[old scientist, pointing at some data] After decades of research, thousands of experiments, a massive amount of peer reviewing, we can finally confidently conclude...
[smug dude with a ridiculous hairstyle] Uh yeah, but this TikTok by PatriotEagle1776 says your research is wrong
Some people really think they have some secret knowledge that the experts didn't think about. When the experts are already 5-10 steps ahead of them.
5-10 steps ahead of them after they lapped them twice and going for a third. A lot of people just don't seem to understand how much time and passion scientist put into their research.
Moreso there's an underlying understanding that in the US the companies that can throw the most money around for research might not have the best of intentions.
That's overly simplistic.
A lot of the social media content itself claims "decades of research, thousands of studies, yadda yadda".
At some level - unless you're taking deep educated dives into the peer reviewed analysis of a highly technical field - you are relying on someone else for information.
That is, after all, why we go to professionals for advice to begin with. Doctors, lawyers, professional engineers - each of whom have their own (often imperfect) understanding of the field. Some who may even be outright cranks exploiting their credentials for personal gain. Some who may even have elevated platforms (Dr. Oz for instance) to sprew the misinformation far and wide.
They really aren't.
Try speaking to anyone with a chronic and incurable illness. Try speaking to countless women and PoC who were denied treatment at the ER. Try speaking to people who had their medications denied by pharmacist because they didn't 'look like they're in pain'.
Modern medicine is rife with systemic misogyny and racism. The privilege of being heard by your doctor isn't a universal experience. The rest of us are forced to choose between suffering and dying or educating ourselves and self-advocating.