Over the past few years, the devastating effects of the anti-vaxxer movement have become apparent. The disinformation spread by people who believe that vaccines are dangerous and cause autism led to a historic measles outbreak in the U.S. in 2019.
A recent poll found the number of Americans who believe that "it is extremely or very important that parents vaccinate their children" has dropped by 10% since 2001. Currently, 84% of Americans believe it's important to have their children vaccinated.
The anti-vaxxer movement is growing despite the fact there have been over 140 peer-reviewed articles, published in relatively high impact factor or specialized journals that document the lack of a correlation between autism and vaccines.
The need to combat the disinformation spread by anti-vaxxers has become even more important in the COVID-19 era. Reports from major pharmaceutical companies there could be a COVID-19 vaccine ready by within the next few months.
An effective vaccine would help stop the virus that's claimed over 200,00 American lives and help get the economy back on track. But if Americans are hesitant to take the vaccine due to disinformation from anti-vaxxers, the virus could continue to spread indefinitely.
A recent poll found that 35% of Americans wouldn't take a COVID-19 vaccine. Sixty percent said they would and 5% are unsure. Democrats were also more likely to be willing to take the vaccine than Republicans, 71% to 48%.
Earlier this month, Republican senator Mitt Romney of Utah called for an "aggressive campaign" to counter anti-vaxxer disinformation on vaccines.
"There are literally books out there written to describe why vaccines are bad," the Utah Republican said at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing." And I wonder if it does not make sense for our government to put out a very comprehensive effort to dispel this growing sense of vaccines being bad."
"I don't know how you do that, but it would come to mind that you are doing that with regards to tobacco and massive advertising on TV," the senator continued. "You could have debates, you could call in these people who write these books and have discussions with them, which are publicized. You could have a much more aggressive campaign on social media."
NIH director Dr. Francis Collins responded to Romney's suggestion saying the situation causes "anger" and "frustration" that this "kind of misinformation is so readily spread by people who have another agenda."
Romney should be all too familiar with the thread caused by anti-vaxxers. Utah has rated in the bottom ten of states in the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis), polio, H. influenzae type B, as well as 4, 5 and 7-vaccine series among 19- to 35-month-olds.
The Public Library of Science Medicine rated Salt Lake City and Provo as hotspots for anti-vaccination.
If the government hopes to reverse the growth of the anti-vaxxer movement, it better move quickly. It's been growing even faster than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More people have fallen for anti-vaxxer rhetoric due to their mistrust of president Trump on vaccines, the growing Q Anon conspiracy, and skepticism over the speed in which a potential vaccine can be developed.
"Anti-vaccination sentiment is going into the mainstream," Heidi Larson, director of the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the Los Angeles Times. "A lot of people you never would have imagined are now saying that maybe the anti-vaccination lobby has a point."
Ultrasound of human baby.Image via 
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A couple speaks with a fertility professional.Image via 
Love, Mom.Photo from Heidi Johnson 
A teen boy having a hard time. 
Hands hold a digital representation of the brain.Image via 
Mother and daughter work a puzzle.Image via 
Man and woman connect under the sunshine.Image via 
The obituary paints a comic, if bleak, picture. 
A Facebook post about the obituary.
Why do some folks use social media but don't engage?
Psychologist says people who never comment on social media share these 5 positive traits
For over 20 years, social media has developed into a staple in many people’s day-to-day lives. Whether it’s to keep in communication with friends and family, following the thoughts of celebrities, or watching cat videos while sipping your morning coffee, there seem to be two types of social media users: commenters and lurkers.
The term “lurker” sounds equally mysterious and insidious, with some social media users writing them off as non-participants at best or voyeurs at worst. However, mindfulness expert Lachlan Brown believes these non-commenters have some very psychologically positive and healthy traits. Let’s take a look at how each one of these traits could be beneficial and see how fruitful lurking might be even though it can drive content creators crazy.
1. Cautious about vulnerability
Consciously or not, making a post online or commenting on one puts you and your words out there. It’s a statement that everyone can see, even if it’s as simple as clicking “like.” Doing so opens yourself up to judgment, with all the good, bad, and potential misinterpretation that comes with it. Non-commenters would rather not open themselves up to that.
