Video: https://www.tiktok.com/@distilledscience/video/7478825451570416927
Transcript
New study finds that friends who often playfully insult each other are 300% more honest and loyal. Can we stop this already? And I don't just mean this sort of playful insulting, although we'll get to that. I mean viral posts like this with a big catchy headline, a fun image, and a wild claim about a new study that it never provides a citation for, usually because it doesn't exist. But if you're someone who cares about actual evidence, and want to see just how far down, the turtles go, you're in the right place. I'm Avisha and I like turtles. The opening line of this caption is directly lifted from this 2020 article from the swaddle. Word for word. But this whole article itself is just a paraphrasing from this 2016 article from Elite Daily. So you can already tell there's no new study here. Now these two articles aren't identical but you can tell the connection because they both only cite two specific sources. This 2012 article from the New York Times, and this 2013 one from Psychology Today, both of which have more reasonable titles and are not about some new study. And none of these four articles mention anything about 300% more honest and loyal. So either that's an intentional lie or this whole thing was AI generated. But what does the science really say about all this? Definitely do not relentlessly roast your friends. Neither of the two source articles say this. Dr. Gray's research suggests that pro-social teasing can can enhance friendships, but only when it is playful, mutual, and well-received. And the Times article cites this 2006 study, which shows that teasers often underestimate how negatively their teasing is perceived, which means that frequent teasing may not always be interpreted as friendly, and it can create distance in friendships rather than bringing them together. Posts like this one get generated by people who think it justifies a behavior that they find bullying. No source, no share. And for a more detailed breakdown, check out my newsletter.
Additional notes
Does Roasting Your Friends Make You Closer? Science Says… It Depends! 🤔🔥 A viral post claimed that “relentlessly roasting your friends” strengthens bonds, increases loyalty by 300%, and keeps egos in check. But when I traced the sources, I found some truth—but also a lot of exaggeration. ✅ What’s True: • Lighthearted, mutual teasing can strengthen friendships if both people see it as playful (Gray, 2013). • Teasing can promote humility and prevent arrogance when done with care (Gray, 2013). ❌ What’s Misleading: • No study says teasing boosts loyalty by 300%. • Kruger et al. (2006) found that teasers often think they’re being funny, while the person being teased may feel criticized. • If teasing isn’t mutual, it can do more harm than good. 🔬 Takeaway: Teasing can be bonding—but only when it’s mutual and well-received. Otherwise, it’s just bullying in disguise. Before you roast your friends, make sure they’re laughing too. 😉 #Science #Friendship #CriticalThinking
References
- Gray (2013), prosocial teasing / Psychology Today source mentioned in caption and transcript; source URL, DOI, and PMID not listed in workbook.
- Kruger et al. (2006), teasing-perception study mentioned in caption and transcript; source URL, DOI, and PMID not listed in workbook.
- New York Times (2012), Psychology Today (2013), The Swaddle (2020), and Elite Daily (2016) articles mentioned; direct URLs not listed in workbook.