Media can help prevent lack of health education in our society

At these hard times, I am concerned how people are being educated on health issues we are facing in today’s society.

Through my experience of this COVID-19 pandemic I have witnessed people doing things that have clearly been stated by health professionals that won’t help with the virus. I also know people who are in their 20s that believe they won’t be affected by the virus so they continue to live recklessly.

I think it is important for people to be properly educated on health issues by using reliable sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, written by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Government based websites or other scholarly articles are places that people can go to and get accurate information without worrying whether or not it is false.

I think the media has a big impact on false information being spread to people because of the significant role they play in our lives today. False information spreads so fast because it takes one person to see something on social media and tell it to their friends without even doing the proper research on it.

COVID-19 is just the most recent health issue we are facing, but there are so many more health issues that have been around for decades that people think they won’t be impacted or don’t have the proper knowledge to prevent them. There should be more resources provided to people about basic health issues; for example, classes on it in high school and college.

I think the more educated people are on these health issues, the better job we do to prevent them in our society. Please take in consideration publishing this letter because as a young adult perspective this is an important issue we will continue to face unless something is done about it.   

Lanessa M. Simon

Cheney