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I grew up in an anti-science, antivaccine household. Science wasn’t discussed or supported, which is why I wasn’t vaccinated until I was in my twenties. Despite this, I discovered my love of science through school, where amazing teachers saw my talent. Thanks to their support, I became a scientist and completed a Ph.D. and postdoctoral fellowship. These experiences taught me that having access to science education can make all the difference.

highlights one of my key content areas: addressing misinformation. It provides a point-by-point response to the Florida Health Department's bulletin that spread misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, my social media newsfeeds were flooded with my childhood connections sharing misinformation. I distinctly remember one post stating that drinking bleach might prevent infections. I was horrified, and I grappled with whether, and how, I should respond.

Social media has a negative reputation for understandable reasons — there are inherent with its use, such as the spread of misinformation and the formation of echo chambers, areas where you only see information and perspectives that align with your own.   of the world uses social media, with being some of the top platforms. More than report that they get their news from social media. For better or worse, social media is an integral part of modern life.

As a scientist and an educator, I was skeptical of using social media for science education. I never intended to grow a social media following. However, due to my upbringing, I felt an obligation to address these anti-science posts and attempt conversations with those confused by misinformation. I began to write posts explaining why masking helps prevent viral spread, and why information was changing so quickly. Soon, people began sharing these posts from my personal page, and this prompted me to make a .

Another key focus of my content is explaining fundamental science topics through posts or videos. addresses CRISPR/Cas9 and was sparked by follower questions after the approval of a sickle cell therapy.

My goal, then and now, is to make science understandable for everyone.

Throughout 2020 my public account began to grow, and I began collaborating with other , professionals and health on posts related to the rampant misinformation and disinformation.

I am now an advocate for using social media for science education. I have over 35,000 followers who are mostly 25– to 55-year-old women in the U.S. and Canada. Due to these followers sharing my content, my posts have touched hundreds of thousands of people, a reach far beyond what I can achieve in person.

Amidst a time when are growing in America, I feel like I’m creating a positive impact.

Why do people follow science accounts, and does it make a difference?

In the spring of 2024, I asked my Instagram followers to share their reasons for following my science account. I got over 200 responses that fit into these five areas:

• To read bite-sized understandable information.
• To hear about and understand new research findings that may not be covered in traditional media.
• To save time while learning, since they don’t have to go elsewhere to find the information.
• To interact with scientists and experts directly.
• To avoid media spin.

addresses CRISPR/Cas9 and was sparked by follower questions after the approval of a sickle cell therapy.

I also asked my followers to share the impact that following science accounts has had on their lives. Hundreds of people responded that scicomm accounts benefit them.

For example, one follower wrote me that “the most impactful outcome of all the science communicators I started following during (COVID-19) was knowing to ask better questions and to think more critically about the information being given. You guys (science communicators on social media) so carefully and thoughtfully broke down different information, and how it came to be, which has given me skills to start doing that for myself.”

Don’t just take my word for it. Another one of my followers wrote about her experience. She writes that information from social media accounts changed her stance on vaccination.

Unfortunately, scientific misinformation will inevitably spread on social media. Developing accurate and accessible science accounts takes a lot of time and effort. This can be frustrating because misinformation and disinformation often . However, increasing the amount of accurate science content in the social media stratosphere creates a positive impact by drowning out the noise.

Ultimately, my perspective on the importance of this work goes back to my upbringing. My mom told me that my pediatrician wouldn’t take the time to answer her vaccine questions. She didn’t know where or how to get the answers she needed. Ultimately, she did what she thought would keep me safe and avoided vaccines. This experience set her on an antimedicine, anti-science path that continues to cause her many negative health repercussions.

Science communication on social media helps us reach individuals who may never enter a formal science classroom or interact with a scientist otherwise. It helps me reach people like my mom who just want to do their best to keep themselves and their families safe in a world that is filled with public health threats as well as misinformation and disinformation. It is worth both the time and effort.