Questionable Social Media Science Sites

[Boris Konon]

Over time, I am noticing more and more social media science-based sites, typically w/ catchy titles (alliteration, for instance) show up on my "for you" or "recommended" feeds on FB and X w/ false information, fake or doctored photos, and general "fluff" information that all seems more for clicks and likes than anything else. Here is a example I saw recently (attached). That's not what a sun dog looks like!

What I find most concerning that if it this outside your area of expertise, many will just accept it as fact, real, or truth b/c they do not know any better. This is particularly insidious I find b/c it spreads bad and misinformation very easily, and would bet many of these types of sites know this, but it's all about content, truth or facts be damned!

 

[Warren Faidley]

What's worse are the storm chasing sites where "science" is the lead-in, but the actual sites have little to do with science but more with storm chasing entertainment.

 

[Blake Naftel]

When information becomes "infotainment" which did indeed happen with the "reality" television show era post 2005-07 into 2011, then you as a content producer have a hook. Too many people bought into this and continue still to this day. It's not a new thing with human attention spans regardless of delivery method.

Misinformation is rampant now and most people are completely gullible. We as people can attempt to counteract it, but ultimately, you cannot lead a horse to reality until it apparently sells on a major platform, is a guest on a late night show and boosts the egos of those associated with such. Storm chasers, to curb this back to the topic and not veer off on a ramble, is a key example of this. Nobody cares beyond the passive audiences that click onto the next thing, myths become marvels or in the case of the Hollywood film industry, reboots, and then, a perfect storm of disinformation arises. It's sick, and not in the presently child like popular sense.

All one can do is stand up for the truth, push back and live. I know many of you on this highly conservative message forum will push back on that, and good on you. Yet to all get along, sail through the garbage of jackass tornado tanks and fake police arrests << do a Google search on that one >> in the name of click bait and return to some semblance of sanity, it's going to take a village. I for one will help lead that challenge, not merely venting off on a weather nerd forum, social media platform or television show, but in the public eye. It's on! Look out.

I'll exit stage left now. I've had enough. Goodnight and good luck.

Cheers,

Blake


BLAKE WILLIAM NAFTEL
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[William Monfredo]

Though the tropical season has been slow, NWS Miami wants to get a leg up on heading off the kind of nonsense that they (we) saw last year.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

Given how algorithms work these days, if you simply click even once on a post like that you're going to get spoon fed anything that's halfway related to the material at hand, whether it's legit or not, which may be why you are seeing an increase in that kind of mis-information.

Behaviorally, and I must admit I'm dumbfounded by people's need to comment on anything and everything (like me here), that one click, comment or share helps create a standard feed for a person after a while and the general public is more than happy to engage, whether it's positive or negative. Any reaction at all gives all these sites the boost needed to serve up another helping of crap.

Unfortunately that's the game we play these days in pretty much every part of life. We'll wade through 25 pop up ads to read an article, sift through 100 fake reviews to get to one that's legit, and do web searches after the fact to get confirmation (like a celebrity death) because we don't trust what we're seeing on SM. But instead of blocking or hiding junk like this, people happily reward it with a click, comment or share which is really unfortunate.

 

[Warren Faidley]

The problem is where do you draw the line on squashing social media forecast hype? Do you allow the more popular chasers to post similar alerts or antagonize people by telling them there "may be 40-50 tornadoes over a specific area." What about the chasers who continually forecast "biblical" outbreaks days in advance -- that often go bust.