Sex sells and so do “Fitfluencers”. Anything we see on the ‘gram is correlational evidence at best.
Correlation is not ❌ causation.
Sure, we’ve heard that before, but how does that apply HERE on your own personalized feed?
It is unclear when we see things show up in our feed – what causes what – if anything. Just because an influencer is holding up a product or advocating for a particular workout regimen doesn’t mean to say that that product has anything to do with the results that you see, what’s written, or appears in the post somewhere.
- Did she get that 🍑 by doing that workout?
- Did he get those 💪🏼 from that supplement?
- Can I get better 😴 at night if I take that?
Again, correlation at best. It is hard to prove from one post alone what caused the reported change, unless of course the post is backed by evidence-based research.
What’s an alternative to posting information that is not correlational?
I’m glad you asked. Providing behavioral indicators that tell the story of how that product or service helped that influencer achieve his or her goals. That story would include how long they used a product or program, their relevant health and fitness history and what they’re doing today to maintain those results.
Yep, that sounds like a lot of work and it is. Posting sexy photos and talking about results without the necessary environmental and behavior change is easy to do
Be careful out there, and always be skeptical of what you see in your feed! (Please be skeptical of this feed too! 😎
