Reach isn't truth

As the saying goes, opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one.

And apparently mine wants to know all about yours. That sounded less inappropriate in my head. 😅

According to my analytics, a lot of you are in Sweden. Meanwhile, here's a Canadian opening LinkedIn with "assholes."

Very subtle. Very demure. Very North American of me.

But seriously, I care what people think. Who doesn't? Even the people who say they don't.

There's a reason it's called the court of public opinion. Everyone has a verdict. Evidence? Optional, apparently.

But how much of what we think is actually ours?

This morning, I was getting dressed for my 7:45 reformer Pilates class while scrolling TikTok. Apparently, leggings and my FYP are too much for my brain to handle at once.

I came across @Expatriarch discussing a New York Times investigation into lawsuits alleging smear campaigns against women, including disputed allegations involving people linked to the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni dispute.

Naturally, down the rabbit hole I went.

Dislike a celebrity, brand or stranger? Like one negative post and suddenly your feed offers a tasting menu of reasons to hate them.

See something often enough and it starts feeling like proof.

This isn't just celebrity gossip. Cambridge Analytica showed how personal data could be used for political targeting. Different tactics, same question: who's influencing us?

And sometimes the internet doesn't even need a campaign. Remember "Hathahate"? Anne Hathaway won an Oscar and apparently enthusiasm was a crime.

As a domestic abuse survivor, I didn't love how Blake Lively promoted It Ends With Us. But that doesn't mean I'm joining her internet hate club. I can question the marketing without believing every negative headline.

Two things can be true. Imagine that.

The court of public opinion can do good, too. #MeToo helped survivors speak out. Footage of Sean Combs assaulting Cassie Ventura showed why evidence matters. Public pressure can help hold powerful people accountable.

But feelings aren't facts. Without evidence, people can make things up and others can believe them. Tania Head even became a well-known 9/11 survivors' advocate after fabricating her story.

We can listen with empathy and still ask questions.

Now add AI: fake screenshots, cloned voices. Even the receipts need receipts.

Gossip isn't new. The internet just gave it an algorithm and a full-time job.

And as someone who works in social media, creator strategy and community management, that bothers me. We build trust, but the same tools can manipulate opinions and fuel harassment.

Bullies grow up. Some become better people. Others become CEOs. Some get marketing budgets.

Reach isn't truth. Engagement isn't evidence. Repetition isn't proof.

Before joining a pile-on, ask: have I seen the evidence, or just the story a thousand times?

There's a difference between managing a crisis and manufacturing one.