According to the Merriam Webster dictionary a theory is defined as, “a scientifically acceptable or plausible general principle or body of principles based on data and offered to explain phenomena.” On social media, however, a “theory” is a random occurrence someone experienced claiming to be a theory that has no evidence to support it.
Consider the burnt toast theory, which suggests a small change in a person’s schedule, like burning a piece of toast, can cause someone to be late and not encounter a dangerous situation they otherwise would’ve faced. This situation is not a theory, it’s just a coincidence because it’s an untested phenomenon. As a society we are misusing the word theory and turning it into a casual buzzword people throw into their video to make it go viral. There is a difference between coincidences and fact based theories.
Other “theories,” like the orange peel and bird theories, focus on human behavior. The orange peel theory interprets a partner’s response to the question of peeling an orange less than the actual action. For example responses like, “sure, I would love to” vs “no” or “do it yourself” proves if they have a romantic interest in the relationship. The similar ‘bird theory’ focuses on the response to their partner saying “look at that bird” and interprets the response as invested in the relationship only if they were interested. These so-called theories come from the social media concept of ‘boyfriend tests’ and do not showcase scientific evidence; they simply measure basic human responses. If one really wants to test the strength of their relationship, they should get real advice from an educated professional, not a Tik Tok video.
These concepts do not effectively prove one’s strength in a relationship. Maybe the orange theory girlfriend is overstimulated or maybe the bird theory boyfriend is tired. Everyone’s situation and timing is different, which makes this an absurd experiment to base an entire relationship off of. This test should not be labeled as a theory as it is just a social media trend with no scientific evidence. Therefore no one can claim that it’s an accurate depiction of commitment in a relationship.
Vogue reporter Molly Barstein tested out the psychologically color-connected hypothesis, dubbed the red nail theory, on a Friday night in New York, which she said stemmed from the red lip theory. Both of these theories claim a bold red lip or shiny red nail polish can increase physical attraction. When Barstein tested this, she hoped to attract a man, and possibly get his phone number. She soon realized that the color, typically associated with romance and confidence, didn’t help her attract anyone.
Colors have psychological associations, for example, yellow with happiness and sunshine, and blue with sadness and rain. If the color red is associated with love and Santa Claus, then is it really a theory or just a psychologically based concept? Color associations are not automatically a theory. If someone wore a purple sweater and got an A on their test, they shouldn’t make up a theory and call it ‘the purple sweater theory’, as a lucky item or color is just a superstition, not a scientific theory.
On social media, theories are turned into explanations for common occurrences. It’s easy for a viral idea to create the notion of evidence, but in reality it’s just a trend.
Instead of believing everything on social media, a quick Google search can find fact based, credible sources that can help form opinions. Social media has created a culture of unverified theories often just pointing out basic human behaviors. Before becoming a self proclaimed philosopher, learn the definition of a theory first before coming up with random ideas involving popular culture and burnt toast.
