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There was once a time when experts studied for a long time to become trusted voices in their respective fields. Nowadays, it seems almost anyone with a big following might be considered an expert, even if they haven't yet completed high school. We have 'influencers' dishing out advice about health, money, cars, fitness, and everything in between.

According to Dr. Chris Stankovich, a counselor, professor, media spokesperson, and researcher in the field of sport, exercise, & health psychology, many people listen (and trust) influencers because of something called the psychology of liking.

Stankovich cites Robert Cialdini's book The Psychology of Influence, and explains that when we like a person, we are more likely to be persuaded by that person. 

"When we apply this thinking to influencers, it becomes easy to see why influencers not only have the ability to impact our thinking on fluffy subjects (i.e. where to get the best hamburger in town), but if we like them enough, they can also persuade us to think in certain ways about much bigger, more important decisions that they know little to nothing about (i.e. finding the best doctor in town to treat your health condition)," says the expert.

Dr. Jessica Koehler, a school psychologist, agrees. She explains that followers tend to trust and buy from influencers because they feel a personal connection with them. However, Koehler stresses that influence should always be used ethically.

Persuasion, she says, should not be about manipulating others for selfish gain but about creating win-win situations where both parties benefit. "In a landscape crowded with noise, ethical persuasion stands out as a beacon of credibility and trust, ensuring that your influence leaves a positive, lasting impact," Koehler writes.

Stankovich warns that online popularity, persuasion and influencers have the ability to hijack our critical thinking and judgment. And it's happening far too often.

You might have heard of Brittany Miller, an 'influencer' known for posting food and lifestyle content to her millions of TikTok followers. Miller once claimed she had had been diagnosed with gastric cancer, and a fundraising page for her treatment went viral.

She later admitted to lying, and posted an apology video on her platforms. "She said the fundraising page in question had been set up in her name by a friend," reports the BBC, adding that Miller said the lie stemmed from "one stupid sentence that I deeply regret."

She's not the first 'influencer' to be caught lying about having cancer.

Australian 'wellness' influencer Belle Gibson claimed she'd beaten brain cancer by eating superfoods. Gibson began blogging about her ‘battle with cancer’ back in 2013, and gained popularity on Instagram. She later released The Whole Pantry, which the Australian media at the time described as ‘the world’s first health, wellness and lifestyle app.’

Alongside the app, Gibson's spin-off cookbook made more than $400,000 Australian dollars and the influencer promised she'd be donating a share of that various charities.

In April 2015, it emerged that Gibson had lied about how much money she'd donated. And when journalists started digging, they uncovered an even more sinister truth: she never had cancer to begin with. But by the time this came to light, many people had been following Gibson's advice, hoping that they too could miraculously be cured by superfoods and alternative therapies.

One of them is a woman, known as Maxine, who once believed Gibson was "the queen bee of wellness."