Monday, October 11, 2021

Influenzers


You've no doubt seen or heard of social media users prominent enough that others follow them.  These users have enough reach that companies seek to have them promote their products.  I shouldn't say reach.  I should say influence.

You've also no doubt heard of some of them promoting health misinformation, including about vaccination.  They'll unfortunately try to influence you not to get vaccinated, when vaccines are our best defense against disease.

In their lack of understanding, they just might get you sick.  I call these people influenzers.

It's one thing, of course, when someone gets you to buy beauty products or some such.  It's another when it's life or death.  And people are dying from failing to vaccinate.

An estimated 675,000 people in the US died from the 1918 influenza pandemic, which was a little over .6% of the population.  Meanwhile, Covid-19 has killed over 700,000 so far, per Google, about .21% of the population.

That might look favorable—about 1/3 the 1918 percentage—until you consider that we are a century more advanced in medical technology, and have a vaccine for this pandemic's cause, which they didn't in 1919.  All they could do then was treat symptoms, where we can prevent the disease outright.  Which makes the comparison atrocious.

So to anyone looking online for health advice, go to people who might not be flashy or exciting, but know what they're talking about.  The CDC, Mayo Clinic, someone like that.

Someone who's earned their reputation by what they've done, not who they've drawn in.  We don't need to return to the days of smallpox, scarlet fever, yellow fever, polio, mumps, whooping cough, and all that.

Influence is a form of power.  "You must use this power only for good."  "With great power comes great responsibility."

Even comic books know what to promote.