NZ Herald Focus talks to a social media expert about the selective social media algorithm, and whether New Zealand’s younger generation of voters is getting a clear picture of the political landscape.
Video / NZ Herald
Opinion by Sonya Bateson
Sonya is a regional content leader for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post
I’m getting mighty sick of that phrase. Not just TikTok, mind, substitute that name for any other social media company – Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube – and it still fits.
To be clear, I’m not talking about thesharing of a funny cat video or a photo of your cute nephew. That’s the stuff that makes social media great. Rather, I hate it when people use this phrase to justify their stance on an issue.
It’s the internet-age equivalent of “well, Aunty Margaret’s sister-in-law’s stepson told me it was true”.
But there seems to be a huge swath of people who believe the things they see on a well-produced TikTok video, Instagram reel, or blog post shared in a Facebook group.
Let’s rewind the clock back to a few days ago when I was engaging with a group on a forum for a chronic health condition we all share. It’s a condition that can see positive health results from dietary changes and by using certain supplements.
“Intermittent fasting is as bad for hormones as high glucose,” one anonymous member wrote (paraphrased). “Almost all clinical research is done on men, the studies on women show very different results. There’s tonnes of research that shows intermittent fasting can decrease fertility and negatively impact our mood.”
“Where did you learn that?” another person replied to the first. “I couldn’t find anything online. What I found suggested that intermittent fasting either has no effect on reproductive hormones, or it benefits people with [health condition].”
“I’d like to know where you found this information as well, I can see some studies that show long-term fasting can increase cortisol levels, but I didn’t see anything for intermittent fasting,” a third person replied.
“I’d be interested to read this too, can you share the source please [original poster]?” asked a fourth.
The original anonymous member finally replied: “I saw it on TikTok. I tried intermittent fasting for a year and it didn’t work for me,” before being ripped to shreds by the group.
And that’s the issue, isn’t it? People will watch and/or read social media content for entertainment, then when they see/read something that “feels” true, they’ll tend to believe it.
There’s a phrase to describe that: Confirmation bias.
Oxford Reference defines confirmation bias as “the tendency to test one’s beliefs or conjectures by seeking evidence that might confirm or verify them, and to ignore evidence that might disconfirm or refute them.”
In other words, people will believe stuff they want to believe, whether or not it can be verified.
I’ve experienced it myself, too. I remember having a conversation with someone many years ago about vegans and the stereotypes around them.
“It’s funny that people become vegans because of animal cruelty,” I said, smugly. “Plants scream when they’re cut, isn’t that the same thing?”
Plants screaming when they're cut: Fact or fiction? Photo / Getty
“Um, are you sure?” the person replied. “I’m pretty sure that’s from a children’s book.”
That shut me up real quick. And I stopped to think about it – actually, where did I hear that? Was it based on fact, or was it just something I’d read?
My conclusion? I’d read it on Facebook in a group I was in that, while not the purpose of the group, was prone to a lot of anti-vegan rhetoric. And I’d found myself parroting stuff I’d read in that group without actually taking the time to confirm it myself.
Embarrassing.
(To be fair, though, there does seem to be some new evidence that plants emit a high-pitched clicking sound when they are cut or dehydrated, but using that information as a “gotcha, vegans!” was definitely something I’d absorbed from that group.)
So, how do we avoid confirmation bias?
That part’s a bit trickier.
As an article in the Economist Impact put it, “… we’re certain our own logic is sound while anyone who disagrees with us must be misinformed, illogical and wrong.
Too many people believe the things they see on a well-produced TikTok video, Instagram reel, or blog post shared in a Facebook group, writes Sonya Bateson. Photo / 123rf
“Confirmation bias leads to thinking becoming narrow-minded and short-sighted, it perpetuates itself and the worse it gets, the less likely those affected by it are to listen to any sort of critical thought, or opposing view.
“That means we’re all susceptible to it.”
To counteract that influence, it’s up to us to look for ways in which we are wrong, rather than searching for evidence that we are right. Then we should carefully consider all evidence before coming to a conclusion.
If you find yourself nodding along with something you’re reading on Facebook or watching on Instagram, you’re probably feeling the comforting tingles of confirmation bias.
And if you’ve got beliefs or opinions that have remained unchanged for a long period of time, then you should probably test yourself.
You’ll either confirm your views or realise you’re wrong and avoid looking like an idiot like I did.
Even better, you won’t have to justify yourself with “I saw it on TikTok.”
Win-win.
Sonya Bateson is a writer, reader and crafter raising her family in Tauranga. She is a Millennial who enjoys eating avocado on toast, drinking lattes and defying stereotypes. As a sceptic, she reserves the right to change her mind when presented with new evidence.
