Trust…but Verify…a Millennial’s thoughts on Misinformation
I am solidly Millennial. Drank from the hose. Rode my bike everywhere, grew up outside sunup to sun down. Had to visit the library for stable internet and was in college when MySpace made it’s debut. This means my relationship with social media is tricky. I don’t always understand how and why certain people are famous and paid to be online. The weird dances cringe me out and I’ve seen multiple Pilates/Yoga/Stretch folks follow a very clear trajectory from online fitness coach using socials to drum up business to using their socials to promote their Only Fans. I also refuse to believe the hilarious videos of bears jumping on trampolines are AI and not real bears who are just so curious and impulsive.
Every now and then, I come across a post on Facebook or Instagram that makes me step back and decide it’s time for a social media break. This last one just baffled me and made me wonder about the lack of critical thinking skills across social media and who we accept as authority in information.
This is a fairly innocuous and silly story but it really opened my eyes to how quickly misinformation at all levels spreads.
On a local Facebook group, someone posted that they were looking for pool recommendations because the local rec center was not offering swim hours during the fall. I had two problems with this post immediately.
I actually go to the rec center they referenced and know for a fact that the indoor pool is open year long and has the same hours as the rec center. I’d even actually been at the rec that morning and hadn’t seen a single sign or notice about changing pool hours.
It doesn’t make sense from a business perspective that the rec center would close the indoor pool for the season and without a particular reason. Why would this resource sit completely unused for months at a time?
Multiple people immediately jumped in to the comments with their favorite gyms + pools, others thanked the OP for the notice and several folks, including myself, posted that the rec center pool was in fact open year round. The Original Poster (OP) commented on my comment and double downed that the pool was closed for the fall.
Because I’m an engineer and live by the motto “trust but verify”, I checked the rec center website to make sure that I wasn’t wrong and passing along bad info. On the website, in big bold letters above the pool calendar, it said “Pool schedule released every 7-10 days”. On the calendar itself, the schedule had 10 days posted and the following days were blank. Seeing this, I could instantly understand how if they hadn’t read the disclaimer directly above the calendar, the person had come to their conclusion that the pool was closed for the fall.
But rather than reading the rest of the webpage, calling the rec center to clarify or even asking the front desk staff during one of their visits, they went straight to Facebook and announced to the community that the pool was closed.
When challenged with this being misinformation, they doubled down.
And now there is a post out there in the world that confidently states that the local rec center pool is closed for the fall.
This is a super small example, but it’s easy to see how someone posting confidently was taken immediately as an authority on the subject, despite being wrong.
And that’s exactly how misinformation happens. Someone posts confidently, a few people nod along, and suddenly it’s truth.
No sources, no logic, no critical thinking. Just loud posts.
The fitness world is very similar. Some good looking influencer with perfect lighting, great hair and a perfect outfit declares that “Pilates shakes are the secret to long, lean muscles,” or my personal favorite “I did this one exercise every day and now my back pain is totally gone!”. Boom! Social media trend is born. Never mind that the “shake” is literally just your muscles working hard or a nervous system overload. It’s not the end-all-be-all, it’s not a fitness goal, and it’s not good for your body to train to the shakes every time you exercise. And let’s not even start with the “one magic exercise posts”.
Unfortunately, the algorithm feeds on bright shiny things, not correct things.
I’ve written before about how influencers use “correction impulse” to purposely raise engagement by knowingly posting incorrect information. Unfortunately, that incorrect information gets liked, shared, and before you know it, everyone’s chasing butt tremors instead of actual strength.
Most of us aren’t trying to spread bad information. We just don’t know what we don’t know and it’s easier to scroll and believe than to pause, read, and verify.
Here are a few tools to help you vet those fitness posts for truth.
How to “Trust…But Verify” Fitness Info
1. Check the source.
Is the info coming from a verified source? A certified instructor or licensed professional, for example, or just a really hot chic in booty shorts? Does the person have actual credentials like NPCP, NASM, ACE, ACSM, CSCS, certified Pilates instructor, degreed nutritionist, etc? Or are their only credentials six-pack abs?
2. Look for the “how” and the “why”.
Misinformation thrives on quick fixes and magical claims: “You’ll feel it instantly!” or “This one move changed my life!”
Good educators explain why something works and how to do it safely.
Science and experience may sound more like: “Here’s what this targets, here’s how to modify, and here’s when it might not be right for you.”
3. Beware of absolute language.
A good fitness professional knows that people are too complex for one-size-fits-all advice. “This one move”, or words like always, never, best, worst, only, “the secret xyz professionals don’t want you know” are all red flags.
Real professionals will provide ranges and nuances, not absolutes.
4. What are they selling?
Follow the money. Fitness tips leading directly to a product link are sus. Is this an actual product that the person uses, stands by and supports? Or is this a quick marketing ploy?
5. Does it make any f*cking sense?
Let’s go back to the post about the pool being closed for the fall. Does it make sense that the rec center would close an indoor pool for months at a time and lose clients, income and waste resources?
Critical thinking is the best tool you can use to vet social media posts.
6. Verify before you share.
Even well-meaning reposts can fuel misinformation. Before you share a “Pilates tip” or “science-backed hack,” check the source, read the caption carefully, and maybe even look for the research behind it.
Before we start chasing our next “booty burn,” maybe we channel our inner engineer and trust but verify.
The truth isn’t always trending online. But it’s the thing that keeps people safe, strong and actually progressing. Sometimes the pool is still open and social media posts are just bullshit.
Until next time,
-R
