Dr Google. Instagram Influencers. Facebook busy bodies. Pyramid Schemes leeches. The internet is a stream, no, an entire OCEAN of information available at our fingertips. And with greater advances in technologies, more and more people are promoting their ‘knowledge’ online. There is an OVERWHELMING amount of conflicting information out there. If I am frustrated about this, then surely you are too! How do you know what to TRUST? How do you understand it and translate it to your situation? Can you resist their click bait? I’ll tell you, ANYTHING can be fascinating if you write it well enough.
I am going to help you understand how to break it down so you can reclaim power from the ‘influencers’! We are going to paddle up ‘Shit Creek of Misinformation’ until we reach our destination of credible, applicable information! Nobody wants to feel stupid; they want to be informed.
Follow this flow chart and you will soon know what to look for and whether they are worth believing and investing your education.
IS THIS A REPUTABLE SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE?
SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T A TEXTBOOK. There is no credibility check on the content posted, so how do you know what you are reading is even trustworthy? If you are really interested in finding FACTUAL information, go to your reliable sources first.
- Scientific Journal Articles: The top-ranking evidence pool. However, reading these articles and understanding them is next level! That is what your real-life Professionals are here for. We translate the data and evidence and apply it to you!
- Websites: Are they a reputable organisation? Look for key words in their site “.edu or .org or .gov” is usually a good place to start! These are usually trustworthy organisations that provide relevant information.
- Social Media Personal/Business Profiles: What are their credentials? Qualifications? Certificates? And then experience. Their experience alone is not trustworthy, the research & study MUST be a primary driver to their expertise. I have a lot of experience eating food, but I am not a food connoisseur! There is a reason why qualifications and educational courses are provided…. Because there is SO much information to learn that is not readily available to public use.
HAVE THEY PROVIDED PROOF WITH THEIR CLAIMS?
Maybe you’ve received this type of message in your inbox:
“Hi there! 😊 I’m a Wellness Coach from [insert business here]. I don’t have any certificates or credentials, I’m just like YOU! You could have this job too and help hundreds of people lose weight!”
Read that again. This person is giving health & wellness advice to people who don’t yet have knowledge. I think it’s fair to say, without certificates and credentials… they don’t have the knowledge either! What kind of reliable system is that?!
If someone is providing information – fact check them! If they are well-educated and have done the appropriate research, they should provide back-up links and/or research article references to cite the authors who conducted the research. That is how you know we aren’t just serving fancy shit on a plate and calling it dessert. When it comes to science and health, we are continuously finding new evidence, supporting, or even disproving our findings. Therefore, it is SO important to provide the proof when we share it. Science doesn’t care about your opinions, feelings or beliefs. It is a no-bull zone for us to take on board and apply where necessary.
***BONUS THOUGHT: Don’t just read information to entertain knowing a fact. Learn the facts to honestly take on board, compare to other knowledge and understand what makes sense. I’m not saying to be sceptical of all information you receive, but make sure you understand the why and base your knowledge off the reasoning. Not just fun facts.
IS IT OVER-SIMPLIFIED OR OVER-COMPLICATED? RISK OF BIAS OR FALSE CLAIMS
This can be a tricky one if you don’t know what to look for. But it could be “One minute in this yoga pose will burn belly fat, relieve stress, increase metabolism, detoxify the body, strengthen the spine.” I mean, those things sound great! But, all of that just in ONE yoga pose? That should raise alarms. The body is an entire complex that is influenced by many factors. We go through so many positions throughout the day, why would this exact one position suddenly bring so many benefits. Don’t be fooled by simplicity.
On the other hand, watch out for complex, excessive science-y jargon just to sound smart, or an exercise with multiple pieces of equipment or movements. These people are PREYING on you for now knowing their speciality. I read an Instagram post that explained “this one technique is biomechanically and neuromuscularly advantageous for osteokinematics, optimal muscle activation, length-tension relationship of muscle fibres, elastic energy and proprioceptive feedback etc.” That was half the sentence, but you get the picture. This type of material would bore or confuse you if you didn’t know what it was. And if you do know what it is, you will know this is excessive word vomit to describe some simple movement principles. If a professional wants you to understand your body, they will explain it to you in YOUR language. If they don’t break down their scientific jargon, they just might be trying to impress you.
FREE ≠ VALUE
Keep this in mind when you are receiving or asking for free advice from anyone, especially a professional. I am not saying that free advice is unhelpful or useless. Understand that if it is our job to provide the information as a service, there is a reason why we encourage booking consultations. You’re not paying for the five minutes it took to answer your question. You are paying for the years of study, the years of experience & constant learning. It includes the skills we have developed to adjust and apply our knowledge to solve your problems. You are not the same as everyone else. You have your own specific circumstances and they need their own recipe. Free advice from a professional will only be the TIP of the iceberg. If you want relevant, tailored advice, we ask that you INVEST in yourself enough to spend the time with a professional you know you can trust.
Nobody wants to feel stupid. They want to be informed. In a world saturated of influencers and misinformation, take the time to understand what you are being served before you consuming it.
Written by – Exercise Physiologist/Coach Caitlyn Huth
