In fact, several research studies have shown regular social media users were better informed about the virus and more likely to follow public health guidelines. The study, led by a Duke undergraduate student and involving health experts in seven countries, describes a complicated picture of harms and benefits from social media consumption and proposes recommendations to reduce the influence of disinformation. The research, published July 3 in the journal Health Promotion Perspectives, argues that the harms associated with social media platforms are not inevitable, but instead stem from choices that both social media companies and users make that tend to reward outrageous content.