I read it online… should I believe it?
By Nicole van Rootselaar, MSc Kinesiology, PhD Student Neuroscience
I read it online… should I believe it? A review of how science works
On average, parents will have 3.4 social media accounts and spend 17.5 hours/week on social media (https://www.snipp.com). Whether you spend more or less than the average parent online, you also are likely aware of the many different sources of parenting information that are available on social media. Some of the information may come from friends or family, from pages you follow, or even from ads or suggested accounts related to parenting topics. When you encounter these sources, it is important to always consider the origin of that media, and the impact this information may have on interactions with your child(ren).
Social media sites (and the internet in general) can be a valuable source of parenting information- whether you use a site to chat with a friend about your child or find comfort reading a relatable blog post. The risk is that all these sources can promote information that is wrong, or misrepresent a topic, whether knowingly or unknowingly. An example of a common misconception (that I still heard and believed growing up) is that birth order determines a large part of a child’s of personality (here’s a recent blog example discussing it: https://corporettemoms.com/is-birth-order-a-thing/). Scientists have spent years studying birth order, but there is little consensus if specific personality traits relate to birth order (See linked publication- Boccio & Beaver, 2019). When you are consuming information online, it is easy to listen to a parent talk during a video “reel” or read their blog and believe what they say, especially if it confirms a belief you already hold (this is known as confirmation bias, and deserves it’s own blog post), and even more so when the blog includes a photo of their picture perfect life.
This post is a reminder to consider the source of the information you saw today online. Does it come from something another parent saw online? Was it passed down through their family? A pamphlet from their family doctor? A news article? Did they attend any post-secondary, or study childhood development? Or best, a research publication? Of course finding the source of information online could involve hours of work, and you likely do not have time to research every video and piece of parenting information that pops up online. Let’s first review the scientific method to answer the question of how we find out what the right answer to a complex parenting question, a truth, or the best way to do something.
The scientific method is a process used to uncover universal truths and help us understand our surroundings. It involves coming up with an idea about how something works (hypothesis), developing a way to test the hypothesis (experiment/observation), and gauging the results. If the experiment outcome matches the prediction, the hypothesis is supported, and the explanation gains some validity. Now comes the crucial next step- we must continue to test the hypothesis. The next test might use a slightly different experiment, a different group of people, a new setting, or some other adjustment, and if the outcome still matches the prediction and proves the hypothesis correct, we can start to really believe the hypothesis. A well-supported, broad hypothesis can become a theory. A good researcher will continue to test the theory. A final step is publishing and sharing that knowledge with other researchers, and with the public and people who can use the information, like you!
To tie this idea back into your online interactions, look for articles, parents/peers, or associations that base their information on published, peer-reviewed studies. If you read a news article, they might link it back to a journal article published online or interview a researcher who is focused on understanding an aspect of early childhood development, or a practicing medical professional. There are all examples of positive, more reliable resources. So the next time you see a video pop up in your online feed with a happy looking parent telling you that all you need to do to help your child succeed/sleep/whatever is follow her two simple pieces of advice, consider where her information comes from before letting it change how you parent.
Building Brains Together was created to make the research going on at the University of Lethbridge accessible to parents and community members who can benefit from our play-based curriculum! If you look around our website, you will find the “research” page which lists our publications (written by professors and students at the university). The links to the publications are also included below.
You will notice that these publications focus on the preschool aged population, we are currently working hard to publish research about our adolescent curriculum and preparing to test a 60+ curriculum.
Links to publications for Building Brains Together:
Coelho, L. A., Amatto, A. N., Gonzalez, C. L., & Gibb, R. L. (2020). Building executive function in pre-school children through play: a curriculum. International journal of play, 9(1), 128-142.
Gibb, R., Coelho, L., Van Rootselaar, N. A., Halliwell, C., MacKinnon, M., Plomp, I., & Gonzalez, C. L. (2021). Promoting executive function skills in preschoolers using a play-based program. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 720225.
Gibb, R., Piquette, N., Harker, A., Raza, S., & Rathwell, B. (2015). Building Adult Capability with the Intent to Increase Executive Function and Early Literacy in Preschool Children. Early Childhood Education, 43(1).
References
Boccio, C. M., & Beaver, K. M. (2019). Further examining the potential association between birth order and personality: Null results from a national sample of American siblings. Personality and Individual Differences, 139, 125-131.