There might be a small number but when the major problem is misinformation I just don't have much faith in it really moving the needle as much as is necessary.
Given that we are seeing serious problems with people even getting traditional vaccines right now.
For the record: I would love very much to be wrong in everything I said above. But the last few years just don't have me holding out any hope.
From my observations, the relentless and heavy-handed censorship of "misinformation" created more skeptics than "misinformation" itself, especially in cases where the squashed sources were credentialed medical practitioners and researchers.
> especially in cases where the squashed sources were credentialed medical practitioners and researchers.
Every profession has its quacks and those borderline educated people. You can get a 70% in school (or whatever your school's almost failing grade is) and still become a doctor.
The only reason things are more "heavy-handed' today against misinformation (also for the record, putting quotes around a word doesn't change it from being lies) is there being so many people pushing those lies for certain reasons. Largely political (control) and fear mongering. In an attempt to themselves build mistrust against something to further their own goals.
This misinformation is causing serious problems that are being pushed to the side.
Unlike those that are pushing this misinformation, the scientific method is willing to admit when it is wrong. It is entirely how it is built to work.
Maybe instead of being so worried about the "censorship" (which again, to be clear they can continue to say whatever they want but they are also not free from the repercussions), you should ask why there is so much passion behind fighting the misinformation and the damage that misinformation is causing.
> created more skeptics than "misinformation" itself
I highly doubt it, because all of this started from misinformation itself. The only reason anyone had any reason to distrust vaccines is because they "cause autism". Which is entirely made-up, by the way. Like not even close to true. A 25 year old lie that has snowballed to something so extreme and so crazy.
If you give these conspiracists even a hint that there might not be a perfect solution, they WILL run with it. I mean, it was one obviously false study and here we are - vaccines cause autism.
So no, from where I'm sitting the misinformation is because of the misinformation. And because people want to believe it. I mean, you can just lie and people will eat it up if it's vaguely anti-establishment. That's dangerous. I'm talking thousands, if not tens of thousands, of lives dangerous. It's a legitimately difficult problem to address and I think some level of "censorship", or fact checking, is necessary.
> The only reason anyone had any reason to distrust vaccines is because they "cause autism
With the covid vaccine specifically the reason to distrust appears to be totally different. It was the extreme rush "to production" with a new piece of biotechnology without a long term track record, mandating its administering to the public, and at the same time the total suppression of any discussion of the risk-benefit balance and the side effects. This was precipitated also by the mask communication fiasco (they are "useless" first, then they are suddenly required). I hope you can see that distrust is a very expected outcome in people who tend to think critically.
At the time, a friend asked why I didn’t want the vaccine. I’d done my research, and I knew my benefit was marginal and that my risk from COVID itself was close to nil.
But best I could articulate at the time was that it was too tied up with letting us visit public places (remember passports?). It seemed manipulative, too much about theatre and very little about public or individual health.
Didn’t want to ruin a friendship by being too honest, although I wish I had been now.
Right, but the only reason this even became a discussion is because a seed of doubt was planted 25 years ago. Otherwise, people wouldn't care about a rush to production because vaccines wouldn't be perceived as having the ability to cause harm.
> I hope you can see that distrust is a very expected outcome in people who tend to think critically
How very slick, implying I'm stupid. No, I am able to think critically I'm just also able to see the writing on the wall and string together events.
The Covid distrust did not happen in isolation and anybody who thinks so must be blind and deaf. It was a long time coming, as conspiracists increased in radicality and reach. Before Covid MANY MANY new technologies and treatments were already beginning their spiral of distrust. 5G, MMR vaccine, therapy...
As soon as Covid began I knew there would be a select group of people who will oppose the largest narrative, regardless of what that narrative is. It was obvious to me that people would refuse to wear masks. They had no reasons of course - wearing a mask is hardly difficult. But because you tell them to wear it, it's a problem. Because that's how these people operate. They don't care about outcomes, they care about authority.
Even if the masks are barely effective or might not work, there's no harm in wearing them. But to the conspiracists it doesn't work that way. They fear becoming sheep, so they oppose for the sake of opposition.
> communication fiasco (they are "useless" first, then they are suddenly required)
Something I think people don't understand about Covid is that it was a NOVEL disease. Have you ever had a circumstance like Covid in your life before Covid? No, right?
So what does that tell you? That clearly these were new waters. Yes, what is true DOES change because people actually don't know! People's understanding of Covid over time changed because they learned new things.
To be clear, I don't think distrust is a bad thing. But I do think that the particular brand of distrust around Covid was largely not legitimate. And I think everyone knows that.
I myself am a skeptic. But for the right reasons. Not because I enjoy being difficult, or because I'm inherently opposed to authority. The majority of Covid "distrusters" are anti-science, radical conspiracists - more along the lines of flat earthers. These are not critical thinkers, quite the opposite.
Just like blindly following advice makes you a sheep, blindly distrusting advice makes you a sheep too, just in the opposite direction. You need to analyze the situation and your sources. For Covid, that largely meant understanding Covid is a unique situation with therefore unperfect solutions.
There might be a small number but when the major problem is misinformation I just don't have much faith in it really moving the needle as much as is necessary.
Given that we are seeing serious problems with people even getting traditional vaccines right now.
For the record: I would love very much to be wrong in everything I said above. But the last few years just don't have me holding out any hope.