Social Media Affecting Public

Health
By: Jocelyn Castillo
Denise Montiano
Elaine Le

Overall Thesis
While social media can create awareness and
raise funds for public health, it can also be
used as a mechanism of fear and control by
the government.

The Outbreak, The People, and the

U.S. Government
Thesis: Although the social media informs
society about the importance of public health;
the social media overreacts the the Ebola
epidemic by showing fear, giving the
government the power to create procedures,
such as the quarantine, in order to prevent the
virus from spreading in the U.S.

What is Ebola?
According to British Broadcasting Corporation,
Ebola is a viral illness.
Symptoms:
Sudden fever
Intense Weakness
Soar Throat
Muscle Pain
Diarrhea
Some experience internal and external bleeding

How is it transmitted?
Wild Animals
Human-to-human
Exposed to bloodily fluids

Where did it originate?

First outbreak was in 1976 in Zaire, in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
Statistics Report:
318 people had Ebola
280 people died from the virus ( 88% )

What are the people (social media)

saying about this outbreak?
People think this virus is going to mutate and
become airborne.
Saying the government is a hypocrite for not
worrying about chronic diseases, HIV, etc.
Stigmatizing the African culture, and blaming
them for the Ebola virus being brought to the
U.S.

What is the government doing?

CNN states the quarantine
CDC reports Ebola screenings in airports
The Perspective states military forces are
being sent to West Africa in order to help
provide supplies

Power Dynamics
Media is exaggerating the outbreak, giving the
government the power to create quarantine,
create Ebola screenings in airports.

The Perspective states, the military forces being

sent to West Africa, are a sign of dominance from
the U.S. because it is showing that the U.S.
government is doubting the African knowledge
and ability to afford finding a cure for Ebola.

Ebola Campaigns
We Own TV
www.weowntv.org/about/ebola-campaign
Ebola Survival Fund
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHvHFwqG42U
Ethos: has famous people and well known doctors talk
about Ebola

Both have show pathos and logos:

Show children having survival certificates and statistics
about death rates

Consequences caused by government

actions
Positive and Negative:
Positive: Government looks like they really are concerned
about the public health. Trying to prevent virus from
spreading.

Negative:
People are pinpointing the government and calling them
hypocrites.
Time To Put Ebola Into Context says safest way to develop
an effective response to societies fear over the disease, there
should be a balance between long-term existing diseases and
diseases new to our era.

Ebola Outbreak?!
Although social media can create awareness
and promote social change for Ebola, it can
also be used as a method to create a sense of
fear and to falsely inform society.

Solution

STATE THE FACTS

Ways to keep yourself from catching the disease
Symptoms of Ebola virus disease
Controlling infection in health-care settings

Credibility
High-level politicians to
cultural icons states
provocative comments
about the spread of
Ebola
Senator Rand Paul
CNN corrects comments
by stating facts

Fake News Story Goes Viral

Ebola victim rose from the dead
Possible zombie apocalypse?

Pathos and Fear Mongering

17 Texas kindergarten
students tested positive
for Ebola
Liberian exchange
student
Article scares parents
into being alert and
aware

EBOLA MEMES
Spreads throughout social media with false
information

Social Activism

Mark Zuckerberg
Sierra Leone
#SHAKEEBOLAOFF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_jHGrD
V7Cc

Statistics and History of the Pink

Ribbon
Average of about 40K women expected to
die from breast cancer each year
Before the pink, there was yellow then red.
Ribbon received great attention from the
public
1992 The Year of the Ribbon

Thesis
Social media brings awareness of the concerns
of breast cancer, and informs society of ways
to take part in the social campaigns.
Examples:

The Pink Ribbon

Redesigned app logos
Races/marathons
Celebrity advertisements

Social Campaigns
Redesigned app logos

Social Campaigns cont

Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure

The Race for the Cure is an educational and a fundraising event that allows
people from everywhere to participate in helping raise funds and awareness
for the movement

Social Campaigns
Celebrity advertisements Lea Michele & Evian Water
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcoM187lloo&feat
ure=youtu.be

#REFORMNOTWARN
PURPOSE to make a change and spread
awareness
https://twitter.com/ReformNotWarn