How much Misinformation is spread on Social media?

Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 10:58 am

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Any sites listed in this post were found via a general online search and will be cited.

Misinformation can be seen in a few ways. Misleading content, or information that is skewed to a certain point of view. Or it could just be flat-out lying about the effectiveness or quality of a product.

I’m not mentioning political content because that would be a whole other discussion.

Health trends

Please note I’m not bashing the brand or the practice i wonder how truthful some of the claims are. I will also admit I haven’t tried the practice mentioned.

Oil Pulling

I’ve noticed several health trends that swept social media this year it seems to be oil-pulling. If you aren’t familiar with the topic here is a link from Colgate.

The gist is that you swish an oil in your mount for up to 20 minutes and it’s stated to help improve oral health and breath. You can use coconut, Olive oil, or even sunflower oil.

The claims I’ve seen

I’ve seen several videos on TikTok of users claiming the product is a miracle worker. How they have healed their teeth just by adding Oil pulling to their oral routine.

The product that is shared is this one. It’s a liquified Coconut oil and one has mint added. The brand claims that this will improve oral health. By breaking down plaque and removing other bacteria in the mouth.

I’ve seen people claim that they have had cavities repair themselves just by using this product.

Granted everyone’s user experiences are different but to claim your cavities went away after a week is a bit of a stretch.

I also think that even liquified coconut oil will solidify after a while. so spitting this down your drain may cause clogs after time.

The brand’s response to fake products

I happened to see the brand share a video about fake products. What got me was that the brand rep was more concerned about the packaging because it was an exact dupe for the product. Which I understand but they didn’t take the time to analyze the product to make sure it was a similar formulation as theirs.

Weight loss trends

This is one of the biggest trends on social media across various platforms. Some are very helpful to folks. While others are the typical detox teas or MLM weight loss programs. Some are fad trends for quick weight loss.

These trends can cause harm

As with any health trend, there may be some cause for concern. Someone may go to the extreme and overuse a product or cause some other harm to themselves hoping to see faster results.

I also find it odd that TikTok allows so many advertising posts for certain products in a row.

What are your thoughts on the subject?