Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Distrust in science is a cancer to public safety

Kajal Gupta, PhD
Conditions
June 7, 2022
41 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

When a congressional candidate was recently cheered on after demanding the execution of Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, it was another reminder that civil discourse and trust in science are continuing to dwindle.

A controversial household name in the sciences, Dr. Fauci was the first scientist to make the cover of Time Magazine in its 100-year history. Well-established scientists can easily recognize Fauci’s important contributions to science and humanity. However, social media influencers who lack a deeper knowledge of science continue to traffic enormous amounts of misinformation about Fauci’s expertise and COVID-19 vaccines.

While incredible scientific milestones can turn lab coat stars into pop-culture sensations, Fauci’s celebrity status is undoubtedly outside the norm when it comes to widespread interest in the sciences. But, at the onset of the pandemic, Fauci failed to protect the American public from a misinformation overload by not learning more about how powerful online propaganda could be — and the experts he should have learned from were social media influencers.

Thanks to social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.) and scores of reckless websites, people still believe that COVID-19 is not real, masks are ineffective and the latest vaccines alter DNA and cause sterility — none of which is true. While the information provided by scientists did not suffice, social media influencers without any prior medical degrees have been validated with trust.

Unfortunately, most infectious disease experts don’t have social media influence on their side to counteract the steady flow of misinformation coming from harmful, yet popular, online personalities. The world, at least for now, is rewarding social media influencers and science interlopers with enumerable likes, shares, and forwards.

Countless suspicions about science continue to float around the internet unchecked. Since the beginning of the pandemic, people have dismissed the idea and life-saving abilities of COVID-19 vaccines. Instead, conspiracy theories spread about how scientists could develop a safe vaccine so quickly but still have no cure for cancer.

Furthermore, the credentials of scientists who have worked for over more than two decades in developing an mRNA-based vaccine were called into question.

The power that mainstream media holds to spread inappropriate representations of scientific research is concerning. While well-meaning mainstream media tries to help, too often, the results become sales points rather than public service. For example, when a friend of mine published an article about how the dietary flavanols often found in red wine can help with Alzheimer’s dementia, the findings were primarily used for the benefit of selling wine.

Without public buy-in and funding, anti-science will prevail, and critically important science related to health and disease won’t move forward. People may not have a vaccine to combat the next pandemic.

Instead, there might only be arguments with no public support for research — and the problem runs deeper than COVID-19.

Eighty-nine percent of Americans with medical concerns or symptoms consult with Google before their doctor, and simply trust the top search results as the truth. In this digital age, it is critical that the public learns to verify health information with reputable doctors and scientists. Otherwise, people on the internet will continue playing Russian roulette with their bodies and lives.

The question of the hour should be: What can scientists do to bridge the ever-widening chasm between scientific expertise and public knowledge?

With so much distrust of science now, universal messaging from scientists needs to improve. The public should always be aware of how important science is for society, and the scientific community owns this responsibility to ensure trust in scientists instead of social influencers who sometimes don’t even identify themselves.

In recent years, more scientists have realized that it’s not enough to just do science in the laboratory. Researchers must be able to explain their work in words that make their discoveries relevant and understandable to decision-makers outside of the scientific community. Scientists generally feel like they need to change people’s minds, but instead, they need to find ways to connect to what people already care about. Learning to talk about science using a story or clear analogies can help make scientific research more interesting, relatable and applicable to the public.

Young scientists attaining their PhD training should be better trained to communicate scientific issues and associated groundbreaking research to the public, media, and stakeholders. Senior scientists should train young PhD students on how to communicate science in a non-scientific scenario. Teaching them the importance of telling the story of the science process– inviting people, including media stakeholders, to see that science is more than just a collection of facts — it is a practice of exploration. This can give the public more confidence in science and help make science and scientists more relatable.

Generations so highly influenced by social media and divisive political rhetoric have villainized Fauci. Doctors, scientists and researchers who become heroes of the social media age must take their place to turn the tide against the misinformation threatening scientific progress and health. As for me, I promise to start tweeting regularly.

