Hashtags Manufacture Perceived Epidemics

Viral tags and short‑form posts can bundle unrelated incidents into a single, memorable narrative (e.g., #AlpineDivorce) that feels like a trend. Legacy media often amplify that bundle, converting social‑media virality into a perceived social crisis that outstrips the available evidence. — This matters because such manufactured narratives can drive public panic, skew reporting and policy priorities, and misallocate resources toward addressing an apparent 'epidemic' that may not exist.