccine beliefs.
The research team found several patterns in the studied influencers including gender (i.e., the influencers were all women), reliance on stereotypical “guilt trip” appeals and a focus on natural wellness rather than traditional Western medicine.