After TV personality Danielle Lloyd’s melanoma diagnosis earlier this year she was faced with not only the anxiety and treatment of cancer but also an alarming reality: Influencers spreading dangerous misinformation on sun protection.
The 41-year old has been vocal in her criticism of social media personalities who lie to their fans regarding sunscreen products.
Cancer misinformation has serious consequences. It can lead people to avoid treatments that could save their lives or delay them. It can also erode the trust of medical professionals.
It is easy for misinformation to spread because it appeals to people’s emotions. Fear, confusion, and the desire to control can lead people who have been diagnosed with cancer to look for remedies that provide hope, even if they don’t come from credible sources.
The misinformation is often comforting and simple. However, real medicine can be complex, uncertain, and difficult to accept. False cancer claims are convincing because they eliminate uncertainty as to whether or not treatment will be effective, and if cancer will return.
Social media platforms are a powerful tool for spreading false cancer messages. They can make them seem more popular or credible than they really are. Influencers and non-qualified practitioners who profit from pseudoscience are a major factor.
The framing of messages plays an important role in spreading cancer misinformation. Studies have shown we are more likely to respond to messages that focus on what we may lose, rather than what could be gained. This is due to loss-aversion, our tendency to fear losing more than we value gaining equivalent benefits.
Cancer messages that focus on possible losses, such as comfort, health or even life, feel more personal, urgent and motivating.
Cancer misinformation which emphasizes the fear of losing a loved one can be particularly persuasive, as it plays directly on people’s fears. False statements that warn about harmful side effects of treatments, hidden dangers or conspiracy theories suggesting doctors are trying to harm their patients can strike an emotional chord. People are more likely to share and believe these messages even if they’re untrue.
Misinformation, such as the claim that chemotherapy does not cure cancer but instead spreads it and shortens life spans, can cause fear and resistance towards treatment.
Truthful messages that state that chemotherapy may have side effects, but greatly increases your chances of survival can seem less frightening, and sometimes less compelling, because they emphasize potential gains instead of losses.
Cancer is a diagnosis that can be emotionally draining and have high stakes. Misinformation framed in loss can spread quickly and influence decisions which can put people at danger. Cancer misinformation framed by loss can overwhelm rational thinking, even when it is backed up with accurate medical information.
The principle that the bad is stronger than the good, also known as “negativity” bias, explains why misinformation about cancer that causes fear or anxiety sticks more often than messages that are based on facts and hope. In times of uncertainty, negative information has a greater impact on our thoughts and feelings.
Prebunking
prebunking is a great way to prevent people from falling victim to cancer misinformation. This method involves teaching people to recognize and reject false or misleading information before it takes hold.
It focuses in particular on the tactics used to deceive and scare others so that they are easier to recognize and dismiss when encountered.
People can be taught to recognize and avoid the tactics of fear-mongering – where messages exaggerate risk to incite anxiety – or promises of miracle cures without scientific evidence, and misleading statistics which distort facts and false claims.
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These techniques can help cancer patients be more vigilant when encountering suspicious information on the internet, social media or by word-of-mouth.
According to research, people are less likely than before to believe false information when they understand the strategies that lie behind it. The increased awareness allows them to ask questions, seek advice and pause before making decisions that affect their health.
Prebunking explained.
Prebunking is a great way to protect cancer patients from misinformation. This allows them to make better, safer decisions by navigating through the emotional claims about cancer.
Carl Sagan , a scientist from the University of California at Berkeley, said it best. “Extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence.” This is a simple idea but powerful — especially when you’re fighting cancer misinformation.
Sagan’s quotation is a good reminder to slow down and think critically. It also reminds us to ask for solid proof, especially when the cancer information we hear sounds too perfect or alarming.
Andy Levy has not disclosed any relevant affiliations other than their academic appointment. He does not work, consult, own or receive funding from companies or organisations that would benefit from the article.
