Can the FDA’s Humorous Social Media Posts Combat Scientific Misinformation?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is incorporating humor into its social media messages aimed at reducing the spread of scientific misinformation. A recent Twitter post warning against ivermectin for use in COVID-19 drew thousands of likes and retweets. Experts think the use of humor could reach a wider audience.

Director of Social Media in the FDA’s Office of External Affairs Brad Kimberly remarks, “Historically, we’ve used our social media platforms to communicate about a lot of important public health issues in fairly straightforward ways, but as the platforms have evolved, we’ve embarked on an effort to find creative ways to deliver our messages,” adding, “These posts are designed to get peoples’ attention and, most importantly, combat dangerous viral misinformation.” Read more here.

(Source: Beth Snyder Bulik, Fierce Pharma, 8/27/21)