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ENG 101
The Rise and Consequences of Anti-Intellectualism in Our Modern World
In 2020, the President of the United States went on public television in an effort to
minimize the confusion of wearing masks by giving a stat from the CDC saying, “... that 85% of
the people wearing the mask catch it… [Covid-19],” the only problem was that it turned out to be
completely false. This is an example of how misinformation contributes to modern-day
anti-intellectualism. Let me explain. Anti-intellectualism has generally been described as a
distrust of academia (“Anti-intellectualism | Research Starters | EBSCO Research”). But in an
age where anyone on the internet can claim they’re an “expert” and easily spread
misinformation, the correlation between them is much more dangerous, as it can influence wider
audiences. As a result, truth and education are being drowned out more than ever by the noise of
misinformation and the prevalence of anti-intellectualism.
Correlation of Misinformation and Anti-Intellectualism
An official definition of anti-intellectualism is “... a skepticism or disdain for intellectual thought
and those who embody it…” (“Anti-intellectualism | Research Starters | EBSCO Research”).
Today, that translates into people basically hating on smart people, leaving millions of those
people open to the dangers of misinformation. When the internet and social media first came
about, your next-door neighbor could say anything, correct or not, and share it globally with the
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click of a button. Unlike earlier years, before the internet, it wasn’t as easy to spread false ideas
and get them to wider audiences. No one had a screen in their hand connecting people, and not
everyone read or listened to the exact same piece of info. These qualities contrast with now, as
vast numbers of people rewatch and share the same videos. A 2018 MIT News Study found that
“...false news stories are 70 percent more likely to be retweeted than true stories are.” (“Study:
On Twitter, False News Travels Faster Than True Stories”). When someone is faced with this
much misinformation every day, it can contribute to keeping people who already mistrust
intellectuals away from the truth, continuing the cycle of misinformation, which furthers the
damage caused by anti-intellectualism. But what exactly are the consequences of these cycles?
Consequences of Anti-Intellectualism. During crises such as the highly contagious COVID-19
pandemic, doubting scientists and trusting misinformation on the internet was a factor in the
spread of the disease; “...studies suggest that belief in misinformation related to covid-19 is
positively associated with negligence in prevention and reluctance to take protective measures
(Barua et al., 2020), factors that, in and of themselves, contribute to the increase of fatal
outcomes” (Ferreira p. 131). Speaking of the harm that comes with false information, Donald
Trump had made a statement that the CDC said “... that 85% of the people wearing the mask
catch it… [Covid-19].” While this was proven wrong, people still believed him, even when there
was plenty of fact-checked research. But it happens that “individuals with populist feelings have
less trust in institutional strategies to fight the pandemic, privileging social media as a source of
information…” (Ferreira p. 129) even when it could risk the health of others. The pandemic
brought light to how dangerous being skeptical of science can be.
Conclusion
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Due to the rise of social media, academia is being drowned out more than ever by the noise of
misinformation furthering the damage from anti-intellectualism. When “...false news stories are
70 percent more likely to be retweeted than true stories are” (“Study: On Twitter, False News
Travels Faster Than True Stories”), what can we do to battle misinformation, and how can we
help others? Always going to experts, seeking a variety of news outlets, fact-checking what you
see online, and helping people who believe in something false are all ways to help (“A Quick
Guide to Spotting Misinformation”). But, even if some of us practice these techniques, with
social media always having some form of misinformation, it begs the question, will scientists
ever be the first choice again?
Works Cited
Ferreira, Gil Baptista. “Teorias Da Conspiração Em Tempos De Pandemia Covid-19: Populismo,
Media Sociais E Desinformação.” Comunicação E Sociedade, vol. 40, Dec. 2021, pp.
129–48. https://doi.org/10.17231/comsoc.40(2021).3324
“Anti-intellectualism | Research Starters | EBSCO Research.” EBSCO,
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/anti-intellectuali
sm
“A quick guide to spotting misinformation | Tips for fact-checking, staying informed and
talking it out | UNICEF ” UNICEF,
https://www.unicef.org/eca/stories/quick-guide-spotting-misinformation
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“Study: On Twitter, False News Travels Faster Than True Stories.” MIT News | Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 8 Mar. 2018,
https://news.mit.edu/2018/study-twitter-false-news-travels-faster-true-stories-0308
Rajan, Fanga. “RAJAN: The War on Education: How Anti-intellectualism in America Is Eroding
Innovation.” The Vanderbilt Hustler, 11 Oct. 2025,
https://vanderbilthustler.com/2025/10/11/rajan-the-war-on-education-how-anti-intellectua
lism-in-america-is-eroding-innovation/
Dale, Daniel. “Fact Check: Digging Into Trump’s False Claim That CDC Found That 85% of
People Who Wear Masks Get the Coronavirus.” CNN, 16 Oct. 2020,
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/16/politics/fact-check-trump-cdc-masks-85-percent