A Thought About Trolls on Social Media
The Inherent Flaw of Social Media: Elevating Trolls While Undermining True Expertise – A Few Thoughts About Social Media this Weekend!
Primary Category: Editorial and Commentary
Intended Audience: General Public / Others
Author:
• Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
About This Article
Social media creates the illusion that all voices are equally informed, allowing misinformation, emotional reactions, and baseless opinions to spread as widely as expert insights. Because engagement is prioritized over credibility, the loudest and most provocative voices gain more attention than those with deep experience and knowledge. This environment enables trolls to thrive while drowning out experts who have dedicated years to mastering their fields. Without critical evaluation of sources, social media will continue to be flooded with misleading content, reducing its value as a platform for meaningful discourse and informed discussion.
The Inherent Flaw of Social Media: Elevating Trolls While Undermining True Expertise
A Few Thoughts About Social Media this Weekend!
Social media has an inherent flaw in that it not only allows people to seem equal but actively promotes trolls ahead of real experts.
This is why platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn are becoming increasingly irrelevant for many.
The very structure of social media creates a landscape where everyone has an equal platform to voice their opinions. However, this accessibility fosters a dangerous misconception—that all voices carry equal weight, regardless of knowledge, experience, or expertise. The result is an environment where misinformation, baseless opinions, and emotional reactions are elevated to the same status as well-researched, experience-backed insights.
This issue has always plagued social media, and it remains unchanged.
Because users can post freely without vetting or accountability, many assume their personal beliefs, experiences, and opinions are just as valid as those of individuals who have dedicated years—if not decades—to mastering a specific subject. This illusion of intellectual equality is deeply flawed. Expertise is not simply about holding an opinion; it is about the depth of understanding, rigorous training, and real-world application of knowledge that refines a person’s insights over time.
Social media exacerbates this problem by prioritizing engagement over credibility. Algorithms push forward content that sparks reactions, not necessarily content that is informed or valuable. This means that posts driven by outrage, controversy, or emotionally charged rhetoric are often given precedence over those that provide carefully considered, well-founded analysis. As a result, expertise takes a backseat to popularity, and the loudest, most provocative voices gain more attention than those offering thoughtful, nuanced perspectives.
Furthermore, the emphasis on content rather than credibility distorts the value of professional knowledge. Someone with no background in victim advocacy, fraud prevention, or psychology may feel just as entitled to comment on the experiences of scam victims as someone with 20,000 hours of specialized training in the field. Even when two people have similar educational backgrounds, their expertise is not necessarily interchangeable—someone with decades in fraud management does not automatically possess the same understanding of trauma recovery and victim support as someone immersed in victim advocacy. Yet, on social media, these distinctions are often blurred, creating a space where superficial commentary carries as much weight as deeply informed insights.
This dilution of expertise is why much of what is posted on social media is, in essence, noise—uninformed commentary that thrives on emotion rather than substance. The digital space promotes the illusion that all perspectives deserve equal consideration, but in reality, expertise matters. The ability to articulate a thought does not equate to authority on a subject, yet many fail to recognize this, giving unwarranted credibility to opinions that lack depth or experience.
This is precisely where trolls thrive.
They capitalize on this system, manipulating discussions, spreading misinformation, and sowing discord, often with little regard for truth or integrity.
Meanwhile, real experts—those who have spent years developing their knowledge—find themselves drowned out, dismissed, or even attacked for challenging false narratives.
Until people learn to evaluate the source as much as the statement itself, social media will continue to be overrun with half-truths, misinterpretations, and well-intended but misguided advice. The platforms that should have been spaces for meaningful discourse and learning have instead become battlegrounds for attention, where substance is secondary to spectacle.
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Important Information for New Scam Victims
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A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and to not blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and to help victims avoid scams in the future. At times this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims, we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
SCARS Resources:
- Getting Started: ScamVictimsSupport.org
- FREE enrollment in the SCARS Institute training programs for scam victims SCARSeducation.org
- For New Victims of Relationship Scams newvictim.AgainstScams.org
- Subscribe to SCARS Newsletter newsletter.againstscams.org
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- Become a SCARS Member and get free counseling benefits, visit membership.AgainstScams.org
- Report each and every crime, learn how to at reporting.AgainstScams.org
- Learn more about Scams & Scammers at RomanceScamsNOW.com and ScamsNOW.com
- Learn more about the Psychology of Scams and Scam Victims: ScamPsychology.org
- Self-Help Books for Scam Victims are at shop.AgainstScams.org
- Worldwide Crisis Hotlines: International Suicide Hotlines – OpenCounseling : OpenCounseling
- Campaign To End Scam Victim Blaming – 2024 (scamsnow.com)
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this and other SCARS articles are intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
Note about Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices have the potential to create psychological distress for some individuals. Please consult a mental health professional or experienced meditation instructor for guidance should you encounter difficulties.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here
If you are in crisis, feeling desperate, or in despair please call 988 or your local crisis hotline.
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