Why Fear Gets Clicks and Truth Gets Ignored - The Social Media Problem No One Talks About

Fear Sells, Truth Doesn't And That's On All of Us

Everywhere you look today - YouTube thumbnails, Instagram reels, car forums, fear is the hottest currency.

"Your engine will explode if you do this!"

"5 mistakes that will destroy your car!"

"Dealerships are hiding this from you!"

And it works. Panic drives clicks. Clicks drive views. Views drive money. Fear has always been profitable, but in the age of algorithms, it's on steroids.

The Problem Nobody Wants to Solve

Here's the thing: everyone's great at pointing out the problem. But when it comes to offering a real solution? Crickets.

Not because they're keeping some secret recipe, but because they don't actually know.

It's easier to scare someone than it is to educate them.

It's faster to get engagement with a fake hook than with a nuanced explanation.

And let's be honest, we reward this behavior.

Why the Truth Struggles

We scroll past a mechanic calmly explaining how something actually works, but we stop dead when someone screams about a "hidden danger" in all caps.

We don't bite on boring truth. We bite on drama.

But here's the uncomfortable reality: the algorithm isn't evil. It's just a mirror. It feeds us exactly what we've been clicking on, whether we realize it or not.

And content creators? They're not stupid. They see what works, and they double down.

How the Lies Multiply

I never set out to make videos or write blogs. But when I saw half-baked "experts" with zero real experience suddenly giving car advice like they'd built engines their whole lives… I snapped.

And here's the kicker: even people in the industry are guilty.

They exaggerate problems. Oversell products. Push unnecessary services.

Why? Because a customer who feels "unsafe" will pay faster than one who feels informed.

Fear is the shortcut. And businesses love shortcuts.

It attracts people like flies on a rainy evening, they swarm toward the shiny,

sensational pitch. But that "shiny" thing you're running to? It's not a lamp. It's a bug zapper. And you'll only realise it when you're already fried.

The Real Problem Isn't the Algorithm, It's Us

The truth isn't shiny. It's not dramatic. It doesn't come wrapped in clickbait.

It's not "5 ways your car is about to die."

It's "Here's what's actually happening, and here's how to deal with it."

But here's where I got it wrong before:

I said "truth doesn't sell." That's not accurate.

Boring truth doesn't sell.

There are creators out there who get millions of views explaining real technical content. They're not screaming about engine explosions. They're making truth watchable.

The difference? They meet people where they are.

They use storytelling. Humor. Visuals. Energy. They respect their audience's time and attention span, but they don't sacrifice accuracy to get it.

So What's the Real Solution?

If you care about truth, you have a responsibility to make it reach people.

And that means learning how to communicate in a way that competes with the noise, without becoming the noise.

• Use hooks, but make them honest.

• Create curiosity, but deliver on it.

• Make it entertaining, but don't fabricate for effect.

• Build trust over time, not viral moments built on panic.

This isn't selling out. It's strategy.

Because what's the point of being "right" if nobody listens?

The Challenge

We can't control what the algorithm rewards. But we can control what we create and what we click on.

So here's my challenge to myself and to anyone reading this:

Stop complaining that the game is rigged. Learn to play it without compromising your integrity.

Make truth compelling. Make it sharp. Make it worth someone's time.

Because fear will always be easy. But trust is what lasts.

And if we want a world where truth matters, we need to make it matter louder than the lies.

Yours Truly,

The Madras Mechanic