These silent users are connected to a concept of self-protection by simply not engaging. By just scrolling past posts or just reading/watching them without commentary, they’re preventing themselves from any downsides of sharing an opinion such as rejection, misunderstanding, or embarrassment. They also have more control on how much of themselves they’re willing to reveal to the general public, and tend to be more open face-to-face or during one-on-one/one-on-few private chats or DMs. This can be seen as a healthy boundary and prevents unnecessary exposure.
Considering many comment sections, especially involving political topics, are meant to stir negative emotional responses to increase engagement, being extra mindful about where, when, and what you comment might not be a bad idea. They might not even take the engagement bait at all. Or if they see a friend of theirs post something vulnerable, they feel more motivated to engage with them personally one-on-one rather than use social media to publicly check in on them.
2. Analytical and reflective mindset
How many times have you gone onto Reddit, YouTube, or any other site and just skimmed past comments that are just different versions of “yes, and,” “no, but,” or “yes, but”? Or the ever insightful, formerly popular comment “First!” in a thread? These silent browsers lean against adding to such noise unless they have some valid and thoughtful contribution (if they bother to comment period).
These non-posters are likely wired on reflective thinking rather than their initial intuition. Not to say that all those who comment aren’t thoughtful, but many tend to react quickly and comment based on their initial feelings rather than absorbing the information, thinking it over, researching or testing their belief, and then posting it. For "lurkers," it could by their very nature to just do all of that and not post it at all, or share their thoughts and findings privately with a friend. All in all, it’s a preference of substance over speed.
3. High sense of self-awareness
Carried over from the first two listed traits, these silent social media users incorporate their concern over their vulnerability and their reflective mindset into digital self-awareness. They know what triggers responses out of them and what causes them to engage in impulsive behavior. It could be that they have engaged with a troll in the past and felt foolish. Or that they just felt sad after a post or got into an unnecessary argument that impacted them offline. By knowing themselves and seeing what’s being discussed, they choose to weigh their words carefully or just not participate at all. It’s a form of self-preservation through restraint.
4. Prefer to observe rather than perform
Some folks treat social media as information, entertainment, or a mix of both, and commenting can feel like they’re yelling at the TV, clapping alone in a movie theater when the credits roll, or yelling “That’s not true!” to a news anchor that will never hear them. But contrary to that, social media is a place where those yells, claps, and accusations can be seen and get a response. By its design, social media is considered by experts and the media as performative, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. Taking all of the previously mentioned traits into account, one can see why they would prefer to “observe the play” rather than get up on the stage of Facebook or X.
On top of that, these non-commenters could be using social media differently than those who choose to fully engage with it. Using this type of navigation, there may be nothing for them to comment about. Some commenters are even vying for this for their mental health. There are articles about how to better curate your social media feeds and manipulate algorithms to create a better social media experience to avoid unnecessary conflict or mentally tiring debate.
If you go on a blocking spree on all of your accounts and just follow the posters that boost you, it could turn your social media into a nice part of your routine as you mainly engage with others face-to-face or privately. In terms of commenting, if your curated Instagram is just following cute dogs and all you have to offer for a comment is “cute dog,” you might just enjoy the picture and then move on with your day rather than join in the noise. These non-commenters aren’t in the show and they’re fine with it.
5. Less motivated by social validation
The last trait that Brown showcases is that social media users who browse without posting tend to be independent from external validation, at least online. Social media is built to grow through feedback loops such as awarding likes, shares, and reposts of your content along with notifications letting you know that a new person follows you or wants to connect. This can lead many people to connect their activity on social media with their sense of self worth, especially with adolescents who are still figuring out their place in the world and have still-developing brains.
Engaging in social media via likes, shares, comments, and posts rewards our brains by having them release dopamine, which makes us feel good and can easily become addictive. For whatever reason, non-commenters don’t rely on social media as a means to gauge their social capital or self worth. This doesn’t make them better than those who do. While some non-commenters could have healthier ways to boost their self worth or release dopamine into their systems, many get that validation from equally unhealthy sources offline. That said, many non-commenters’ silence could be a display of independence and self confidence.
Whether you frequently comment online or don’t, it’s good to understand why you do or don’t. Analyzing your habits can help you determine whether your online engagement is healthy, or needs to be tweaked. With that information, you can then create a healthy social media experience that works for you.