Misinformation on covid-19 Pandemic in Youtube and its Impact on Viewers in Kerala

Abstract

One of the ways in which large sections of population cope with disastrous events like a global pandemic is by gathering and sharing information related to such events on the internet and on social platforms. YouTube, having over 2.3 billion users, is one of the most searched digital platforms for information collection and dissemination. Although digital channels like YouTube are used to share useful and timely information that creates awareness among its viewers, there is also the possibility of using these channels for sharing malicious and false information. Thus, it is a social responsibility to assess the misinformation content in YouTube videos. The study is to measure the quantum of misinformation spread using YouTube and its impact in Kerala.