Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Although nobody likes a know-it-allthey dominate the Internet.
The Internet began as a vast repository of information. It soon became a breeding ground for self-proclaimed experts seeking what most people desire: recognition and money.
Today, anyone with an Internet connection and some typing skills can position themselves, regardless of education or experience, as a subject matter expert (SME). From relationship advice, career coaching, and health and nutrition tips to citizen journalists practicing pseudo-journalism, the Internet is teeming with individuals—Internet talking heads—sharing their “insights,” which, to largely, educated guesses without the education. or experience.
The Internet has become a 24/7/365 sitcom where armchair experts think they are the star.
Not long ago, it was once necessary to recognize years, sometimes decades, of dedicated work and acquiring education in your field as an expert. The knowledge and opinions of doctors, scientists, historians, et al. are respected for their education and experience. Today, a social media account and a knack for hype is all it takes to present yourself as an “expert” to gain monetized Internet fame.
On the Internet, almost every piece of content is self-serving in some way.
The line between real expertise and self-professed knowledge has become blurred like an out-of-focus selfie. Social media platforms have inadvertently created an informal grading program where likes and shares equate to grades. After reading selective articles, they have been discovered through and watching some TikTok videos, a person can post a video claiming to be a herbal medicine expert. Their new “knowledge,” which their followers will absorb, claims that Panda dung tea – one of the most expensive teas in the world and not what its name suggests – cures all of hypertension to an existential crisis. Meanwhile, registered dietitians are shaking their heads, wondering how to compete against all the misinformation their clients are exposed to.
Individuals who are obsessed with evangelizing their beliefs or conspiracy theories are more worrying. These people write detailed blog posts, like Elvis Lives and Staged the Moon Landingswith links to obscure YouTube videos, websites, social media accounts, and blogs. Whatever your beliefs, someone or a group on the Internet shares them, confirming your beliefs.
Misinformation is the currency of the Internet used to get likes, shares and engagement; therefore, it often spreads like a cosmic joke. Consider the incidence of clickbait headlines:
- You Won’t Believe What Taylor Swift Says About Climate Change!
- This Bedtime Drink Melts Belly Fat While You Sleep!
- In One Week, I Turned $10 into $1 Million!
Titles that make outrageous claims are how the content creator gets reads and views, who generate revenue through affiliate marketing, product placement, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements. Clickbait headlines is how you watch a TikTok video by a purported nutrition expert categorically claims that you can lose belly fat while you sleep by drinking, for 14 days in a row, a mixture of raw eggs, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before going to bed
Our constant search for answers that will explain our complex world and our desire for shortcuts to success is how Internet talking heads achieve an influencer status. Because we tend to look for low hanging fruit, we listen to those who have little experience or knowledge of the topics they are discussing but are smart enough to know what most people want hear it
There is a trend, more disturbing than the spread of misinformation, that needs to be called out: individuals who have never achieved significant wealth or traded stocks giving advice on how to make money easily, the appeal of which cannot be denied. Several people I know have lost significant money by following the “advice” of Internet talking heads.
Anyone on social media who claims to have a foolproof strategy to make money is lying. They wouldn’t peddle their money making strategy if they could make easy money.
Successful people tend to be secretive.
Social media companies design their respective algorithms to serve their advertisers – their source of revenue – interest; therefore, content from Internet talking heads appears most prominently in your feeds. When a video of a self-professed expert goes viral, probably because he pressed an emotional button, the more people see it, the more engagement he receives, such as likes, shares and comments, creating a whirlwind-like cycle.
Imagine scrolling through your TikTok feed and stumbling upon a “scientist” who claims they can predict the weather using just aluminum foil, copper wire, sea salt and baking soda. You laugh, but you notice that his video has had over 7,000 likes, been shared over 600 times and received over 400 comments. You think to yourself, “Maybe this guy is on to something.” What started as a quest for Internet fame evolved into an Internet-wide belief that forecasting the weather can be as easy as DIY crafts.
Since anyone can call themselves an “expert,” you must cultivate critical thinking skills to distinguish between real expertise and the self-promoting nonsense of self-professed experts. While the absurdity of the Internet can be entertaining, misinformation has serious consequences. The next time you read a headline that sounds too good to be true, it’s probably an Internet talking head making an educated guess; without the education seeking Internet fame, they can tap into money.
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Self-described human psychology expert Nick Kossovan writes about what
on his mind from Toronto. You can follow Nick on Twitter and Instagram @NKossovan.
The post The Internet Is Garbage ‘Educated Guesswork’ Without the ‘Education’ appeared first on Canada News Media.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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