Internet misfires as source of accurate information on storing firearms

The vast majority of Internet pages visited by people searching for firearms storage guidance prove to be duds when it comes to giving accurate and complete information on how to keep children safe around guns.

Only 2 percent of web pages with information on firearm storage correctly identified all four practices shown to protect children and living in homes with , according to research to be presented at the

American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition in Washington, DC, on Oct. 25. The four safety measures include keeping guns locked and unloaded, and storing ammunition locked and in a separate location, said lead researcher Katherine L. Freundlich, MD, FAAP, a clinical instructor in the department of pediatrics and communicable diseases at the University of Michigan Medical School.

For the study, researchers identified 87 web pages using the 10 most common Google search terms related to firearm storage in the United States. Not only was the information incomplete or incorrect on the most of the websites, it scored low on technical quality and readability. Researchers concluded visited by consumers using common search methods are unlikely to provide adequate guidance about safe firearm and ammunition storage in the home.

"Everyone who is a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or neighbor to should want to protect them from needless firearm injury and death," Dr. Freundlich said. "People who are considering turning to the Internet for guidance on home gun storage should be aware that the information they find is unlikely to give them all the advice they need."

More information: Dr. Freundlich will present findings from the study, "Quality of Consumer-Targeted Internet Guidance on Home Firearm and Ammunition Storage," at 11:40 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25 in the Washington Marriott Marquis Independence Ballroom Salon E. To view the abstract, aap.confex.com/aap/2015/webpro … nary/Paper30023.html

Citation: Internet misfires as source of accurate information on storing firearms (2015, October 23) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-10-internet-misfires-source-accurate-firearms.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

AAP renews commitment to preventing gun injuries in children

4 shares

Feedback to editors