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The Instagram wellness influencers spreading climate misinformation

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Summary

This article discusses the rise of climate denial among a certain sect of health and wellness influencers on Instagram. Research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue found that these accounts, with over 9.5 million followers in total, have posted 140 times about climate change and the environment in the past year. Posts often include false claims about the climate impact of animal agriculture, claims that climate change is a result of geoengineering, and skepticism about the impact of climate change on natural disasters. The article also discusses how wellness influencers have shared extremist and anti-vaccine views, as well as QAnon, during the pandemic. Finally, the article suggests that the solution to this problem is to understand why people are drawn to these influencers and their messages, rather than simply removing them from the platform.

Q&As

What type of misinformation is being spread by health and wellness influencers on Instagram?
The health and wellness influencers on Instagram are spreading climate denial and other false claims about the climate impact of animal agriculture and geoengineering.

How is this misinformation being spread?
This misinformation is being spread via aesthetically pleasing posts from natural parenting advocates and nutritionists.

What did the Institute for Strategic Dialogue's report find about the spread of climate denial?
The Institute for Strategic Dialogue's report found that a small group of self-styled health and lifestyle gurus are helping climate denial find traction with new audiences.

What other types of conspiracy theories have been spread by the wellness community?
The wellness community has made extremist views mainstream by promoting QAnon and anti-vaccine misinformation.

What steps has Meta taken to address climate misinformation on its platforms?
Meta has a climate misinformation policy that works with independent fact-checking organizations to review climate-related content. When content is rated as false, they add a warning label and reduce its visibility on the platform. They also take action against accounts that post repeatedly share false claims.

AI Comments

👍 What an inspiring story of two furry friends and their dog dads starting a new life by the Mediterranean in the face of climate change!

👎 These Instagram wellness influencers are recklessly spreading climate misinformation and denying the science.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about Instagram wellness influencers spreading climate misinformation. It looks into how some of these influencers have been using their platforms to spread false claims about climate change and how it's creating a new audience for climate denial.

Friend: That's really concerning. It's bad enough that people have been spreading false information about climate change, but now it's getting even more exposure with these influencers.

Me: Yeah, it's definitely a major problem. What's worse is that these influencers have a unique relationship with their followers that can make it easier for them to spread their messages. It's also creating a false sense of empowerment for some people, leading them to focus more on self-optimization instead of collective action.

Action items

Follow the accounts of climate scientists and organizations on social media to stay informed about the latest climate science and research.
Support organizations that are working to combat climate misinformation and promote accurate climate science.
Educate yourself and others about the facts of climate change and the importance of collective action to address it.

Technical terms

Influencers: People who have a large following on social media and can influence the opinions and behaviors of their followers.
Conspiracy-minded: People who believe in conspiracy theories.
Conspirituality: A combination of conspiracy theories and New Age spirituality.
Geoengineering: The deliberate large-scale manipulation of the environment to counteract climate change.
QAnon: A far-right conspiracy theory that former President Trump saved the world from pedophiles.
Pastel QAnon: A rebranding of QAnon to make it more aesthetically pleasing and Instagram-ready.
Meta: The parent company of Facebook.
Fact-checkers: Organizations that review content to determine if it is true or false.
Tyranny: A form of government in which a single ruler has absolute power.
Purity: The state of being free from contamination or impurities.