Correlation does not equal causation : An important lesson in the age of social media

Let me start off with an example I’ve seen floating around recently, one that keeps being quoted more and more:

"Numerous studies show that people who drink red wine live longer."

Now, how were these “studies” conducted? By taking people who drink red wine and comparing their lifespan to people who… well, don’t. The results? The red wine drinkers seemed to live longer.

So of course, the internet jumped on this. Articles, social media posts, health blogs—everyone started saying “Red wine is good for you!”

And you might be tempted to believe it too. But let’s take a step back. What kind of people usually drink red wine? Let me tell you: wealthy people. Wealthy people who can afford healthcare, who are often more educated about health, and who can afford to invest in their well-being.

Not only that—wine is often consumed at social gatherings, and there’s plenty of evidence that strong social connections help you live longer.

So what’s happening here? It’s not the wine—it’s the lifestyle that comes with it.

And here’s the kicker: alcohol is still a poison to the body. But sometimes, our mind’s poison is greater—so people make trade-offs for relaxation, stress relief, or social bonding.

Now think about it: do you really believe that something we already have overwhelming evidence against (alcohol being harmful) suddenly becomes “healthy”… or could it be that the circumstances are different?

👉 This is the difference between correlation and causation.

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This was just one example. This example has thankfully not affected people too much. But one wasn't the same case and is now becoming one of the biggest health scandals of all time. 

Anti-Vaccination

It began with a now-infamous study that claimed vaccines caused autism. Parents panicked, media outlets amplified the fear, and suddenly, people began rejecting vaccines altogether. The study was later debunked—falsified data, unethical methods, and the lead doctor even lost his medical license. It was later found he was trying to turn people against the MMR vaccination to sell his own uncertified version. But by then, the damage had been done.

Diseases like measles, which we had nearly eradicated, came roaring back. Children died. Entire communities suffered—all because people believed a false cause-and-effect.

And that’s the terrifying part: confusing correlation with causation doesn’t just lead to bad ideas—it can destroy lives.

Here are a few more examples to show the pattern:

• Ice cream sales rise in the summer. Shark attacks also rise in the summer. Does ice cream cause shark attacks? Of course not—the real cause is heat driving both more swimming and more ice cream.

• Kids who play video games often have lower grades. Is it the games? Or is it that stressed kids retreat into games while neglecting schoolwork?

• People who carry lighters are more likely to get lung cancer. Does the lighter cause cancer? No—the cigarettes do.

See how easy it is to be misled?

Why is this so dangerous?

Because humans naturally want simple answers. We crave neat stories: “X causes Y.” It helps us feel like the world makes sense. But the real world is messy. Believing false causes leads to wasted time, wasted money, bad decisions, and in the worst cases—death.

How do you avoid this trap?

• Ask: Could there be another factor at play? (Like wealth, lifestyle, or climate.)

• Check the source: Was the study reliable, peer-reviewed, or just cherry-picked headlines?

• Look for mechanisms: If something claims “X causes Y,” is there a biological or logical explanation?

• Remember base evidence: If overwhelming science says one thing (like alcohol being harmful), one small flashy study doesn’t overturn it.

You may think that the anti vaccination example had more people beliving it as it was published in the Lancet , one of the most prestigious medical journals. While that is partly true , another main reason is because people don't want to inject their kids with substances they don't know even if it will save their child.

So look at them as wrongly educated and not uneducated because they will believe those who are kinder.

People are now turning down doctors for homeopathy (one of the BIGGEST pseudosciences) because homoepathy doctors take more time with their patients and talk to them sweetly.

So we should deal with people affected by this issue with kindness not arrogance.

As always stay happy and healthy! Also , I really think Serious Sundays are becoming a thing 😆.

📌 Note : I will not be posting in the months of September , 2 weeks of January and March, so please dont check in during those times!'

👉🏻If you want to continue learning about misinformation and pseudoscience. , check out Dr Andrea Love's appearance on Wired : Pseudoscince support(Though I would not generally recommend using unverified articles or social media as scientific evidence)