#imagine a pandemic that targets people like you

[cassolotl]

Sometimes something puts me into my context as a queer born in the 80s and growing up in Section 28 England, and there's nothing else really to do except have a little cry about it.

“There’s a generation of queer people grieving for the childhood they never had,” Haigh says. “I think there’s a sense of nostalgia for something we never got, because we were so tormented. It feels close to grief. It dissipates, but it’s always there."

[cringelordofchaos]

Tolkien Black headcanons !!!!!!

Tw for multiple mentions of getting shot

Non-binary + romantically attracted to girls (based on Tupperware character description), pronouns - he/they

A bit of a Math+physics nerd + one of the best students in class (Cartman canonically cheats off of them on tests sometimes)

Has a really healthy and wholesome relationship with their parents + they sometimes either intentionally or unintentionally embarrass him in front of his friends but all in good fun (think of Ninjago Jay's relationship with Ed and Edna for reference)

Bit of a complicated relationship with Nichole (canon but i forgot in which episode it was said, but Nichole told Cartman that she and Tolkien are having some issues in their relationship? But it's not any of Cartmans business) (though he loves her and they even canonically have a picture of them together in his room)

Best friends with Craig, Clyde's a close second

Already mentioned it in my Craig headcanons posts but before Craig got with Tweek he would joke about proposing to Tolkien in the future so he could live off of their and their parents wealth lmao

Most serious/realistic??? out of Craig's gang

Has a bit more goofy / derpy side but is mostly embarrassed by it

Voice cracks in the future come to be the death of him

TW TRAUMA + POLICE BRUTALITY - is still quite distraught from being shot in the arm by a cop (in South ParQ Vaccination Special? Or was it on The Pandemic Special?) and is still distraught from that time his parents were arrested for no reason (in TFBW, where they also constantly targeted him and treated him (a ten year old child) like a threat), especially since most their childhood, like all the other kids, they were told that cops are their friends they can trust! But now he knows he can't trust them and avoids them whenever possible

Friendly

Canonically likes basketball (I like to imagine they sometimes play with Kyle!)

Favorite colour is purple (NO WAYYYY WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHTTTTTT /s)

Canonically feels out of place sometimes because of their family being rich

Sometimes takes the role of "the mom friend" (idk why. based on vibes. screw me)

Cringe TikTok user (canon 😞)

Not too much of a nerd like his dad

Since they actually hate that their name is Tolkien (cuz they don't like JRR Tolkien's books) maybe they change it in the future? I don't know what to though (but sometimes likes Token better)

Kind of understandably tired of everyone's shit

Wendy once said "I've dated him before, he's really nice!" or something like that sooo I take it as canon

Hates Cartman and has every single right to do so (he threw a rock at their head, shot them, and is just a racist asshole all the fucking time to them 😭😭)

But wait - what I don't understand is that they said "all that dungeons and dragons shit is lame" but in the stick of truth (haven't played it, only saw like 2 scenes in it) they were fully on board with playing fantasy? Like -

"THANK YOU FOR THY MESSAGE, TRAVELER! I SHALL MAKE HASTE TO KUPA KEEP!" - that sounds pretty nerdy to me Tolkien. Maybe they DO like nerdy shit but are just embarrassed to be associated with it???????? Idk I'm starting to get confused. Tolkien hyper fans / analysts if you're out there please help me

Canonically plays bass and still has his bass guitar in his room as shown in TFBW

Good person that usually puts others before themselves (like when Cartman told him to "be the bigger person" and tricked him into going over to him and getting shot by him)(still stands his ground and doesn't let people walk over him)

On southparkstudios.com it was said they're good friends with kenny and share struggles related to income (opposite sides of the same coin) so maybe they hang out sometimes. that'd be kinda cool.

Cat person I've decided though I don't think he cares too much abt the dogs vs cats debate

Gifted + talented kid but sometimes might be a perfectionist with overtly high expectations for themselves???????? Idfk what I'm on dude

Good memory

Likes to roleplay

Can't tell if he prefers fiction or nonfiction cuz of stick of truth but also because of the whole hating his name thing Eufhfhfuufnceucb

Ermmmm i think that's it for now Byeeeee god im so cringe

[a-shade-of-blue]

Look, I don’t think any of us can ever truly comprehend the horror, the scale of devastation happening in Gaza right now. We all know the number of deaths is huge (more than 40,000 right now), but I don’t think we can ever truly understand the scale of it.  The number of asks in my inbox (383 right now, not counting the dms) reminds me of it daily, and lately it has also been reminding me of the first time I truly realized the huge scale of the suffering in Gaza, how great the number of deaths exactly is.

On June 11, the known number of deaths was 37,164. My uni’s Palestine solidarity encampment had decided to read all the known names of Palestinian martyrs since 7 Oct 2023 in front of a uni building on a street busy with tourists. At lest 16,694 of their names were still unknown. It took our Arabic speakers 25 hours of non-stop reading to read out all the known names (20,470). And that’s just people whose names are known!

I happened to have a meeting with my Department that day (also regarding Palestine), and with all the pre-meetings and debriefing, I only managed to arrive in the afternoon, when they had already been reading the names for 8 or 9 hours by then. My friend who was organizing this protest, she was sitting there along with a few other people, trying to write all the known names on ribbons. I knew she had likely been there since the beginning, so I offered to help. She handed me the thickest binder I had ever seen, thicker than my fist, filled with A4 papers with the names of the dead. I felt my heart clenched as I looked at the thick binder, it was so thick.

“All these pieces of paper in the binder, they are all names of the dead?” I asked her.

“That’s not our only binder,” she said, pointing to the binder our speaker was reading from. A binder that was just as thick.

I can’t remember now if there was a third binder.

They had arranged the names of the dead according to their age. She was on page 273, which listed the names of 20-year-old Palestinians who had been killed. I still had about 4 more pages to go before reaching the names of the 21-year-olds. We were on page 273, and we were still only on the names of 20-year-olds.

(I tried to remember what I was doing at 20. I was on my second year of uni. I just had my first breakup and my first heartbreak. I was complaining about having to attend lectures of Zoom due to the pandemic. I tried to imagine what it would be like if my life had ended then, when I was 20 years old)

Think of how many more have died since then. Remember how in these conflict situations, the death toll is almost always higher than the official number given the difficulty of counting the dead.

I��m not really sure why I’m telling you all this. I’m guessing with all the Palestinians reaching out regarding their gfm campaigns, I just want to remind myself and everyone else that what we can see is just the tip of the iceberg of the devastation happening in Gaza. That we are in a very privileged position and that we can never truly comprehend the scale of suffering in Gaza. So please be kind. Mourn and remember the dead, but never stop doing our duty to the living. I now invite you to donate to at least one of their campaigns, and read and share at least three of the campaigns and their stories, especially if you are going to reblog this post. Please do not let this post overshadow the Palestinians asking you to read their stories and help them. Please, I know you can do this.

As you may know, I am spotlighting Hazem’s campaign at the moment.

Hazem Khalil 

Please take time read Hazem’s story on his Tumblr account: @hazempalestine

Donate to Hazem’s family here: https://gofund.me/5977f50b

Currently €12,804 raised of €50,000 target.

Hazem is from Gaza but he moved to Belgium in 2018 for his studies. Since then, he has not been able to see his family in Northern Gaza. The area his family is staying at was recently bombed, and he had lost contact with them while it was happening. He was messaging me about it and he was really scared for his family. Luckily they survived and he managed to reach them eventually, but it was a really close call. He is trying to raise funds to evacuate his 7 family members (his parents, four brothers, and his sister).

