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Pseudo-psychology is exponentially growing more dangerous in the modern world chiefly because of the internet, which can pose a significant threat to our social well-being. Pseudo-psychology is psychological science that is not backed up by empirical support; essentially, it is false information. Some therapies use misleading personality assessments and other pseudo-psychological concepts that may harm people at large.
As the internet grows, it becomes difficult to filter out untrustworthy sources. Of course, sites like Britannica and “.gov” domains offer trustworthy information, but there are also billions of other websites that offer false information. As people become more exposed to unverified information, they risk sustaining psychological damage. You might think that only the internet is full of fake information, but you can also be exposed to untrustworthy information in the physical world. Many popular informative books in the bookstore are not on sale for your benefit but for the publisher’s own gains.
The constant practices of pseudo-psychology lead to a potential risk to actual psychological practices. For example, it will become harder for people to decide what is real or not. Let’s say that you are looking for the fastest car in the world, and the internet says it’s the La Ferrari, not a Koenigsegg. If you don’t have any car knowledge, you will start thinking that the La Ferrari is the fastest car. This line between genuine psychological science and pseudo-science is becoming more blurry, making it more difficult for the public to discern what is reliable.
On top of that, pseudo-psychology creates harmful stereotypes and stigmas. Many pseudo-psychological practices like graphology or astrology promote unfactual generalizations about our personality and behaviors. Ever heard of zodiac signs? They may seem fun until people create oversimplified discrimination against individuals using their superficial traits. As more and more misconceptions and stereotypes grow, it is only natural that people start discriminating more and get false results.
Despite its downsides, pseudo-psychology does appeal to people in need of emotional comfort. When a person’s stress level is too high, it’s sometimes just better to practice pseudo-psychology rather than to confront it directly. In this scenario, this type of false scientific reasoning is used as a coping mechanism for people who are in a bad mental state. Additionally, although certain practices of cultural rituals are not scientific, they still help people find comfort and release stress.
The influence of pseudo-psychology does not end there. Therapists use a concept called “recovered memory” to “heal” patients without having any backed-up practices. To further elaborate, repressed memory is a concept that was popularized by pseudo-psychology. This has been discredited by numerous studies, yet people still believe them and think they can recover from psychological disorders like PTSD through these suspicious methods. This is very risky for people who are mentally traumatized because it can lead to unnecessary emotional distress and confusion.
In today’s world, the accessibility of the internet makes pseudo-psychology content way easier to spread. Social media platforms often make claims without proper research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook faced a lot of hate because of posts promoting unproven remedies like hydroxychloroquine or bleach. On X, there was a post saying that COVID-19 was a hoax or linked to 5G technology. All social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp make alarming and unverified claims about the risk of the virus.
As the internet world continues to grow, we should invest more in our education to combat pseudo-psychology. Focusing on thinking skills and promoting scientific facts behind all claims made on the internet could protect our communities. Our schools and universities need to emphasize the importance of credited evidence. Public awareness campaigns can also help by showcasing the dangers of misinformation and encouraging people to seek help from professionals.
Pseudo-psychology may offer quick and easy answers to complex questions we may have, but it won’t fix our past traumatic experiences or tell us the truth as to which is the fastest car. We must recognize false information to protect ourselves from harmful stereotypes and pseudopsychological methods that lead to a damaging outcome.
