A 2017 report by the PEW Research Center found that more than half of Americans receive science news from general news outlets such as CNN or The Washington Post. The report also found that a quarter obtain the majority of their scientific knowledge through social media and that 33% of these people believe this information to be accurate.
These findings are extremely troubling: a recent popular headline stated that teenagers are growing horns at the base of their skull from excessive cellphone use. The basis for these reports comes from a 2016 study by researchers David Shahar and Mark Sayers at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, published earlier this year in the journal Scientific Reports. In their paper, Shahar and Sayers claim that young adults are developing tiny, hornlike spikes at the base of their skulls from leaning forward to look at the screens of their mobile phones. This poor positioning apparently causes the weight of their heads to transfer from their spines to the muscles in their neck and upper back, causing bone growth known as “enlarged external occipital protuberances.” After the publication of this report, several popular media outlets including the BBC and The Washington Post cited its findings in stories highlighting the effects of extensive technology use (4).
However, in spite of the widespread media reporting of Shahar and Sayers’ findings, many critics are skeptical. In fact, further examination of the paper revealed that it lacks a table of results and that many of the included charts feature contradictory information (1).
This news cycle is just one example of how the media can often mislead the public when it comes to scientific reporting. Frequently, reporters are driven by the need to come up with flashy or exciting stories, which garner more clicks from readers and thereby increase their own funding (3). As a result, they are willing to forgo checking the accuracy of their sources or even going so far as to manipulate findings in order to create a more interesting narrative.
The reporting of scientific misinformation by the media is highly problematic. When viewing stories from widely known and reputable sources, people usually buy into the results with little skepticism. In addition, when these findings are seized and highlighted by public figures – for example, a politician looking to instill educational measures to decrease the excessive use of social media by teens – the general public may view them as infallible.
Nevertheless, the scientific community has taken measures to combat the incorrect reporting of scientific information. For example, many scientific journals now institute a process where, prior to publishing results, researchers have their experimental design and methodology peer-reviewed (3). This eliminates the tendency for journals and the media to only report the most exciting parts of findings and increases research transparency.
However, there are flaws to this plan. For instance, the extensive review and approval of a specific methodology creates rigidity in the production of results. Researchers may become locked into a specific design that keeps them from modifying their procedure when a problem arises (2).
In the future, the media should strive to improve the scientific accuracy of their reports. For now, people should be careful to not believe every claim that the media says is based on scientific research and instead further look into what they are reading.
References:
- Ducharme, J. (2019, June 21). No, Teenagers Are Not Growing 'Skull Horns' Because of Smartphones. Retrieved from https://time.com/5611036/teenagers-skull-horns.
- Findley, M., Jensen, M., Malesky, E., & Pepinsky, T. (2017). Can results-free review reduce publication bias? The results and implications of a pilot study. Comparative Political Studies. DOI: 10.1177/0010414016655539.
- Gebelhoff, R. (2016, August 17). The Media is Ruining Science. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/08/17/the-media-is-ruining-science/?utm_term=.c2bb4044ceeb.
- Kim, A. (24 June, 2019). Retreived from https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/21/health/young-people-horn-skulls-trnd/index.html