COVID-19 was not just a viral pandemic, it was an infodemic of disinformation that turned citizen against citizen. Asian-Canadian Andy Sue, a Toronto florist, was a target of racialized scapegoating by a customer. The psychological trauma of this encounter with anti-Asian racism during the pandemic was eased when a sympathetic business neighbour took positive action. Experts discuss the implications of stigma and racism and examine the psychological reasons that some people become ensnared by it. The film examines the social and public health implications of our digital media reality, where social media algorithms detect bias to translate fear, blame and outrage into profit.

Featuring:

• Dr. Kenneth Fung, Dept of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
• Dr. Carmen Logie, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto