Information Disorder Syndrome and Its Management

Authors

  • Nirmal Kandel Member, Nepal Medical Association, Kathmandu, Nepal.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.4968

Keywords:

disinformation; information disorder; misinformation.

Abstract

Many of us may be unknowingly suffering from information disorder syndrome. It is more
prevalent due to the digitized world where the information flows to every individual’s phone,
tablet and computer in no time. Information disorder syndrome is the sharing or developing of
false information with or without the intent of harming and they are categorized as misinformation,
disinformation and malinformation. The severity of the syndrome is categorized into three grades.
Grade 1 is a milder form in which the individual shares false information without the intent of
harming others. Grade 2 is a moderate form in which the individual develops and shares false
information with the intent of making money and political gain, but not with the intent of harming
people. Grade 3 is a severe form in which the individual develops and shares false information
with the intent of harming others. The management of this disorder requires the management of
false information, which is rumor surveillance, targeted messaging and community engagement.
Repeated sufferers at the Grade 1 level, all sufferers from grade 2 and 3 levels need psycho-social
counseling and sometimes require strong regulations and enforcement to control such information
disorder. The most critical intervention is to be mindful of the fact that not all posts in social media
and news are real, and need to be interpreted carefully.

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Published

2020-04-30

How to Cite

Kandel, N. (2020). Information Disorder Syndrome and Its Management . Journal of Nepal Medical Association, 58(224). https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.4968