This has Been Stuck in my Craw for Sometime!

The Decline of Expertise and the Rise of Know-It-Alls

When I was younger, research was an adventure. If I had an assignment, I’d trek through the dense jungles of the encyclopedia, navigate the treacherous peaks of the dictionary, and—if I was feeling particularly daring—consult an actual expert, like a teacher or librarian. It was hard work, but at least I knew I wasn’t basing my essay on the wild theories of some guy named BigJim78 on Twitter.

Today, research consists of typing a question into Google, clicking the first link (which may or may not be an ad), and—if one is feeling especially academic—watching a two-minute TikTok summarizing the topic. Who needs experts when you have influencers explaining quantum physics in 30 seconds, usually while dancing?

The problem isn’t just that people are getting their facts wrong; it’s that they’re so sure they’re right. A person who spent ten years getting a Ph.D. in epidemiology will cautiously say, “The data suggests…” while Gary from Facebook—whose last formal education was a mandatory high school health class—will confidently declare, “Nah, that’s all fake.” And somehow, Gary wins the argument.

It’s not just science. History is now rewritten daily by people who skimmed a meme and suddenly believe they know the real story. “Actually, the pyramids were built by aliens.” Sure, Bob. And I suppose Napoleon was just a really enthusiastic cosplayer.

The decline of expertise has consequences. We now live in a world where people would rather trust a YouTube deep dive than an actual scientist, where every conversation has a self-proclaimed expert, and where asking, “Are you sure about that?” is considered an act of war.

So, what’s the solution? Maybe we start small—like remembering that just because something has a lot of likes doesn’t make it true. Or that knowing a little about something doesn’t mean knowing everything. And most importantly, let’s agree that when it comes to life-and-death matters, we should probably listen to the people with actual degrees, not the guy who thinks Wikipedia is “too biased.”

And now I spit that out, back to fishing!