Open AccessSocial Media and the Empowering of Opponents of Medical Technologies: The Case of Anti-Vaccinationism
Author(s) -
Kumanan Wilson,
Jennifer Keelan
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
jmir. journal of medical internet research/journal of medical internet research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.446
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1439-4456
pISSN - 1438-8871
DOI - 10.2196/jmir.2409
Subject(s) - opposition (politics) , social media , internet privacy , public relations , mechanism (biology) , sociology , political science , social psychology , psychology , computer science , epistemology , politics , law , philosophy
Social media has contributed positively to the interaction between proponents of medical products and technologies and the public by permitting more direct interaction between these two groups. However, it has also provided opponents of these products a new mechanism to organize opposition. Using the example of anti-vaccinationism, we provide recommendations for how proponents of medical products and technologies should address this new challenge.