MANIPULATED DATA
As I talked about in my last blog post, data can be deceiving. It really is most of the time.
Analyzing and decrypting data that comes out as the vaccine for COVID is developed will be crucial to understanding what is being offered to the world. Data can be useful and reinforce what we want to believe. Throughout the Human Centered Design course, I have come to appreciate data and respect it as a tool to empower my work in the future.
It’s very interesting to see how the trends of COVID data has fluctuated. In the beginning of the pandemic, data was rapidly emerging and widespread. Although there was some resistance, people acted in accordance to data by social distancing and self isolating. Now, the virus has statically become more devastating, yet society has become more ignorant. There has been a collective shift in focus to how we react to new facts. Each day, more people die from the virus, as people continue to flood to bars and restaurants, travel, and refuse to socially distance. This reaction is in opposition to direction from the CDC. Despite the impact data has had in the past to the outlook of the virus, masses actively look the other way. The relationship between data and human reaction is interesting to analyze during the pandemic. We can look at other data sets regarding mental health and depression rates during the virus to better understand the mixed results of the widespread virus. Are more people reacting this way because depression rates are higher due to isolation? Do people value their mental state over the risk of getting the virus and potentially dying or passing it on to someone more at risk? With so many facts and statistics emerging about the pandemic, it’s hard to imagine a society that acts in ignorance, yet that is what seems to have happened.
My new understanding and appreciation for effective data is incredibly pertinent to current times. This acceptance of data is accompanied with an acknowledgement that data is easily manipulated. Yet, I am hopeful of the power that data holds to bring about change.
While I experienced manipulated data through the data discovery project, I hope that the data made available to the public about the COVID virus and vaccine is ethical. When thinking about the hope that society needs right now, receiving positive news about an approaching end to the pandemic will brighten everyone’s spirits. We can only hope that this data is honest and transparent.