Thought of the Day - March 15 - Viktor Navorski has COVID

It has been a year now since Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, declared they had COVID-19. For many, especially Americans, this was the first major celeb who went public. As everyone is friends with Tom, it really hit home and may, finally, have let people know COVID was real, and it was coming.

Of course, everyone knew he would pull through, after all, he survived all those months on that desert island and drifting on the raft, so he is made of tougher stuff. As expected, again with the companionship of Wilson, he pulled through.

While I am being a little sarcastic, survey-says this is the truth. A study found that public opinion surrounding the then "novel coronavirus" shifted after actor Tom Hanks was diagnosed. Ninety percent of those surveyed had heard about the actor’s social media posts, and approximately half of that group reported it changed their attitudes and behaviours. Most participants wrote that the virus now seemed like more of a serious threat in their minds, as one said, they felt “panicked” because Hanks “is rich and protected. He can get it. Anyone can get it.”

The results indicated that people who identified with Hanks were more likely to change their thoughts or COVID-related behaviours due to the announcement. In short, they rely more on celebrities than officials for health information. The study concludes “This suggests that public health officials and advocates may want to use these types of celebrity announcements to help reach people."

Such is the power of social media, no wonder there are cries for its regulation.

Cheers

Cliff