Vaccination Division: Why Proponents Aren’t Reaching Their Goals
Browbeating’s never been a successful strategy and here’s why
Millions have taken to social media, writing platforms, and op-eds to shun those who have yet to get the COVID-19 vaccine. But there’s a rarely-addressed reason some of them won’t take the stick.
I’m a marketer. I spend the bulk of my days “listening to people,” understanding their concerns, and figuring out how to solve their pain points. It goes beyond researching within specific industries. The pandemic, 2020 Presidential Election, BLM protests — they each had an impact on every business sector, as well as every person.
It’s no secret that I’m a strong advocate for freedom of speech. The lack of it, along with plenty of finger-pointing and the slapping of fact-checking labels on legitimate discussions is a primary reason many aren’t heeding health warnings. And as history shows, it’s nothing new.
In the 1980s, as US states started passing mandatory seat belt laws, 65% of Americans opposed them. Then-Michigan Rep. David Hollister said he received hate mail comparing him to Hitler. It’s easy to forget a time when only 14% of Americans wore seat belts on the regular. While not an apples-to-apples comparison, there are similarities in the public’s refusal to…