I am also organizing this handmade bracelet raffle in order to raise funds for Hazem's family (UK only). See post here

Some other campaigns I would like to especially share here:

Dr Husam Farhat

Please take the time to read Dr Husam Farhat’s story on his Tumblr account: @husamfarht, @nedataya, @frhatfamily, @drfarhatblog, @shamfarhat1

Please donate to Dr Farhat’s campaign here: https://gofund.me/4b28130c

Currently $5,285 USD raised of $29,500 target.

Dr Husam Farhat has suffered the loss of many family members. His sisters Inas and Amal, along with their husbands and children, as well as his brother Mustafa, they have all been killed in a bombing. He has a wife and two sons, but their house has also been destroyed, as well as his office which was his source of income. Husam is also a PhD candidate, and has taught at several universities, but now he is faced with an uncertain future. He and his family has been displaced nine times, and they are trying to evacuate out of Gaza.

Bshaer and Intisar Abu Shamaleh

Please take the time to read Bshaer’s story here: @bshaeromars-blog

Please donate to Bshaer and Intisar’s campaign here: https://gofund.me/74e87f75

Currently $14,986 USD raised of $40,000 goal.

Bshaer was pregnant with her first child when the current genocide happened. Her husband Omar was killed in December by an airstrike when he was collecting fire wood for the family. Bshaer is now a widow and her daughter Ayla, born three months ago, will never get to meet her father. Aya faces a lot of health risks since she is unvaccinated. Bshaer also has 6 siblings. Intisar, Bshaer’s mother, is trying to provide for Ayla, and she is raising money to evacuate them out of Gaza.

Amjad Sido

Please take time to read Amjad’s story here on his Tumblr account: @amjadsido99, @amjadsido

Please donate to Amjad’s campaign here: https://gofund.me/0729ac5b

Currently €6,461 raised of €30,000 target.

Amjad has 2 children (Mosbah (6) and Abdul Rahman (3)). Mosbah had just graduated kindergarten. Amjad is also living with his mother and 5 brothers. The occupation has destroyed their house and killed his father and two of his brothers. Amjad and his children would have been killed too if they had not left the house at that moment. They are now displaced. And instead of continuing their education, his young children are helping him light firewood to prepare food. Amjad is also caring for his nephew as his nephew’s father had been killed. They are trying to evacuate out of Gaza.

Click here for my Google Doc with my complete masterlist of all the Palestinian gfm asks I've received, updated daily (along with other verified ways to send aid to Gaza). I encourage you to read more of their stories, share them, and donate to their campaigns.

Thank you

[windvexer]

Would you say that cataclysms or crises, like market crashes, wars, elections, pandemics, have their own spirits? Or put it another way, these things are not just chains of events, but separate energetic entities that initiate or guide the proceedings on the ground? If yes, would, erm, plinking spells at them with intention to get rid of them just make these constructs pay more of their... let's say transformative attention to a particularly daring spellcaster?

This is really interesting!

I hesitate to say that casting a spell at a market crash would make the spirit of the market crash rise up to harm you.

And I am 100% just basing this off of the fact that it sounds silly to me. Very much overlapping on conspiratorial, even.

Also I've never heard of it happening. And it doesn't line up with the way I think the world works.

For this to work, I think we have to believe 3 separate things:

All major national or global crises either are spirits in and of themselves, or are all guided and guarded by spirits (hereafter called Crisis Spirit).

A Crises Spirit (whether that be singular or a cohort has little relevance I think) would (A) notice energy directed against it, and (B) be capable of retaliation.

If it takes enough notice against any single person or working group, the Crises Spirit would choose to carry out targeted retaliation.

I do not believe that all catastrophes are, or are guided by, spirits. Not even the very big catastrophes. It's tempting to think that there is an organized malevolent force behind everything bad happening, but at this point we're basically talking about the New World Order except we're switching out key words for woowoo talk. So it's a big ask for me to buy into this line of thinking.

As a practitioner, I believe that if you look for a spirit, you'll find it. It's very easy to interpret a big lump of energy as a spirit, and depending on what your definition of "spirit" is, you're never going to not find a spirit.

Crises having their own energy: Yes

That energy automatically being a sentient being capable of awareness and retaliation: No

Even if we say that perhaps these events themselves are not spirits, but are guided by external Crises Spirits, I'm again stymied by the fact that we do not live in a good-vs-evil universe that specifically targets and harms people who try to stop bad things from happening.

Because the problem with this line of thinking is that anyone who wants to help the world then puts themselves in a position of a targeted martyr with access to hidden knowledge that gives them the ability to fight against organized, secret evil at the highest levels of control, and at that point just hang a Q on it.

So my main problem with this is the worldview. As in, damn, imagine the kinds of people you'd be aligning your worldview to in order to have to believe that this happens.

When a person begins their magical practice, I think they probably do rely a lot on what they're told by others. This is baggage. As in, a starting suitcase you need to begin your travels.

After a while, a practitioner begins to get a feel for how things really are beyond what they've been told. They have encounters. They get into situations. They go places. This is experience.

And beyond black pepper and Spells Georg, when a person really starts to make their path their own, I think that a big aspect to this is sorting through what baggage you no longer need, cleaning out the suitcase, and packing new luggage. This shift, I believe, should be inspired by and conform to personal experience.

On the one hand, I keep an active eye out for this type of thinking and do my best to not let it sneak into my suitcase. This is because worldview is a choice; you can choose how you align and orient yourself in this world, the results of which dictate your view. Yes?

On the other hand, I've never seen or experienced what you're describing in the real world and I simply don't believe it exists. My experience of the metaphysical, the spirit world, and magic, precludes there being universally present Crises Spirits that govern all world cataclysms.

This isn't to say that I don't believe spirits can make bad things happen or be involved in bad things. This isn't to say I don't believe there are gods of strife or chaos.

I just don't think there's a cabal of spirits who cause global catastrophe and that might retaliate against you if you try to stop bad things from happening.

[eretzyisrael]

by Dr. Phyllis Chesler

Hamas has perpetrated a depraved pogrom. There is no other kind. This is what a pogrom looks like and what a pogrom does. The pogromchiki target civilians, the most vulnerable of civilians, and do their worst. They rape Jewish women, torture Jewish men, brutally attack children and the elderly, and then kill them—and anyone who is living with them.

Hamas took a page from ISIS’s Caliphate playbook and video’ed their atrocities in live-time in order to sow further terror (or horribly enough, gladness) in the eyes of viewers. Hamas has also raped and kidnapped women, perhaps into sex slavery, as ISIS also did.

Right away, I started emailing people and saying that this attack was far bigger than 9/11. Here’s why. In terms of demographic equivalence, the Israeli population is a bit more than nine (9) million people; the American population is a bit more than 331 million. Eight hundred (800) Israeli dead and counting is the equivalent of 29,418 American deaths. This is nearly ten times more than the 9/11 number of a little more than 3000. The number of Israeli wounded is, so far, at 2000 and counting. In American terms this is equivalent to 75,503 wounded.

Imagine if America had been told not to respond, not to retaliate, to retaliate but only a little bit to Al-Qaeda’s blow against the Zionist and Crusader entity. Bin Laden said so himself.

A handful of us knew, we knew for a long time, that the pandemic of anti-Israel/anti-Zionist propaganda was inevitably going to lead to what we’ve just seen and what Israel has just endured. Words do harm. Pogroms and genocide have always been the result. This has been the case in the Arab Muslim world and in the European Christian world.

In the early 21st century, I wrote that anti-Zionism was the new anti-semitism and that the alliance between Islamists who hate Jews, Judaism, and the Jewish state for religious reasons far more than for questions of territory—and the western politically correct elites, was the most dangerous kind of alliance. For this, I was denounced as a traitor. Laughed at. Dis-invited. Deemed an Islamophobe and a…Zionist.

