In the world we exist in, we believe that anyone that has thousands of followers knows what to say or do in the internet space. The social media space has really changed the way we get information. The funny thing is some people have become popular because they share advice and educational content online.
Here comes the big question: Does being famous online make someone automatically qualified to speak with authority?
To be honest, popularity and expertise are two different things. Someone can have thousands and millions of followers because they are entertaining the audience or good at creating content. Just because they know their way around the internet doesn’t mean they have the experience and educational training to give the audience reliable advice.
Let's talk about medical advice, for example, someone who has thousands of followers and constantly posts and talks about medication, symptoms, and treatment for illness. They may be so perfect in their explanation, and the whole thing may look convincing; you will see people commenting on how helpful their advice has been. Here comes another question. Let's imagine that you have a serious health issue. Will you trust someone who only talks online more than a qualified doctor who has spent so many years studying medicine and has treated many cases? To be honest, my answer will be no.
That doesn’t mean that everything these influencers post on the internet is wrong. The majority of them are educated; some may even be nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and so on, but they teach online to enlighten their audience with this; their content becomes credible. Most times it is very important that we should look beyond the number of followers.
Having a large number simply means that person is so good at communicating, but that doesn’t mean that the person is an expert. Must this be? Our most trusted content creators are the ones giving fake advice when it has to do with our health and so on. We should be careful of advice we take.
Social media should only be the starting point of learning and not the final authority. I will advise the audience to ask, "What are the person's qualifications?" How many years of experience do they have? How I wish that we could be able to understand that there is a big difference between popularity and expertise. Your having thousands of followers doesn’t mean that I can trust you.
If there is something I so much believe in, it is that no knowledge is a waste; I can just as well learn one or two from the famous influencers online giving medical advice and so on. But when it comes to taking an important decision, whether medically, legally, or financially, I will go seeking the opinion of a professional.
So, if someone becomes internet-famous for giving medical advice, I might listen to what they have to say. I might even learn something useful from them. But when it comes to making an important medical decision, I would still want the opinion of a qualified healthcare professional.
This is my entry on the weekly prompt #hivelearners #hl-w230e3 topic influencers and professionals.
All images are generated with ChatGPT.
Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate your comments, support, and upvotes. Do have a lovely day.
Posted Using INLEO
