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BackgroundAn infodemic is an overabundance of information—some accurate and some not—that occurs during an epidemic. In a similar manner to an epidemic, it spreads between humans via digital and physical information systems. It makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it. ObjectiveA World Health Organization (WHO) technical consultation on responding to the infodemic related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic was held, entirely online, to crowdsource suggested actions for a framework for infodemic management. MethodsA group of policy makers, public health professionals, researchers, students, and other concerned stakeholders was joined by representatives of the media, social media platforms, various private sector organizations, and civil society to suggest and discuss actions for all parts of society, and multiple related professional and scientific disciplines, methods, and technologies. A total of 594 ideas for actions were crowdsourced online during the discussions and consolidated into suggestions for an infodemic management framework. ResultsThe analysis team distilled the suggestions into a set of 50 proposed actions for a framework for managing infodemics in health emergencies. The consultation revealed six policy implications to consider. First, interventions and messages must be based on science and evidence, and must reach citizens and enable them to make informed decisions on how to protect themselves and their communities in a health emergency. Second, knowledge should be translated into actionable behavior-change messages, presented in ways that are understood by and accessible to all individuals in all parts of all societies. Third, governments should reach out to key communities to ensure their concerns and information needs are understood, tailoring advice and messages to address the audiences they represent. Fourth, to strengthen the analysis and amplification of information impact, strategic partnerships should be formed across all sectors, including but not limited to the social media and technology sectors, academia, and civil society. Fifth, health authorities should ensure that these actions are informed by reliable information that helps them understand the circulating narratives and changes in the flow of information, questions, and misinformation in communities. Sixth, following experiences to date in responding to the COVID-19 infodemic and the lessons from other disease outbreaks, infodemic management approaches should be further developed to support preparedness and response, and to inform risk mitigation, and be enhanced through data science and sociobehavioral and other research. ConclusionsThe first version of this framework proposes five action areas in which WHO Member States and actors within society can apply, according to their mandate, an infodemic management approach adapted to national contexts and practices. Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related infodemic require swift, regular, systematic, and coordinated action from multiple sectors of society and government. It remains crucial that we promote trusted information and fight misinformation, thereby helping save lives.

This article explores the intersection between cognition theories and urban planning, conceptualizing the city as a distributed socio-cognitive architecture. It traces the evolution of these theories through three waves—functionalism, social externalism, and radical enactivism —. Correspondingly, the article suggests implications for reorienting urban planning approaches, highlighting participatory design, collaborative placemaking, and the nurturing of place-based affordances. Drawing examples from existing planning literature, it demonstrates resonances with Extended Mind-informed orientations. The conclusion synthesizes these insights, proposing a potentially transformative framework by rethinking planning as more participatory, pluralistic, and cognitively integrative, challenging internalist and technocratic assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With hindsight, the main weakness behind the ineffective response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in some countries has been the failure to understand, and take account of, the multilayered systemic interdependencies that spread the effects of the pandemic across social, technological, economic and health-care dimensions. For example, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, all people were required to rapidly adjust to social distancing and travel restrictions. Such a complex behavioural response entails adaptation to achieve a full recovery from the systemic shock. To capitalize on the positive effects of disruption to the status quo, much more complex socioeconomic modelling needs to be considered when designing and evaluating possible public health interventions that have major behavioural implications. We provide a simple example of how this reasoning may highlight generally unacknowledged connections and interdependencies and guide the construction of scenarios that can inform policy decisions to enhance the resilience of society and tackle existing societal challenges. Avec le recul, le principal motif d'inefficacite dans la lutte contre la pandemie de maladie a coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) dans certains pays trouve son origine dans l'incapacite a comprendre les interdependances systemiques a de multiples niveaux et a en tenir compte. Ces dernieres repercutent les effets de la pandemie sur plusieurs dimensions: sociale, technologique, economique et sanitaire. Pour tenter de contenir la pandemie de COVID-19, la population a notamment ete contrainte de se conformer rapidement aux mesures de distanciation physique et aux restrictions de voyage. Un changement de comportement aussi abrupt requiert un temps d'adaptation afin de se remettre totalement d'un tel choc structurel. Si l'on souhaite profiter de l'impact positif qu'exerce ce bouleversement de situation, des modeles socio-economiques bien plus complexes doivent etre envisages au moment de concevoir et d'eval uer les interventions de sante publique potentielles ayant des consequences majeures sur le comportement. Dans le present document, nous citons un exemple simple qui montre comment ce raisonnement pourrait mettre en lumiere des connexions et interdependances souvent meconnues, mais aussi guider l'elaboration de scenarios qui serviront a etayer les decisions politiques, accroitre la resilience de la societe et aborder les enjeux societaux actuels. Retos y oportunidades para la salud publica tras la COVID-19 En retrospectiva, el principal punto debil de la ineficacia de la respuesta a la pandemia de la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) en algunos paises ha sido la incapacidad de comprender y tener en cuenta las interdependencias sistemicas de varios niveles que difundieron los efectos de la pandemia en las dimensiones social, tecnologica, economica y sanitaria. Por ejemplo, para responder a la pandemia de la COVID-19, todas las personas tuvieron que adaptarse rapidamente al distanciamiento social y a las restricciones de movilidad. Una respuesta conductual tan compleja conlleva la adaptacion para lograr una recuperacion total del choque sistemico. Para aprovechar los efectos positivos de la alteracion del statu quo, es necesario tener en cuenta una modelizacion socioeconomica mucho mas compleja a la hora de disenar y evaluar posibles intervenciones de salud publica que tengan importantes implicaciones conductuales. Aportamos un ejemplo sencillo de como este razonamiento puede poner de manifiesto conexiones e interdependencias generalmente no reconocidas y guiar la construccion de escenarios que puedan informar las decisiones politicas para mejorar la resiliencia de la sociedad y abordar los retos sociales existentes., Unexpected shocks In October 1973, as a result of the sudden embargo called by Arab Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in retaliation against countries supporting Israel [...]

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This article, titled "Editorial: Boredom: the elephant in the room," explores the concept of boredom and its potential social effects. The authors discuss how the COVID-19 lockdowns led to an increase in domestic violence, which they attribute to pandemic boredom. However, they also acknowledge that boredom can have positive outcomes, such as fostering creativity and artistic expression. The article includes various perspectives on boredom, including its relationship to violence, education, and societal impacts. The authors suggest that supporting creative activities could be a way to prevent boredom-related harm. [Extracted from the article]