Poisoned propaganda has slowly and carefully been sewn into every conceivable fabric of humanity, in every language, round-the-clock. The propaganda is now a tsunami, a cognitive mushroom cloud of death.

The Big Lies are coming at us from the academy, the gliterrati, the United Nations, human rights groups, feminist groups, street activists, government leaders. The hatred for Jews and for the Jewish state is global.

Demonstrations and statements in support of Hamas’s horrific pogrom are taking place world-wide. They have been going on for decades and may not stop anytime soon. Yes, there are also pro-Israel statements and demonstrations going on as well, including the EU, Germany, and Austria’s decision to suspend funding to Palestine. Number 10 Downing Street and the Brandenburg Gate was draped in the colors of the Israeli flag.

But really, there is no comparison, no moral equivalence between the two kinds of statements. Rallying for Israel is rallying for the real victim. Do people know that the head of Hamas, Ismail Haniya’s daughter was treated for free in an Israeli hospital for a month? Doesn’t sound like an apartheid nation state, does it?

Rallying for Hamas is applauding Nazi-like barbarians and the atrocities they commit. I wonder why so many pro-Hamas women are wearing hijab given that Iran, their paymaster, is raping, beating, and murdering Iranian girls and women if their hijab slips or is missing entirely.

Burning questions and difficult solutions remain before us.

I have been monitoring the situation, passing along information to the right people, and have not had the time to sit down and write a long analysis about this War. I will send around a video of a speech I delivered on September 21st via Zoom. I also strongly recommend that you read Liel Leibowitz and separately, Alana Newhouse at Tablet.

I dashed this piece off because a number of people have called and written to me wondering why I’ve been silent. Well—I’ve been covering this shocking, heartbreaking, truly awful War.

[samueldays]

The first 'conspiracy theory' here is true, what else?

This one is from The Policy Institute of King's College London.

Statement 1: "Central bank digital currencies will be used by governments to control people's money and restrict their freedom"

One-third of people think this is definitely or probably true. The talking heads sneeringly and contemptuously imply it is false, and a conspiracy theory. The one-third of people are entirely correct. The statement is plainly true. Central banks are already used by governments to control people's money and restrict their freedom, there is no reason to believe governments will do an about-face when given a technical advance that provides more control.

For the forty percent of normies who think it's false, I imagine that most of them skimmed the question and heard something like "Government bad with money? true or false".

For the people at The Policy Institute, I think a permanent ban from public communication is in order. The misinformation is once again coming from inside the God-damned house of the professional informationists and the academic-industrial complex.

Statement 2: "The mainstream media and government officials are involved in a conspiracy to cover up important information about terrorist attacks in the UK"

This is plausible. A few years ago, I observed that the mainstream media and government officials had been involved in a conspiracy to cover up important information about gang rapes and slave rings in the UK.

Rotherham is the headline name here, where Pakistani rapist-slavers went around kidnapping, raping, enslaving, and trafficking white English girls, and the white victims were targeted partly because they were white and had less ethnic solidarity and less government protection, while the media told themselves "we don't want to cause a racist backlash" and downplayed the story partly because the offenders were brown. There were lots of cases similar to Rotherham across the UK.

Now, since the statement posits a coverup, it's hard to know with certainty. It's probably true, but I don't know. Anyone answering definitely false is wrong, though. Gullibility points for you, sir! And the people at The Policy Institute sneering 'conspiracy theory' again - the term is hardly more than a slur - I suggest punitive damages in the manner of Xerxes. Ask them how they want misinformers to be punished in a thinly veiled hypothetical of their own situation, then do that to them.

I don't know about 15-minute cities, so I'll skip ahead.

Statement 5: "The "great replacement theory" – the idea that white Americans and Europeans are being replaced by non-white immigrants – is happening"

This statement seems to load a lot on unstated connotations and other definitions of great replacement theory that the polled people won't necessarily have access to. For the summary definition given here, it appears to be true.

White Americans and Europeans have below-replacement fertility rates while their rulers are importing millions of non-whites and seek to import millions more non-whites. This is a deliberate if shortsighted government decision to keep the total population up (allegedly for purposes such as paying pensions) by importation of foreigners instead of by reversing the native decline.

How much difference between this and statement 5 is there, without having to lean on "not what I meant"?

Fuck'em.

Statement 6: "The Covid-19 pandemic was part of a global effort to force everyone to be vaccinated whether they want to or not"

Whomigonna believe, The Policy Institute or my lying eyes?

There was a global effort to force everyone to be vaccinated whether they want to or not, caused by COVID-19. It was an unpopular minority effort and it failed, but there was an effort.

The statement as given in The Policy Institute's own material is true.

Perhaps the Institutionals have an implicit mental reservation about "a majority effort" or "an effort backed by the UN Security Council" or "an effort that nearly succeeded" or some other clause that makes it false. But there's no such clause in the statement as given. The statement as given is true. It is not a conspiracy theory.

I despise these people.

Out of seven so-called [*waggles fingers aggressively*] “conspiracy theories” three are true, one is plausible, and I am exerting mental effort not to update towards the other three because reversed stupidity is not intelligence.

But I gotta say, I have more sympathy now for believers in everything listed and every other “conspiracy” they come across, because reversed malevolence is better aligned than reversed stupidity, and I can see how malevolence might compete with stupidity as an explanation for people at King's College behaving this way.

[its-wabby-stuff]

Rottmnt things:

Trigger warning for real life events affecting a fictional world.

2020. The year the world was invaded by an alien race. The start of the end of the world. The year the Rottmnt movie takes place (despite its release in 2022). Irl, 2020 was a big year as well.

Covid. Covid-19 hit hard and caused a worldwide pandemic. Now imagine if Covid also affected the rise verse. On top of an Alien invasion, which would take precedence, there’s this virus roaming around. There is no government, hospitals are shutting down, society is collapsing, people are spread out but those who find each other stay together. Close. It’s the best way to survive and the best way for a virus to cultivate.

Covid-19 primarily targeted the older generation, those above 50 and has devastating lasting consequences if you managed to survive. But the apocalypse is THE WORST time to get sick, and with resources dwindling, there would be no attention toward a vaccine, limited amounts of ventilators or materials to actually help if someone got sick. You’d be doomed. And the best way to help would be isolation, not to spread or contaminate. And bam. There goes the older generation, the experienced old men who might’ve fought wars before, who could’ve trained, or brought different kinds of survival instincts to the war effort. Any young adults or teenagers affected by the disease might have lasting consequences that affect how much they can help fight. That shortness of breath would really get to you in a world where you have to stay on the move, or fight for your life, or just having to breath in the hot, dusty air around.

The older generation gets wiped out not just from Krang, but from Covid, leaving the resistance to fall into the hands of children.

Wether or not Splinter might’ve been affected, I’ll leave up to you. He fits the target age range, but his rat genes may effect how the disease affects him, if he gets it at all.

But Covid is skepticism, since it’s a fictional world with mutants. Who even knows if it happened, or even if it was worse.

But there’s another thing. Once again, related to the older/middle generation. 9/11. About a week ago, and maybe it’s still going on, fires in Canada caused thick smoke to fall on New York City. An amount which hadn’t been seen since September 11, 2001. Seeing the pictures from my dad, who was traveling in NYC during this time, it gave very apocalyptic vibes and I myself was inspired to give that atmosphere to Rise.

However, there is another connection. The tallest building in New York. The building The Krang attacked, called Metro Tower in the movie, is the World Trade Center. The building that was set as a replacement for the loss of the twin towers. As a reminder that America is still strong and will not forget, by happenstance is the place the Krang enter from the prison dimension, bringing forth terror and destruction.

