A new wave of rumours has hit social media, urging everyone to pour bleach and toilet cleaner Harpic down the drains and sinks in order to prevent the spread of dengue. However, according to public health officials, there is no shred of truth in these rumours. Furthermore, pouring these harmful chemicals down the drain will do more harm than good. These harsh chemicals are likely to kill aquatic life and destroy the environment.
Deliberate rumours being spread across social media is nothing new for our country. A certain segment of people often aim to instigate chaos in the country using social media. With time, more and more people are gaining access to the internet and social media. As a result, it is becoming increasingly effortless to spread the most ridiculous rumours to each and every corner of the country.
Regardless of educational backgrounds, people seem to believe everything they read and see on the internet. If it’s on the internet, they believe it to be verified truth. A group of people with vested interests are therefore taking full advantage of the fact and spreading the most harmful lies and misinformation to lead people astray and cause panic among the general population.
Each and every one of us has to be extra vigilant in times like these in order to stop the flow of misinformation and plain lies. If all of us use our social media platforms to help discredit these rumours and only share verified, accurate information it will be possible to stop the miscreants in their tracks.
The government is also taking steps to discredit rumours and bust the myths surrounding the dengue outbreak in order to prevent full on chaos and panic. The government has already formed a 13-member committee in this regard. The high level committee will sit together to find a way to prevent rumours. They have also started to take stern action against those spreading malicious misinformation in order to make examples out of them.
