Medical Info-The New Dark Ages

The Dark Ages lasted over 500 years...from the 5th to the 10th century. It was a time of limited medical knowledge, illiteracy, church and religious domination, limited trade and a rigid class system. Prior to that, the Roman and Greek Empires had libraries, physicians, civilization, art, science, sanitation,functioning governments, high literacy and scientific accomplishments. During the Dark Ages, except for literacy in small regions and religious monasteries, it is not a world we would want to live in.
The Dark Ages came about when the Roman Empire collapsed due to corruption, collapse of trade, over expansion and isolation. Educational institutions were lost and Supersition and fear replaced rational inquiry. Â With fewer literate people, myths, rumors and lies spread unchecked. Medical knowledge regressed and plagues were blamed on supernatural forces.
Now fast forward to 2025. In the past few years trust in our institutions, scientists, physicians, education and the free press have hit an all time low. Facebook, the largest social media platform, has decided to end its fact-checking process, bowing to political pressure. The same pressure has worked on the esteemed Washington Post and LA Times, both owned by billionaires and pushing political agendas. The platform X has become the mouthpiece of the person occupying the white house and the newsprint business has died completely. Google and You-Tube use mysterious algorithms to push content and limit news sources.
From a purely medical and information standpoint, this is a disaster. Eighty-three percent of 16-27 year- olds get their news from online sources, including social media, Tic-Toc, You-Tube and podcasts. Younger people from all parts of the political spectrum share a distrust of media. Yet, "content creators" and "influencers" and podcast hosts with opinions, but no verified facts, are listened to and believed. Anyone selling a new product or device has a captive audience for buying their scientific remedy. Soundbites and quick videos are where people are being educated. I fear the new scientific Dark Ages.
Heres an example from Facebook. "My friend was told by her doctor that you can take birth control pills forever and never have menopause". That post engendered dozens of comments, everyone having an opinion (all were blatantly wrong) and one comment, "Doctors don't know anything about women's health". Uh...OK. I guess my million dollar brain, 13 years of grueling education after high school and treating thousands of women doesn't live up to your tic-toc info.
Another example from a You-Tube holistic person with lots of strange degree initials after their name: "Western Medicine is so disease-focused that unless it's drastic, there is nothing they can offer you."
Another video: "Leaky gut may be the cause of up to 25 to 88% of symptoms we have. Now we have enough data to prove it."(He's selling a supplement). It seems "Leaky Gut" will be the next new new thing online so watch for that. Authoritatively quoting journals that I've never heard of, this "doctor" says leaky gut activates the limbic system and the hippocampus in the brain and cause depression among other ailments. Buy that supplement!
And don't get me started on Instagram Reels. If I had a quarter everytime someone mentions checking your thyroid or other hormones, I would be wealthy. And No! The bags under your eyes and fat around your middle are not caused by your thyroid dysfunction.

We are not in a new Dark Age. Modern society has institutions that work to counter misinformation but we need to do more. Banning social media is not the answer. But we can do some things to protect ourselves and our children from becoming more dumb:
Teach people how to identify misinformation: We need a curriculum in school that introduces fact-checking skills and critical thinking. Finland is winning the war on fake news by teaching a new generation how to spot misinformation.
Media literacy campaigns: Governments, NGOs and tech companies shold promote public awareness campaigns on how misinformation spreads.
Public Facing Scientists and Influencers: We need more scientists to actively engage on social medial to counter misinformation. The number of letters after a name or the number of followers does not confer expertise.
Fact-checking by Independent Bodies: Encourage non-partisan fact-checking groups to analyze government statements.
Encourage Community Engagement: Governments should host interactive sessions where citizens can ask questions and see the reasoning behind policies.
Regulate Social Media and Hold Platforms Accountable: Adjust algorithms that promote content to prioritize factual information.
Stop the Spread of Fake News; Platforms should flag misleading content and partner with fact-checkers. There should be strict penalties for platforms that profit from misinformation.
Encourage Health Skepticism Without Promoting Cynicism: Skepticism: "What is the evidence for this?" Conspiracism: "Everything is a lie, and only I see the truth."
Encourage trust in process
Understand and Promote that Science Self-corrects Over Time.
Support Independent Journalism and Reliable News Sources

We aren't in the Dark ages yet but we are at a crossroads. And none of this even addresses both the benefits and horrors that could come with AI. Lets start with facts, education and reliable health information.
Today’s nytimes said the researchers that trade marked the bliue zones have flawed data. BLUE ZONES Brand Usage Guide
BLUE ZONES is a lifestyle brand that designates products and services that enable people to people live longer, better lives by improving their environment. Blue zone researchers claim that they thoroughly vet each potential location. But if you look at records from the regions, problems arise according to a published article in today’s NY Times.
While I agree with everything you are saying and proposing, I also see that the new Dark ages consist of the losing battle of critical thinking against convenient and self-justifying ignorance. And , like that previous dar ages, we will have to do whatever we can to cherish and protect those small pockets of knowledge until this massive wave of idiocy passes.