One woman’s escape from the rabbit hole
Catherine didn’t have much to do with mainstream medicine. Social media pushed her down a rabbit hole – but also dragged her back out again.
Catherine’s family believed in alternative medicine and she grew up in relatively poor, fringe communities that didn’t have much to do with mainstream science or Britain’s national health system. And when social media became a big part of her life, she started believing in all sorts of wild conspiracy theories.
But when she slowly realised that she was being conned by some of the pseudoscientists and charlatans she had put her trust in, she started to turn a sceptical eye on her online sources.
Catherine now lives a quiet life in southern England with her family, gardening and selling clothes at festivals. She also dedicates her free time to spreading reliable information about medicine and science online. It’s a mission that’s become ever more urgent throughout the global pandemic. Her story gives us insight into why people fall victim to anti-vaccine conspiracy theories - and what can help them to get out.
Presenter: Mike Wendling
Reporter: Marianna Spring
Producer: Joseph Martin
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- Sat 17 Apr 2021 04:32GMT³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service
- Sat 17 Apr 2021 17:32GMT³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service News Internet
- Sat 17 Apr 2021 22:32GMT³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service Americas and the Caribbean
- Sat 17 Apr 2021 23:32GMT³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service News Internet, UK DAB/Freeview, Europe and the Middle East & Online only
- Sun 18 Apr 2021 00:32GMT³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service South Asia & East Asia only
- Sun 18 Apr 2021 18:32GMT³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Mon 19 Apr 2021 09:32GMT³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ World Service
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