Kajal Gupta is a research scientist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

"My doctor made me cry": Headlines that are examples of victim-blaming

June 7, 2022 Kevin 3
…
Next

The MMI: 3 strategies to help you prepare

June 7, 2022 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease

Post navigation

< Previous Post
"My doctor made me cry": Headlines that are examples of victim-blaming
Next Post >
The MMI: 3 strategies to help you prepare

Related Posts

  • Is social media a friend or foe of science?

    Michael Joyce, MD
  • Fight gun violence with science

    Jamie Coleman, MD
  • Hormone replacement therapy is still linked to cancer

    Martha Rosenberg
  • Take politics out of science and medicine

    Allison Neitzel, MD
  • Low income is a neglected public health issue

    Vania Silva
  • Our public health efforts depend on flexibility and trust

    John Connolly

More in Conditions

  • Lazarus: the dead man brought back to life

    William Lynes, MD
  • The psychoanalytic hammer: lessons in listening and patient-centered care

    Greg Smith, MD
  • 5 essential tips to help men prevent prostate cancer

    Kevin Jones, MD
  • Changing the pediatric care landscape: Integrating behavioral and mental health care

    Hilary M. Bowers, MD
  • Unlocking the secret to successful weight loss: Curiosity is the key

    Franchell Hamilton, MD
  • The teacher who changed my life through reading

    Raymond Abbott
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
    • Beyond the disease: the power of empathy in health care

      Nana Dadzie Ghansah, MD | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why it’s time to question medical traditions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden gems of health care: Unlocking the potential of narrative medicine

      Dr. Najat Fadlallah | Physician
    • The realities of immigrant health care served hot from America’s melting pot

      Stella Cho | Policy
    • The dark side of immortality: What if we could live forever?

      Ketan Desai, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Lazarus: the dead man brought back to life

      William Lynes, MD | Conditions
    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 4 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Doc Moms, Mind the Gap -- $3M Earning Difference by Sex
  • Clinical Note Writing App Powered by GPT-4 Set to Debut This Year
  • Helping Patients Get Fit -- One Walk at a Time
  • TB Cases Rebound to Near Pre-Pandemic Levels, CDC Data Show
  • Marginalized Groups May Benefit More From Decreasing Air Pollution

Meeting Coverage

  • Switch to IL-23 Blocker Yields Deep Responses in Recalcitrant Plaque Psoriasis
  • Biomarkers of Response With Enfortumab Vedotin in Advanced Urothelial Cancer
  • At-Home Topical Therapy for Molluscum Contagiosum Gets High Marks
  • Outlook for Itchy Prurigo Nodularis Continues to Improve With IL-31 Antagonist
  • AAAAI President Shares Highlights From the 2023 Meeting
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Healing the damaged nurse-physician dynamic

      Angel J. Mena, MD and Ali Morin, MSN, RN | Policy
    • The struggle to fill emergency medicine residency spots: Exploring the factors behind the unfilled match

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Breaking the stigma: Addressing the struggles of physicians

      Jean Antonucci, MD | Physician
    • Beyond the disease: the power of empathy in health care

      Nana Dadzie Ghansah, MD | Physician
    • Deaths of despair: an urgent call for a collective response to the crisis in U.S. life expectancy

      Mohammed Umer Waris, MD | Policy
  • Past 6 Months

    • The hidden dangers of the Nebraska Heartbeat Act

      Meghan Sheehan, MD | Policy
    • The real cause of America’s opioid crisis: Doctors are not to blame

      Richard A. Lawhern, PhD | Meds
    • Nobody wants this job. Should physicians stick around?

      Katie Klingberg, MD | Physician
    • The fight for reproductive health: Why medication abortion matters

      Catherine Hennessey, MD | Physician
    • The vital importance of climate change education in medical schools

      Helen Kim, MD | Policy
    • Resetting the doctor-patient relationship: Navigating the challenges of modern primary care

      Jeffrey H. Millstein, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Why it’s time to question medical traditions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden gems of health care: Unlocking the potential of narrative medicine

      Dr. Najat Fadlallah | Physician
    • The realities of immigrant health care served hot from America’s melting pot

      Stella Cho | Policy
    • The dark side of immortality: What if we could live forever?

      Ketan Desai, MD, PhD | Physician
    • Lazarus: the dead man brought back to life

      William Lynes, MD | Conditions
    • Revolutionizing COPD management with virtual care solutions [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today iMedicalApps
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Distrust in science is a cancer to public safety
4 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...