Anyone in New York who lived through that, and now through this could be prone to PTSD. The sky, the atmosphere, everything could be effected by the krang attack. The lasting effects to the environment as well, and very likely, worse.

9/11 is likely the reason the name of the building was changed to Metro Tower in the movie. Or, you can take that with a grain of salt.

Of course neither of these things HAVE to have any lasting affect. There is so many other things going on that these may seem insignificant. But I think it’s interesting to imagine, and possibly interesting to add.

[claireofluxembourg]

My theory is that because they compare Mary and Kate a lot it makes her bitter (as if there's any competition when both of them are completely different people) because she's Australian too so she shits on Kate and supports Meghan because she's the Anthitesis of Kate. But she only supports Meghan for likes tbh and to seem woke.

She isn't Australian, she is from the Philippines (I think) and her husband is Dutch, they just live in Australia.

I've followed her for about 18 mos maybe, and her love for Mary is as newfound as her hatred of Kate, if it was there before, she has managed to hide it well.

the biggest turning point was the Eurovision performance, that's when she really started to be explicitly aggressive towards Kate, before that she appeared relatively neutral, though she always defended Meghan and added 5% to her polls and substracted 5% from Kate's.

some people claim she used to run a Meghan fan account before, I'm not sure if that's true, but her RFP was started during the Pandemic. But I'd definitely say that from what I saw she's more of a Meghan fan than a Mary fan, the Mary thing started when the photos of Fred emerged and you could see that she had hoped very very hard it was William instead 🙂

Oh she was absolutely disgusting around Fred's rumoured affair came out, literally talking shit about "scoops" she had regarding Rose like if she was fucking Deuxmoi, it was so laughable and sad lmaooo

Honestly I unfollowed her because despite me being friendly towards her, she targeted several of my friends, the last straw was when she went for Isa. That was it for me. She's so fucking delulu. Imagine I felt bad for her when she was deceived by that one person who tried to destroy a lot of my friendships back in 2017 or 2018 with her narcissistic behaviour. It's so sad.

[judgestarling]

How to Ignore More than a Century Worth of Scientific Literature and Make Headline-Grabbing Claims on One of the Deadliest and Exhaustively Studied Pandemics in History Based on Flawed Data and Questionable Analysis

The 1918 influenza pandemic, also erroneously referred to as the “Spanish flu,” has affected up to one billion people—half the world’s population at the time—and has killed an estimated 20–30 million people in the Western World and God-only-knows-how-many people in other countries. Previous and subsequent influenza pandemics usually hit infants and the elderly the hardest. The 1918 influenza pandemic was a weird one because of the atypically high mortality among young adults. The peak mortality rate during the fall wave of the 1918 influenza pandemic in Canada and the USA was 28 years. The death of young adults lowered the average life expectancy in the United States by more than 10 years. Numerous studies have confirmed these findings.

A typical picture illustrating the haunting age peculiarity of this pandemic is shown below.

Even in poor, medically underserved communities, it was the young healthy adults that perished leaving many very young orphans behind.

In the early 2000s scientists started looking for samples of the 1918 virus. They reasoned that their best chance was to find it inside an influenza victim buried in permafrost. Brevig Mission in Alaska had 89 inhabitants in 1918 of which 87 died of influenza. It was a good bet that some sequenceable genetic material could be recovered from the graves of these flu victims. Indeed, genomic RNA of the 1918 virus was recovered from frozen lung tissues of an Alaskan influenza victim who was buried in permafrost in November of 1918.

In 2005, scientists used reverse genetics to generate an influenza virus bearing all eight genome segments of the 1918 virus to study its properties. The deadly 1918 virus has thus been resurrected!

The reconstructed virus turned out to be as deadly as the original one with a 100% mortality in mice. Another conclusion of this “resurrection” study was that the virus kills by overreaction of the body’s immune system, which explained the weird age distribution of deaths due to the "Spanish Flu." The strong adaptive immune systems of young adults ravaged their body, whereas the underdeveloped immune systems of young children and the weakened immune system of old people resulted fewer deaths. It was inflammation that killed people, not the viral infection directly or secondary infections. These studies seemed like the end of the 1918 influenza story.

Imagine my surprise, then, when at the end of 2023, I started noticing that the 1918 influenza pandemic is in the news again. “Killer 1918 flu didn't pick on the healthy, after all,” declared Science (the same Science that “killed” Junk DNA a decade earlier). “History Says the 1918 Flu Killed the Young and Healthy. These Bones Say Otherwise,” quipped WIRED. And US News and World Reports headlined the findings as “Contrary to Popular Belief, 1918 Flu Did Not Target the Healthy Young.”

The origin of these headlines was a 2023 paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science entitled “Frailty and Survival in the 1918 Influenza Pandemic” by Amanda Wissler, currently an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and Sharon DeWitte, Professor of Anthropology at University of Colorado in Boulder. The paper was largely based largely on Wissler’s PhD dissertation at Arizona State University under the supervision of Professor Jane Buikstra.

One would have thought that a study that purports to discard more than a hundred years of observations, refute dozens of analyses, refute the conclusions in about 18,000 peer-reviewed articles, and generate headlines in serious news media would require a great amount of unimpeachable data and an analysis that is—if not infallible—close to infallible. If you thought that, you will be sorely disappointed.

Let us start with the Materials and Methods section. The study is based on a bone sample from the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection which contains skeletons of people who died in Cleveland, Ohio between 1910 and 1939. The skeletons belong to people whose bodies were not claimed within 36 hours of death (i.e., the poor, the homeless, the socially isolated, the incarcerated, the institutionalized as “mentally defectives,” and those whose relatives couldn’t possibly collect their loved ones’ bodies within a day and a half. Black and indigenous people most probably made the bulk of this collection. Wissler and DeWitte euphemistically called their sample as consisting of “individuals of low socioeconomic status,” who mostly “died in almshouses or public hospitals.” Is this sample representative of the population in Cleveland between 1910 and 1939? I very much doubt it. And don’t even start me on the ethical crimes committed to assemble this collection. Of course, the bodies in this collection were legally obtained following an Ohio legislation that permitted people whose bodies were not claimed within 36 hours of death to be “donated” for scientific study, but was the collection ethically assembled? I think not! The ethics of this collection reminds me of a joke my dad used to tell. “A religious Jewish woman goes to the Rabbi in a panic. ‘Rabbi, the chicken I cooked for Shabbat dinner fell into a soiled baby's diaper. Is it still kosher?’ she asks. The Rabbi replies, ‘It's kosher, of course, but I would I eat it?’” But, I digress.

Wissler and DeWitte’s sample consisted of 369 individuals: 310 males (84%) and 59 females (16%). This fact immediately tells the reader that something is off; the sample is not representative of the general population.

Curiously, the Materials and Methods section also contains the following statement, “to maximize the sample size, both the 1918 flu and the control groups include individuals who died from influenza and pneumonia as well as other diseases such as tuberculosis and myocarditis.” (No data is provided as to how many individuals were included for the purpose of padding the sample size.) Finally, medical history for the individuals in the study is mostly not known. Thus, it is impossible to know whether “an individual suffered another disease during life unless it was listed as the cause of death or left diagnostic evidence on their skeleton.”

Finally, we have the problem of missing data. In the previous paragraph, we have seen one method of padding the data. Here comes another one. The last sentence of the Analytical Methods section states that missing skeletal data “were imputed using the ‘pmm’ function of the mice R package following previous recommendations.” Now, I need to tell the reader that I get hives and homicidal thoughts whenever I read the terms “imputed” or “imputation,” which nowadays essentially mean conjuring data out of thin air. Interestingly, “imputed” was originally a theological term meaning to falsely ascribe guilt to a person. The way data analysts use the word “imputed” started with economists in 1893 when a step in a multistep process was assigned a value by inference from the value of the process to which it contributes. More recently, the term “impute” was used by the Internal Revenue Service to assign interest to an investment when the interest rate is not known. The fact that imputation is used in scientific research to artificially increase the sample size is an inexcusable obscenity.

