You Can Fool All of the People All of the Time, Sometimes
I’m guessing that about 90% of the statistics thrown around on social media are simply made up: “Over 90% of workers in large businesses are alienated and disengaged.” “Most people leave companies because of toxic environments.” And on and on it goes. These are picked up by others and exaggerated further. Someone said this morning that Trump appearing at a MacDonald’s “angered most of the rest of the world.” How on earth would he know that? (Note that I admit I’m “guessing” about the percentages.)
The problem isn’t just the totally phony statistics, it’s that, as it is with many lies, the perpetrators tell them so often that they believe in them. And since they wrap themselves up in the confirmation bias of social media and interact solely with people who share their views and biases, they believe they’re reporting the truth.
Even scientific investigations and disciplined surveys are often wrong. The famed “Hawthorn Effect,” seeking to prove that better lighting would enhance productivity, found instead that any change in lighting enhanced productivity because people felt they were being observed. But the experiment itself was flawed because there was no control group and the same people weren’t present every day!
So here’s my statistic: If you ask people the sources for their statistics and claims on social media on any subject, the vast majority won’t be able to provide them. And that’s no guess.
