In the heat of summer, when everyone is talking about their holidays and the wonderful places they’ve seen, the hidden beaches they’ve discovered, the unique tavernas where they’ve eaten, a user on “X” (Kostas Maniatis) revealed his own paradise via the BeatBukowski account: an island called Psimythos, with such pristine beauty it seems as though it has just emerged from the sea, untouched by the footsteps of many, leaving it unspoiled.
A few hours after the revelation of this new destination, social media went wild.
Posts followed one after another: coordinates of the island from Wikipedia, what the locals vote for, a musical event set to take place on some beach, the emotion one feels watching the lone student march with the Greek flag, the ferry prices making the trip to Psimythos unaffordable, a documentary in the works about the island, the best taverna and the most delicious food you’ve ever tasted, photos of dreamlike sunsets and idyllic landscapes, and the island’s doctor who was being paid €800 who quit his job…
Although most posts revealed that users had caught on to the joke, adding their own humorous twists and largely mocking those who “discover” the ultimate destination, the trendiest island… many took it seriously, packing their suitcases for the unknown (and non-existent) island, or giving testimonies about how unique their experience was when they visited.
Even the Minister of Health and Deputy Prime Minister of Greece, Adonis Georgiadis, saw the mention of the doctor as an attack on him.
He responded earnestly: “I’ve told you before that the Opposition’s trolls are investing in a false narrative of the collapse of the NHS. The NHS has problems, it always has and always will, but now we are better in all areas than we were in previous years.”
“Those who travel abroad know that the idealised image of other countries’ healthcare systems has no relation to reality. They have the same problems as us, and we are in a much better position than many others.”
This August joke could be seen as a social experiment demonstrating how easy it is for information to spread, unprocessed, unfiltered—whether true or false—and how easily it can be believed.
In this case, it was a joke, something harmless. But just a few days ago in Britain, a false piece of news almost sparked a civil war.