In the abstract of the article, it is stated that “frail or unhealthy individuals were more likely to die during the pandemic than those who were not frail.” Now, “frailty” is a nebulous and inexact term often defined as “an aging-related syndrome of physiological decline, characterized by marked vulnerability to adverse health outcomes.” https://www.uptodate.com/contents/frailty Thus, the authors used a skeletal proxy to identify frailty. The proxy was lesions on the shinbones (periostosis). Whether this proxy has anything to do with anything is unknown.

The choice of lesions on the shinbones reminds me on of the Streetlight effect or the Drunkard's search principle—both examples of an observational bias whereby one limits the variables used in a study to those that are easy to obtain regardless of whether the choice is actually relevant to the study question.

Let us now discuss the article’s statistical analyses, results, and conclusions. A good piece of advice that I once got from one of my mentors was “Before you subject your data to complicated analyses and reach extravagant conclusions, do yourself a favor and look at the data carefully and perform some simple analyses.” In this case, subjecting the data to complicated (and frankly confusing) Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, Cox proportional hazards analysis, and Schoenfeld test, one should look at the data and do some long division or at most some simple 2×2 contingency analyses.

The following data was extracted from Table 1 of Wissler and DeWitte (2023).

The first thing I noticed was that 67% of the skeletons in the sample belonged to "frail" people. Does this look like a representative sample of the population of Cleveland, Ohio in 1918? The second thing I noticed is that 69% of the control group have had lesions on their shinbones (either active or healed) versus 59% in the group that succumbed to flu. Thus, by the definition used by Wissler and DeWitte, the group of people that succumbed to influenza were 14–17% less “frail” than the group that survived. Of course, in my simple analysis I can use the skeletons exhibiting active or mixed lesions versus the rest of the skeletons (healed and no lesions). In this case, 25% of the control group turn out to be frail, versus 20% in those that succumbed to flu. This result seemed to support the thesis of Wissler and DeWitte, until you realize that the difference is not statistically significant (Fisher's exact test, P = 0.3074).

After reading this paper very carefully, I am left with one open question. It remains unclear to me how this paper managed to get published in PNAS and become a news sensation. Is this another example of the power of the press release?

[k00297028]

‘For Your Convenience’ (Short Film) #StopAsianHate

Director - Aronjonel Villafor

I watched this short film where I found Valladolid doing a great job portraying what life was like for Asian Americans during the pandemic.Within this film it shows the day to day reality, Asians had to face during the coronavirus. They go to work just so they can support themselves,not only is it hard already with how covid changed everything but they also have to deal with seeing people of their own race getting attacked and robbed in public,I can imagine that you constantly have to look over your shoulder because we did not feel safe since Asian people are the prime targets for theses violent attacks.

You can imagine that in the film that she’s exhausted. Not only is she having to work to support herself but with these strikes going on it’s getting hard for her to have to deal with hatred where people blame you for the cause of the pandemic.Theres a point in the film where a violent woman refuses to where a mask and begins to act hostile with the worker and starts blaming her why we have to where masks during the “Ching Chong Virus” and further gets violent by throwing products on the ground and yelling “go back to your country”.

Reason why i chose this short film is because i really like how that in this film conveys the reality of what it was like for the majority of Asian people during the pandemic and i take inspiration by showing the abuse and movements that AAPI had. I want to show the importance of Asian peoples stories during this difficult time and how it impacted us. I can understand it affected many people across the globe but when your looking over your shoulder constantly by making sure you dont get violently attacked you can’t help but deny what Asian People had to go through and and the director Aronjonel Villafor succeeded in showing the viewer what really was like for us.

[troglobite]

re: abandoning idea that you're special

currently trying to deal w this bc it was all so mundane.

but the way i've been treated…like it hurts MORE if i accept that the reason ppl treated me that way is just bc they're boring and mean, and i was a convenient target.

it hurts MORE if there's nothing for me to change abt myself and try and learn that way. it hurts MORE if my pain therefore doesn't matter to anyone.

like my therapist keeps saying this shit is PROTECTIVE, it's not just punishing myself, it's protecting myself from a reality that hurts worse and makes me mean less.

it doesn't HAVE to, but it's not easy or simple and it doesn't make me feel better, and given everything else going on i'm sort of just too tired rn to fully come to grips w this.

i don't think i'm special in a positive or negative way, just unique in a stupid way.

it's also really hard to accept if i have never met a single person w the same experience as me that makes me feel the most pathetic.

like not identical but there are a few things where i'm like, okay even ppl who say they relate still had xyz and i didn't. not trying to nitpick or be special, but it makes me feel worse when someone in THEORY is like I Get It! and then they v much don't in a way that makes me look more pathetic

here i'll be specific:

d/von pr/ce also just posted abt this

there was a lesbian who msged them and said early 20s, haven't ever been kissed, on a date, no one has expressed interest, what should they do? what's going on? is it just bc they've missed the flirting bc they're autistic?

and the response was stop being self-obsessed and pay attn to other ppl then pursue ppl and ask for what you want, don't be passive in your own experience of attraction, etc.

and i can't speak for that person, but

why would i ever do that when i have spent my entire life being ridiculed for existing and other ppl have thought it was a JOKE when i found someone attractive

like

idk abt that person, but for me it is very much not me being a PASSIVE PERSON or NOT PAYING ATTENTION to what i like or find interesting abt others

i am not self-obsessed (in the Make People Like Me way) to the point that i don't pay attention at all

piloting in conversations AT ALL is VERY DIFFICULT, and that INCLUDES just trying to learn abt someone

i'm just tired and angry. nothing i do has a good outcome. with people.

and it's not--my passivity or obsession w Being Likable (which arguably i have deliberately failed at multiple times in my life) that made me lonely or confused.

it was the hatred and bigotry of other people

and these two forces are always at war in my head

"stop telling me everything wrong w me and my life is my fault. it's not. stop acting like me taking a ~simple~ action will fix it, it won't. i'm trying my best and right now i'm so tired i'm just conserving energy and trying to even mentally and emotionally think abt and process everything that i haven't bothered REALLY thinking abt before."

and then also

"there must be something fucking wrong w me for so many ppl to so casually and mundanely HATE me. i must be bad at conversations. at people. i must be annoying. i must be doing something wrong. if i could just figure out what."

and then the advice is always

unmask!

stop worrying abt that!

take an active interest in people!

as if being unmasked and trying to be interested in people hasn't been LITERALLY THE INCITING INCIDENT FOR SO MUCH OF MY, again, very boring and mundane abuse.

so no, reaching out and taking an interest in people and asking for what i want isn't going to go well. it's also a pandemic and I CANNOT LEAVE THE FUCKING HOUSE so my options are LIMITED.

and no, unmasking is incredibly painful with very limited benefits.

i am a very precarious point in my life, and i can't imagine being MORE VISIBLY DISABLED is going to help me AT ALL.

and no, abandoning this idea that i'm "special" is not helpful and not possible at this moment.

that lesbian that reached out to DP is younger than me, and that is still the closest i've ever come to someone ACTUALLY relating to me on that front.

i have never been on a date. i am almost 29 years old. people consider that a RED FLAG abt me.

everything i listen to has ppl expressing surprised or amusement if someone hasn't had sex by a certain age, or kissed by a certain age.

or ppl saying "it's fine if you're a late bloomer lesbian, in my experience most of us don't care if it's you're first time with a woman"

how about first time, PERIOD? how about first relationship, PERIOD?

