Thanks to the smartphone, tablets, and wireless internet connection we can access all sorts of websites and get informed about anything that comes to our mind. The internet isn’t just for social media profiles and chats with your friends; it’s a great way to learn and improve your lifestyle.
In order to make lifestyle changes and improve your health, chances are you look for health and lifestyle websites, and there are thousands of them. Some websites are reliable while others are way too biased.
Consumer Health Digest belongs to the group of unbiased websites.
Keep reading to find out more.
What is bias?
Bias is a commonly used term, but still poorly understood. The word bias indicates that an entire website or author of an article clearly state their preferences and opinions. Ideally, articles should be written in an objective manner where authors discuss a given subject without making their opinions, thoughts, and feelings known to the reader.
A vast majority of content you read online is considered a bias. The bias also occurs in situations when authors on some website use carefully selected information, the tone of description, and choice of words to convey a certain message and make a reader adopt their viewpoints without even realizing it at first.
The purpose of biased information is to change a reader’s mind and alter the way he or she thinks. With the ever-growing number of news, health, lifestyle, and other types of websites it has become paramount to learn how to recognize bias.
Let’s face it; the modern lifestyle is way too hectic to waste our time and nerves on false information. We need to be practical, read reliable and unbiased information that will help us make important changes in our lifestyle. Is that too much to ask? Of course, it’s not!
Signs of a bias on some website include:
- Limited view of a topic
- Outrageous claims
- Fearmongering
- Too good to be true solutions, tips.
- No evidence to support any claim
- Language is extreme with “all or nothing” connotations
- The text is worded with the intent to generalize or oversimplify
- Articles and authors appeal more to a reader’s emotions rather than logic
- Articles mention examples of some cases but include no source
- Even if sources are mentioned, they lead back to some other unreliable website
When to trust some website?
In a perfect world, we would be able to get informed about the topic of interest easily without having to worry about the bias. There would be no need to think whether the information you’re reading is a fact or a website just wants you to believe everything they say.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, so we need to make the best of it.
Even scientists have explored this phenomenon and carried out studies to find out when we can trust some website. One such paper was published in the Canadian Pharmaceuticals Journal, and it revealed four criteria to evaluate when ensuring the quality and accuracy of the content. These criteria include:
- Authors – most people can write a decent article, but that’s not the point. Health-related websites shouldn’t contain articles that were written by people who are not connected to medicine and health niche. It’s always useful to check who wrote the article on some website; a health care professional or some random person
- Financial support – although it may seem like such an odd thing to consider, financial support is vital. Some health websites are financed by government, organizations, famous brands, while there are also those that earn whenever you purchase a product mentioned there. If a website is, indeed, financed by a company or posts ads, it’s not a problem. That said, it should be clearly stated. On a trustworthy website, advertisements are separated and labeled. Even if the text is scientific, ads shouldn’t be directly related to the content discussed. Basically, the article shouldn’t revolve around a product and written just to promote something
- Quality of content – the origin of information used on a website is crucial. If a site uses Wikipedia, personal blogs, unreliable websites to “support” their arguments, we’re talking about a biased and untrustworthy. On the other hand, if sources come from journals, studies, and science-based backgrounds, then it’s reliable
- Privacy – with the growing use of the internet and its easy accessibility, it has become crucial to protect your privacy. This is particularly important now with the rise of cybercrime. Websites that require your personal information should be approached with caution
What makes Consumer Health Digest unbiased?
Now that you’ve learned more about signs of bias and qualities of an unbiased website, you’re probably wondering what makes Consumer Health Digest stand out. We’re going to start with authors. If you go to the official website and open any article, you will see it was written by a doctor, nurse, personal trainer, and other experts based on the niche. Unlike many other websites which publish articles written by persons who aren’t professionals in this field, Consumer Health Digest gathered a team of experts that deliver truly accurate information. What’s more, you can learn more about writers who publish articles on this website. Just click the Meet Our Writers section, and you’ll find all the information you need.
Like thousands of other sites, this one isn’t financed by the government or some organization, but at the same time, potential ads are separated from the text. Reviews come with a disclaimer that products may be made by companies from which Consumer Health Digest gets compensation, but they are still written without bias.
The greatest advantage of articles published in the Consumer Health Digest is quality of content. Instead of fearmongering, outrageous claims, miraculous solutions, and extreme language, the website provides facts. All articles are evidence-based and use studies, clinical trials, scientific works, and journals. Not just that, but references also included at the bottom of the article, and you can use them to check the accuracy.
Privacy is important to all users, and Consumer Health Digest doesn’t require users to leave any personal information. It’s not uncommon for websites to display a certain portion of the text, then require a reader to sign in so he/she can read more. The Consumer Health Digest doesn’t do that. The website is fully transparent.
Conclusion
You’re well aware that the information seen on the internet is heavily manipulated. Politics, health, and other topics are doctored to fit some website’s agenda. The need for unbiased reports on health topics becomes even stronger, and Consumer Health Digest is here to help.
The website gathers a team of healthcare professionals and delivers evidence-based, transparent articles that readers can use to learn more about their health or improve their lifestyle. Instead of making sensational claims, Consumer Health Digest relies on facts listed in each article.
All topics are approached from a scientific angle, thus minimizing the involvement of the author’s own opinions on the subject.
