Teen Who Defied Anti-Vax Mom Says She Got False Information From One Source: Facebook (washingtonpost.com)

An 18-year-old from Ohio who famously inoculated himself against his mother's wishes in December says he attributes his mother's anti-vaccine ideology to a single source: Facebook [Editor's note: the link may be paywalled; alternative source]. From a report: Ethan Lindenberger, a high school senior, testified Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and underscored the importance of "credible" information. In contrast, he said, the false and deep-rooted beliefs his mother held -- that vaccines were dangerous -- were perpetuated by social media. Specifically, he said, she turned to anti-vaccine groups on social media for evidence that supported her point of view. In an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday, Lindenberger said Facebook, or websites that were linked on Facebook, is really the only source his mother ever relied on for her anti-vaccine information.

Comments

I too like to live dangerously

[cordovaCon83]

I started to base all my opinions on stuff that I read on 4chan. You wouldn't believe the change in my quality of life.

Re:I too like to live dangerously

[Areyoukiddingme]

I started to base all my opinions on stuff that I read on 4chan. You wouldn't believe the change in my quality of life.

But where did you manage to find a hose and a rubber chicken at this hour?

Re:I too like to live dangerously

[Jason Levine]

NARF!

Why is this news?

[pak9rabid]

Why the fuck is an adult (well, legally anyways) getting all this attention for doing something that adults are expected to do? I just filed my taxes, where's my standing ovation?

Re:So...what's the point?

[GameboyRMH]

The right to contribute to both your children's and society's collective vulnerability to potentially deadly disease outbreaks?