it's just this whole part of life that i've never been a part of and i WANT.

i was interested in boys in school. i DID pursue them. in the classically awkward but not overly creepy (as far as i can remember) way of young preteens and teens.

and it was never received well. it never went well.

i'm just tired.

i don't want platitudes "oh life will be better if you do xyz" or "tons of ppl share that experience, it isn't unique"

i want an actual person w the same experience to look me in the eye and say "yeah that happened to me, too. it was awful."

i pay so much attention to other people that i have fun fancy little categories for them all in my head. not in a mean or limiting way, but where i get to see them grouped w other ppl and i can see Patterns in humanity--what i've seen of humanity.

i think abt my friends & other ppl & their lives and appearances and experiences and what i like abt them or just thinking abt them and taking them in.

yes i pay attn to making myself as inoffensive as possible--but based on what i know abt those ppl. i couldn't do what i do if i wasn't paying attention to other ppl in a very close and important way. all i do is think abt and anticipate how others might feel. i try to be considerate. i try to frame my language in a way that's helpful or clear to them. i don't want to hurt them or show that i misunderstood them if i did--i want to make sure i understand them as much as i can.

conflict is a part of life, and in theory it's fine--the problem is that even productive conflict rarely ever goes well for me. even if i want to address it. even if i try and handle it REALLY well.

i'm just tired of responses that flatten out the REASONS why things go poorly, the REASONS these are the protective strategies and masking i've had to learn.

my "problem" is that i don't care if it hurts me. and that no one cares abt my hurt.

but i've had to pay close attention to others my whole life. i've had to do things to make life survivable. and i don't even have it that bad.

i'm in this stupid grey area where it's not that bad so i should just get over it.

then i get yelled at for comparing myself to others, when it's all i've been taught to do.

everything i do is wrong and my fault and i'm tired.

[mssophiesthirdaidmysterybiscuits]

What the Fuck, Berlin?

Warning: Rant, with a couple explanations at the end, if I can be bothered. Maybe in another post.

Berlin, what the ACTUAL F U C K ?

Are you seriously FUCKING kidding me? After two pandemic-ridden, luckily fairly quiet years, this new years night just completely busted all charts of reasonability. Everyone expected the "old, normal, pre-covid" amount of firework related injuries, fires and other shit. The Berlin Fire Departement was prepared for that. NOBODY expect the absolute hellscape parts of this city turned into for some of the firefighters last night.

Let me paint just a small part of the picture, just three of the MANY, M A N Y incidents that happened:

One: While driving with activated emergency signals and carrying a patient an ambulance was not only shot at with firework and had firecrackers thrown at it, some thought it funny or wise or what the hell ever to throw a WHOLE ASS FIRE EXTINGUISHER onto the hood of the vehicle.

Two: Firefighters were called to put out a bus that had caught fire (or possibly was set on fire, I dont know, fact is, it was burning) and were REPEATEDLY targeted by deliberately thrown pieces or fireworks, prohibiting them from doing their job. Police in full fucking RIOT GEAR hat to step in, so that the firefighters could do what they were there for. Oh, and did I mention that said on-fire-bus was directly under an overpass and the fire could have very easily AND NEARLY DID spread onto the building(s) right above?

Three: A firetruck had to stop because of a literal burning ROADBLOCK, whereafter it as A M B U S H E D by as many as 25 masked individuals who ripped open the compartments, trying to grab and steal gear from said truck while apparently waving some kind of weapons (I dont know what exactly, so might have been guns, might not) arround in an attempt to threaten the crew.

Now, you have to know that one of the ways Berlin prepares for these nights is by calling in / relying on many of its volunteer firefighters. Now, I give you one single bloody guess, as to who manned this particular truck that night. Now, admittedly, having a truck manned by career firefighters in such a situation would obviously be just as bad, but please imagine the following: you have VOLUTARILY given up new years eve with family and / or friends to spend your time helping others and the "Thank you" you get for that is being ambushed in your own city, having the literal crap scared out of you, having weapons waved around in you face while your truck gets looted by a masked mob.

Over the wole night multiple firefighters / first responders were injured, as far as I know one is still in hospital.

In conclusion, the people who did shit like that can to straight to non-existant hell, for all I care. As a volunteer firefighter myself (even though I am not from Berlin) crap like this gets me pissed off beyond anything else.

I might link a couple things, either later on or in another post, right now I need to find a way to cool down.

Take care, stay safe and to all the first responders out there: thanks and come back home safely!

[ronron234002]

FILIPINO PANDEMIC ADVERTISEMENTS

Advertisement #1: Basta (RC Cola advertisement)

The first video advertisement that I chose was a video advertisement of RC soft drink. A 2020 television campaign for RC Cola in the Philippines was made by the ad firm Gigil and is titled Basta ("Whatever"). It was initially made available online in November 2020. The idea was that a tormented youngster would come home from school and ask his mother whether he was adopted. The son takes off his backpack as tears fall down his cheeks and four glasses appear to be sprouting from his back. Before removing her own head to admit that she is actually a huge bottle of RC Cola, the mother laments, "We've kept this secret from you for so long." The commercial concludes with the mother putting cola in the glasses from her neck and the family using straws to drink from the boy's back. Local families are the target market for this advertisement, which clearly depicts them eating together and sharing a meal. It also depicts Generation Z and their reactions toward modern problems in society as dramatic humor. The advertisement demonstrates that RC helps people in times of adversity pain and distress by helping them bond together. This is shown especially in the confrontation segment of the commercial when the mother pours drinks and drinks with the whole family while smoothing out the issue of his adoption and the whole family not telling about it. The advertising itself wasn't necessarily horrible because it was able to serve comical relief and transform what was meant to be a tragic series of events into something original and creative. The product however was also not necessarily bad but may not bring health benefits while drinking too much would add health complications. The advertisement does not appear to have any media manipulation thou heavily suggests drinking RC, especially at meal times. The advertisement solely focuses on being creative as to gather as much attention as possible while being low on budget. The work was inspired by current Generation Z humor and passion for things that are ridiculous as shown by the four glasses on the back of his body and the mother turning into an RC bottle emphasizing on the level of craziness of the situation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Advertisement #2: A Message from the Future (Jollibee)

The Jollibee commercial "A Message from the Future" is the second video advertisement that I have selected. The most popular fast-food chain in the Philippines is Jollibee, and chicken is one of its primary selling points. The television commercial "a message from the Future" asks viewers to imagine themselves in the future and depicts the epidemic from that point of view. The world is described in the advertising as being "painful, scary, and upended lives around the world". The advertisement focuses on the tale of a Filipino immigrant family living in New York City that, like millions of other people worldwide, has suffered greatly as a result of the epidemic. The ad depicts the numerous pandemic repercussions, including job loss, loved ones passing away from the virus, and the mother of the family contracting the disease. Jollibee emphasizes the value of family unity while pointing out that despite all of these losses, the family has managed to find pleasure and love in their suffering. Our family was what carried us through everything, from literally spending every waking hour together in lockdown to extensive video chats across countries. Finally, the grandpa advises her granddaughter to "never take anything for granted" as the campaign comes to a close. The products of Jollibee itself were not necessarily good or bad as the product is food. However, as mentioned it is a product of a fast food chain which means it has many calories as well as fatty foods which may be bad for the health if eaten every day or frequently. The advertisement itself does not contain any malicious or misleading content and does not manipulate a common truth about what happened during the pandemic. However, the advertisement focuses on human perseverance and determination as a whole. In addition, the campaign signifies the transition of fear into hope by the color grading of the film from monochrome black to a colored one. The ad relates to each and every one of us that has experienced the pandemic and experience its horrors which is what the ad used to capture the attention of the audience

______________________________________________________________

References:

Contagious. (2021, July 20). The strategy behind RC Cola's basta campaign in the Philippines. Contagious. Retrieved from https://www.contagious.com/news-and-views/insight-and-strategy-behind-rc-cola-Filipino-advertising-campaign

Cambosa, T. (2021, May 19). Jollibee's first-ever global campaign a 'message from the future' on finding Joy over fear. MARKETECH APAC. Retrieved from https://marketech-apac.com/jollibees-first-ever-global-campaign-a-message-from-the-future-on-finding-joy-over-fear/

[rametarin]

I have some minor complaints about this

Firstly, the vast majority of the COVID deaths in the US were coming from people over the age of 60. And most of those, people in their 80s. And the obese. If you were old AND have pulmonary/respiratory problems, there's not really a whole lot that could be done to save you. That 3,000 deaths a day figure is misleading and uncharitable.

