The Dunning-Kruger Effect: How Social Media Rewards the Loudest, Not the Smartest

Picture a high-stakes business meeting. The room is filled with professionals—some are deeply engaged, actively listening, and carefully thinking through ideas. They weigh different perspectives before speaking.

Then, there are others—bold, confident, and loud. They dominate the room with sweeping statements, offering strong opinions without much substance to back them up.

Sounds familiar? You have noticed then that in such meetings, the loudest voices get the biggest spotlight. They get the most followers and people applaud them most.

That’s what’s happening on social media every day. I can vouch for that. Can you?

From a social experience perspective, platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok have changed how we engage with information. A new kind of social hierarchy has been created on such platforms. A hierarchy where confidence matters more than competence.

They’ve created a new kind of social hierarchy—one where confidence matters more than competence, and engagement (likes, shares, and comments) outweighs expertise. And at the center of this phenomenon is the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Why Do We Trust Loud Voices Over Knowledgeable Ones?

Have you ever noticed that social media tries to mimic real-life social dynamics? The one major difference is that we don’t see people’s real-life credibility. We focus only on their online presence.

What do we do when we engage in a face-to-face conversation? We pick up on body language, observe tone, and analyze social cues that help us gauge someone’s expertise. But online? All we have are posts, captions, and videos. So, in the absence of deeper context, we rely on certainty as a shortcut for truth.

Here’s how it happens:

Someone posts a confident yet baseless claim like, “Success is all about waking up at 5 AM!” and people instantly believe it. Why? Because it’s delivered with conviction—it sounds like wisdom.

An actual expert responds with nuance, saying, “Success depends on multiple factors, including individual productivity cycles, genetics, and lifestyle.” But their response lacks the punch of a catchy one-liner and gets ignored.

The oversimplified, yet confidently stated claim spreads like wildfire, while the well-reasoned explanation struggles to gain traction.

Why does this happen? Because on social media, people share what feels right, not necessarily what is right.

Social Validation vs. Social Learning

When you scroll through social media, you may notice that people are not really discussing things, they are just stating their opinions, getting likes, and then moving on.

Why is it happening? That’s because social media has become less about learning and exchanging ideas and more about seeking validation. Social media is not a space where meaningful discussions can take place, in the right way. It is now a giant feedback loop where people post what they know will get engagement, and engagement becomes proof that they are right.

Social media is full of echo chambers where people only follow accounts that confirm their existing beliefs.

Every day you can witness people becoming a part of trendy opinions that gain traction. Because many people have a tendency to become a part of a conversation that they don’t fully understand.

On social media, calling someone out gets more engagement than educating them, so people focus on looking right rather than fostering real discussions.

The Consequences of Overconfidence in the Digital Age

In real-world social interactions, the Dunning-Kruger Effect is frustrating but usually harmless. Maybe it’s a coworker who thinks they know everything about marketing after reading one blog post. It is annoying, but not dangerous.

But online? It shapes entire societies.

• Public perception is manipulated – False but confident statements spread faster than cautious truths, making it hard for people to know what’s real.
• Misinformation becomes “fact” – The more people repeat a lie, the more it feels true (thanks to a psychological trick called the “illusion of truth effect”).
• Social discussion becomes polarized – People pick sides and double down on their beliefs instead of listening to different perspectives.

And worst of all? Genuine experts lose their voice. The people who should be leading discussions—scientists, educators, thinkers—often hold back because they know what they don’t know. Meanwhile, the least knowledgeable people confidently dominate the conversation.

Reclaiming a Smarter Social Experience

So how do we fix this? How do we make social media a place of actual learning and meaningful conversations?

1. Recognize the Dunning-Kruger Effect in action – When someone is overly confident about a complex topic, question it. Ask, “What’s your source of this claim?”
2. Engage with nuance – Instead of liking and sharing the loudest voices, pay attention to those who are thoughtful—even if their answers aren’t simple.
3. Challenge confidently wrong information – Politely but firmly call out misinformation. Encourage discussions rather than arguments.
4. Create social spaces for learning – Support communities that focus on education and open dialogue rather than dramatic debates.
5. Embrace uncertainty – Being socially intelligent means admitting when we don’t know something and being open to learning.

Social media isn’t inherently bad, it’s just designed to reward confidence over competence. But we have the power to shift that dynamic. If we change the way we interact with content, we can create a digital world that values knowledge, curiosity, and real social growth over just being loud.

So, the next time you see someone making an overly confident claim, pause and ask yourself—are they truly an expert, or just really good at sounding like one?

Main Photo Credit: Photo by Edmond Dantès on Pexels