By: Johan Apriadi (Chair of Tangerang Regional Independent Social Media Activists Forum)
Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) or also known as Corona Virus has spread massively. Its spread has even spread to almost all regions in Indonesia.
In the midst of Corona Virus outbreaks that infect residents, some other residents actually get information that is not true alias hoaxes. If the Corona virus has physical effects, hoaxes have psychological effects.
Referring to the medical explanation, general physical symptoms that are seen when a person contracting the Corona Virus include having a fever (flu), coughing, and shortness of breath. Even if complications occur in the form of pneumonia, it can result in acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Meanwhile, other residents were constantly treated to hoax information in the midst of the Covid-19 disaster. This certainly will cause panic that can affect mental disorders, and if severe, can have an impact on stressful behavior, and even can cause residents to become depressed.
To see the psychological impact of the dissemination of hoax information in the midst of the Corona Virus outbreak, it can be seen from the Happiness Report of Indonesian citizens. Data released by the United Nations related to the World Happines Report (WHR) in 2019, Indonesia’s position ranked 92 out of 156 countries. The ranking could have dropped along with the outbreak of the Corona pandemic coupled with hoaxes that have spread throughout the year.
Although it is understood, hoaxes are not one of the variables that are used as a measuring tool to determine the people’s happiness index. Among the main variables for looking at people’s happiness index are healthy life expectancy and social support. However, this holds an implied meaning that must be understood by everyone.
To measure the happiness of the citizens, it is actually implied, that the hoax is very intersecting and influences the variable of life expectancy and also affects the social support variable of the citizens, because the hoax will once again have an impact on the psychic and mentality of the citizens, where strong psychic and mental support of citizens is needed to against Corona Virus.
At the time when residents who were declared positive corona dramatically increased, the spread and escalation of hoaxes became increasingly widespread and consumed by residents. The rise of hoaxes milling about, all of which can damage the mentality of citizens in the face of the plague that is around him.
To counter this, we need to reduce the intensity of sharing news and information about Corona which is scary or can panic residents. It is emphasized that a stable psychological condition is important in times of crisis like this. The more the public’s anxiety increases, it will potentially cause greater social chaos.
Finally, disseminating information and news that build optimism is needed. Convincing the public that the Indonesian nation could win the war against Corona and get through these difficult times.
Swallowing a hoax is not something that can be tolerated. Hoaxes or hoaxes are things that can kill us and our immediate family. Naturally, if a hoax becomes urgent and unacceptable. Therefore let us fight against hoaxes before hoaxes kill us.