Secondly, the damage to infrastructure and personnel from targeted malicious explosions is worse and more intelligent and dynamic than dealing with a virus, and allowed to propagate on its own, Islamo-fascism does just that.

Thirdly, you can bomb mafioso estates and suddenly end targeted attacks and guerilla warfare for generations. As proof, I point to the fact there's no Nazi Germany anymore. You can't make viruses extinct so easily. Whatever ones feelings on Islamo-fundamentalist terror waging guerilla wars on southeast Asia and the rest of the Middle East, it is objectively true global jyhad was and still very much is a thing, and was not going away.

9/11 was not devastating solely because it killed a few thousand people and then the debris caused health issues. 9/11 was a problem because it was an organized terrorist attack against a structure that you aren't supposed to be big enough to antagonize like this without your entire culture and way of life vaporizing. It's one thing for a religious organization to sweep in and take over a sleepy little hamlet somewhere and subjugate the entire population to their religious authorities and organizational tyranny. It's another to do it to a society that has an organized military force and the right and means to turn your castle to glass and your very identity into a memory.

If it helps, imagine if an American megachurch decided to.. oh. I don't know.. carry out January 6th, but this time actually use weapons and actually had a ready made religious imperative and structure, rather than a flash mob, with the ACTUAL intent on taking over the country in their name of their god, culture and structure and social order. That's what the world was facing, at the time. A dirt poor initiative and will and determinism to impose their way of life and morals and the language of Islam on all that were not.

The US government can't do anything about people getting old, and has a very difficult time keeping them from getting obese if they're dead set on making themselves obese. It can, however, solve a problem of insurgency with a few well placed explosives and end ambitions of things like ISIS/ISIL from seizing and holding power for long.

People that have determined they want to kill you in an organized way because you won't carry their beliefs in your heart, subjugate your systems of government and supplant them with their own parallel governments based on their religious authorities, are a different enemy altogether from an illness you get by not social distancing and washing your hands. Which may or may not have been a targeted bio-terrorism weapon designed from the start to be a source of economic destruction. And just because you aren't seeing the deaths at home from Islamic religious terrorism quite the way it's happening across Asia and Africa, doesn't mean it isn't taking place and didn't deserve confronting.

Also that sneer towards oil companies; You know who consume petroleum products? People. You know who consume a lot of petroleum products? Sick people, old people. They need more things to continue existing. That means they need other people to provide those things. That means if there's a global pandemic, oil companies see to lose more in sales by loss of customers than they'd gain by whatever ventures they profitted from during Iraq and Afghanistan. This meme about how US oil companies just went in and slurped up or monopolized Iraqi oil is factually wrong. For some reason this meme about dirty capitalists and oil (which Soviet and then Russian chemical energy moguls seem to avoid stigma from, despite being the next biggest sources for these fuels) seems to suggest they're smart enough to take over and steal other peoples resources but somehow not intelligent enough to know pandemic deaths mean greater lost profits than the benefits of an illegal war. Suggesting mindless evil, solely by how much that doesn't make sense.

9/11 makes less sense if you think the tragic thing about it was just the thousands of people that died from the initial attack and ignore what the brazenness of running up to the biggest source of certain death and destruction for getting too uppity and tyrannical in the area and punching them in the face. That was a sign that absolutely no expense or pragmatic limit was considered by the Islamo-fascists. It meant they would not stop and were willing to carry out any kind of brutal inhumanity imaginable, regardless of whether they could be opposed and destroyed or not. That the enemy was not reasonable, and would not accept anything less than total victory at any acceptable loss.

no caption needed

[sherlynnxy]

'The Role of Influencers in Public Health Messaging: How Social Media Influencers Can Drive Awareness and Change.'

MDA 20009 Digital Communities

Did you know that there are approximately 5.16 billion active social media users worldwide? On average, people spend 2 hours and 23 minutes a day scrolling through their feeds, liking posts and watching videos (Larson, 2024). In today's world, we rely more and more on social media for news, advice and trends. This makes influencers – people who can shape public perceptions and behaviours – some of the most influential voices in public health communications. Global surveys show that younger audiences are turning to social media influencers (SMIs) for information about important issues like health, rather than traditional news outlets (Newman et al., 2023). As public health organisations keep on looking for ways to engage large and more targeted audiences, they're increasingly turning to influencers as key partners. Social media influencers, with their extensive reach and close connections to their followers, can have a big impact on how health information is received, understood, and shared.

Understanding Why Influencers Are Effective in Health Messaging.

In the age of social media, people are often more connected to brands, media, celebrities, and influencer content than to their personal ‘real-world’ networks (Pöyry et al.). Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube use algorithms that show popular and engaging content more frequently, and when you combine that with the followers and appeal of influencers, the impact is huge. Traditional healthcare providers just can't compete on that level.

A key factor in their effectiveness lies in the nature of their relationships with followers. Reinikainen et al. (2020) studied how one-sided 'imagined' relationships between followers and media figures – what we call parasocial relationships – can affect the effectiveness of endorsements. This connection means influencers can share public health messages in a way that feels more personal and friendly, rather than like they're telling people what to do. Unlike traditional experts, influencers gain people's trust through the honesty and reliability of their online presence (Pöyry et al., 2022). This trust can encourage people to take action, especially younger audiences who value authenticity over authority.

Social influence theory further reveals the reasons why influencers are successful in shaping behaviour. The theory suggests that people are influenced by information about desired behaviour and observations of others' behaviour (Kaplan & Miller, 1987; Wood, 2000). Influencers act as opinion leaders in the digital space, setting social norms that prompt followers to adopt. For example, when influencers promote vaccination or fitness, they establish a normative influence that makes these behaviours more socially acceptable and popular among their audience.

In addition, influencers' ability to promote weak ties - the bonds that connect distant social networks - allows them to spread health messages far beyond their immediate follower base (Bakshy et al., 2012). Coupled with the interactive and participatory nature of their content, influencers are well positioned to amplify the impact of health campaigns, reach underserved or hidden audiences, and drive meaningful behaviour change (Pöyry et al., 2022). This combination of personal connection, social influence, and algorithmic visibility gives them a unique role in public health communication.

Case Study: COVID-19 Public Health Messaging

During the COVID-19 pandemic, influencers were key in sharing health info during the pandemic, and Dr Mike Varshavski is a great example, popularly known as "Doctor Mike." He's a licensed doctor and social media influencer with millions of followers on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, he effectively bridged the gap between scientific information and the public.

Dr Mike uses his platform to expose misinformation, explain complex health topics such as vaccine efficacy and wearing masks, and share updates on COVID-19 guidelines in an approachable and engaging way. His credibility as a medical expert, coupled with his down-to-earth style, has helped him win over a wide audience, especially younger demographics, who might otherwise stray from traditional health communication channels.

