harmmisinformed
harmmisinformed is a neologism used in information ethics and media studies to describe the harm that arises when information about risks, harms, or safety is inaccurate, misleading, or taken out of context. The term emphasizes both the content and the social processes that spread it, including online sharing, algorithmic amplification, and user cognitive biases. It applies to rumors, claims about health, environmental hazards, and safety practices that lead to real-world consequences.
Causes include deliberate disinformation, misinterpretation of data, misreporting from press releases, sensational framing, and the structure
Consequences range from personal risk, such as individuals following unsafe medical advice, to collective harm, including
Mitigation strategies focus on improved risk communication, robust fact checking, and design changes in information systems.
Because harmmisinformed is a recent coinage, its usage varies and it has not yet achieved formal status