(No) danger in the infodemic: how and why fake news and rumors are researched during the pandemic

Abstract

This article provides an analysis of several dozens of research papers dwelling on the social aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic - the emergence and development of the infodemic, i. e., a wave of rumors concerning disease - and proceeds to systematize their conclusions and findings. The author unfolds on two points of view concerning such rumors. According to the first point of view, the latter are a social illness and are, therefore, dangerous; according to the second one, such waves of rumors come from psychological adaptation. The coronavirus situation is peculiar in making people following a new medical policy over the long term. However, such new medical information is inherently traumatic as it requires that people change their lifestyle and, therefore, leads to serious stress. Therefore, finding themselves between the rock (the new and unknown danger) and the hard place (unwillingness and lack of understanding as to why the weird and threatening requirements must be followed), people start transmitting messages in which the “uncomfortable” official information is transformed. One cannot deny the negative implications of resorting to ill-advised remedies and ignoring valuable information, nevertheless, the transmission of rumors does serve its social functions. In short term perspective, these actions help not only to gain confidence but also to avoid social atomization in a setting of social tension. This paper is based upon the most recent research in cognitive psychology, sociology and anthropology from Russia and worldwide.