Here are some example videos and short posts by Doctor Mike related to the COIVD-19 pandemic:

Research has shown that during a pandemic, information shared by influencers is more likely to be accepted, especially when it is presented as part of their own life story, struggle or journey. In addition, people tend to be more willing to share such content because of its personal and accessible nature than official government information, which many consider remote or inaccessible.

The Pros and Cons of Influencers in Public Health

Pros: Increasing Awareness and Engagement

Data shows that influential audiences are more engaged during a pandemic.

Social media platforms are powerful tools for public health because of their broad reach, high engagement levels, and the ability to tailor content to target audiences (Kanchan et al., 2023). Influencers can make health content engaging, accessible and shareable, thereby initiating conversations in online spaces where younger audiences are more active and receptive. Furthermore, influencers' personal connection with followers often makes them more persuasive. As opinion leaders, they have the potential to motivate people to take preventive actions and promote healthy behaviours, whether through fitness routines, mental health tips, or updates on health crises.

Cons: Risks of Misinformation

Report in 2020 shows that Facebook has posed a significant threat to public health.

While influencers have the potential to spread good information, they can also spread misinformation. Some influencers have promoted diets, supplements and health claims that are questionable, unproven or unfounded. For instance, Jenkins et al. (2020) observed how certain influencers, often with large followings, shared damaging fad diets without any consequences, while Leader et al. (2021) explored the spread of anti-vaccine sentiments by influential mothers on social media. A 2021 study by the Centre Against Digital Hate found that 65 per cent of anti-vaccine misinformation on sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be traced back to 12 influencers. These cases show how dangerous it can be when people with a lot of influence don't have their messages checked, as misinformation can spread quickly and endanger public health (Michel et al., 2024).

Conclusion

In summary, social media influencers are pivotal in public health communication, using their broad reach and personal connections with followers to drive awareness and behavioral change. Followers trust influencers as relatable voices, often engaging more actively with their messages than traditional health campaigns. While influencers can amplify accurate health information, they also risk spreading misinformation, as seen with questionable diets or anti-vaccine sentiments.

To maximize their impact, public health organizations must partner with credible influencers, monitor content for accuracy, and provide reliable resources. With responsible collaboration, influencers can effectively engage diverse audiences, combat misinformation, and promote positive health outcomes on a global scale.

Thank you for reading, see you in next post <3

Reference:

Larson, S. (2024, April 8). Social Media Users 2024 (Global Data & Statistics). Priori Data. https://prioridata.com/data/social-media-usage/#:~:text=As%20of%202024%2C%20there%20are%20approximately%205.16%20billion,platform%2C%20with%20over%203.15%20billion%20monthly%20active%20users.

Michel, A. E., Miller, E. S., Singh, P., Schulz, G., & Limaye, R. J. (2024). The Emerging Landscape of social media Influencers in Public Health Collaborations: A scoping review. Health Promotion Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399241258442

Pöyry, E., Reinikainen, H., & Luoma-Aho, V. (2022). The role of social media influencers in public health communication: Case COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 16(3), 469–484. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118x.2022.2042694

[ledenews]

Storch: Is It Unusually Quiet?

Is it just me, or is this general election cycle unusually quiet in West Virginia? With early voting just around the corner and the election a little more than three weeks away, the atmosphere feels much different compared to previous years. The once vibrant buzz of political ads, campaign rallies, and door-to-door canvassing seems more subdued, almost like a whisper compared to the past's loud and heated election seasons. In past election cycles, particularly around gubernatorial or presidential elections, West Virginia felt electrified with political fervor. You couldn’t go a day without seeing campaign ads on TV or receiving calls from campaign volunteers urging you to vote. Many Town Halls were crowded with supporters of all political persuasions, local news was saturated with election coverage, and political yard signs dotted the landscape. Candidates from both parties would make appearances at every fair and festival, church gatherings, or public forum, shaking hands, kissing babies, and speaking directly with the voters. This year, however, feels different. It’s quieter, and kind of eerily so. The typical campaign enthusiasm feels toned down. There aren’t as many yard signs placed. The most prominent ads on my television are those of Bernie Moreno and Sherrod Brown, and I have seen nothing of a debate or rallies as I’ve seen in the past. Even on social media, where heated political debates have become almost a norm, there seems to be less engagement. What’s behind this unusual calm during the storm? One reason for this quieter cycle could be a shift in campaign strategies. In an increasingly digital world, campaigns have pivoted away from traditional methods like door-to-door canvassing or big rallies and focused more on social media, data-driven outreach, and micro-targeted advertising. Candidates may be spending their resources on smaller, more controlled engagements, focusing on specific voters rather than casting a wide net through broad public appearances. For many candidates, especially incumbents, it might feel safer to hold fewer public events, reducing the risk of confrontation or mistakes that could go viral. West Virginia is not immune to the intense national political climate, where a single misstep can spiral into controversy. The quieter approach might be a strategic move to minimize exposure, stick to key messages, and avoid potential pitfalls. Another contributing factor could be voter fatigue. After years of divisive elections, non-stop political headlines, and the overarching influence of national politics, voters might be feeling exhausted. The constant barrage of news and contentious debate may have numbed people to the usual excitement of an election season. Add to this the lingering effects of the pandemic and economic concerns, and it’s not hard to imagine why people might be tuning out, especially in Wheeling where our voter turnout is sadly low. There’s also the possibility that voters feel somewhat apathetic or resigned this year. Perhaps many believe the outcomes are already decided. Since the Republicans took control of the state House and Senate in the 2014 election, those margins have grown each year. This year, the Democrats named several candidates to the ballot, prompting the question, if you don’t care enough to file, do you really want to win? This brings up the next point: Fewer competitive races. In many parts of the state, races feel like a foregone conclusion. Strong incumbents face little to no serious opposition, even if they are seeking a different office this cycle. Their challengers have struggled to gain traction. Without highly competitive races that ignite public interest and debate, it’s no wonder the cycle feels quieter. Many races lack the suspense they once had. This election cycle doesn’t feature any matchups that would normally engage voters and turn up the political volume. When voters feel like they already know the result, they’re less likely to be motivated to engage. Candidates with strong positive name ID and polling don’t want to risk mentioning their opponents to bring attention to them that was not previously on them. With a presidential election on this ballot, maybe voters are tuning into what’s happening on the national stage instead of focusing on down-ballot races. Issues like inflation, the economy, healthcare, and the ongoing debate over national security and international conflicts have dominated headlines, while local concerns have taken a back seat. Candidates may be also sensing this shift and choosing to campaign less vigorously, recognizing that voter attention is elsewhere. Without the typical hot-button issues driving local political engagement, the energy that usually accompanies a general election season simply isn’t there. Another factor to consider is the rise of early voting. As more West Virginians choose to cast their votes ahead of Election Day, campaigns may feel less urgency to make a final push. The old pattern of building momentum toward a climactic Election Day is fading, as candidates now focus on getting voters to the polls early. This could be a contributing factor to the quieter atmosphere, with less emphasis on a last-minute surge in campaigning and voter turnout. Finally, there’s the possibility that voters simply aren’t as engaged this year. Whether it’s due to political disillusionment, satisfaction with the status quo, or feeling that their vote won’t make a difference, some West Virginians, who typically are more engaged, maybe choosing to sit this one out. If voter engagement is low, the entire election process can feel less energized and more muted. So, is this quieter general election cycle an anomaly, or is it a sign of things to come? It’s hard to say for certain. However, even if the cycle feels quieter, that doesn’t mean the stakes aren’t high. Local elections still matter, and the choices voters make this year will have a lasting impact on their communities. As the election nears, let’s hope the quiet gives way to a more engaged, thoughtful electorate, ready to shape the future of West Virginia, one vote at a time. Read the full article