Category: Misinformation 101

Wellness influencers often use misinformer tactics to make their claims more convincing. We’re breaking down 4 of the most common ones and how they work.

Which one do you see the most on social media? Let us know!

It’s never too late (or early) to revisit a classic, and just like memes, misinformation can go viral and stick in people’s minds. 

In fact, many humorous scenes from popular culture will make use of exaggerated behaviour and dialogue for comedic effect that ends up mirroring many common manipulation tactics and logical fallacies seen on social media. These can make us laugh when watching an obviously silly show and yet can subtly sway us in a more serious context. 

What do you think? What memes from popular shows or from popular culture seem to mirror some of the manipulation tactics, biases, and fallacies you see online?

We might not be showgirls, but we know misinformation all too well.

Here are the tools you’ll need that never go out of style and be fearless in your myth busting (ScienceUpFirst’s version)

• Empathy & listening skills: A great myth buster listens like they’re hearing it for the first time, opens respectful dialogue, and approaches others with empathy, even when you’re never ever getting back together on opinions.
• The pause button: One of the easiest ways to stop misinformation? Pause before you post and ask: “Is this true?” Because sometimes the best move is to shake it off.
• Red flag radar: Learn to spot misinformers’ tricks before they begin again. You’ll see the red flags flying around.
• Source-check savvy: Read past the headlines, check credibility, and consult multiple trusted sources, because you want to be sure you are out of the woods, so check it once, then check it twice.

See a harmful claim? If you can, speak now (politely) before it spreads.

Sound like you? Then you belong with me (and by me, we mean us). 🧡❤️‍🔥🧡❤️‍🔥

Five years ago, organizations throughout the world were making commitments to diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility (DIEA) (12). Today, there is a backlash towards DIEA policies, with many being rolled back (13). But these terms are often misrepresented and misunderstood. 

We break it down for you ☝️

Though some organizations are leaning away, our team is leaning in. Why? Because we know the evidence points towards teams being stronger and science working better when diverse perspectives are included (14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21).

Bonus Definitions 📝

• Bias: The conscious (explicit) or unconscious (implicit) opinion, preference, prejudice, or inclination formed without reasonable justification that prevents a balanced or even-handed judgement (6). 
• Stigma: Stigma is defined as negative attitudes, beliefs, or behaviours about or toward an individual or group of people because of a characteristic they share. Stigma can include stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination (22).

Share if you think these terms are getting a bad rap. 

A big thank you to IDEA-STEM (@idea_stem) and Ingenium’s (@ingeniumcanada) truth, reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (TREDIA) team for reviewing this post.

You’re browsing social media absentmindedly (is there any other way?) and you notice your mom sharing what you believe is obvious misinformation. Maybe it’s an AI-generated video; maybe it’s a long debunked myth about vaccines; maybe it’s long-withheld information about Bigfoot.

You also know that you will be seeing your mom tomorrow for dinner and it will inevitably come up. 

Is it worth addressing? Is it likely to sour your dinner with her? Is there a risk of spreading harmful misinformation? These are all relevant questions that many of us have to deal with. Some ways of dealing with these situations are more productive than others (13).

And you? How have you reacted to similar situations?