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ny regular Indonesian user of social media is most likely familiar with Bromelain and its potential to fight cancer.

According to one post that I have seen shared six times (twice on Facebook and four other times via various WhatsApp groups), consumption of the Bromelain enzyme, which is commonly found in the stem of pineapples (Ananas comosus), can help prevent cancer.

For those who are misfortunate enough to already have the deadly illness, worry not, because “Bromelain is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy” (emoji of pineapples here). And if you’ve received advice about the medicinal properties of Bromelain, chances are you have also read posts about the use of onion, soursop, cumin, ginger, celery, and other fruits/vegetables to prevent/cure cancer, kidney failure, fever, flu, sore throat, infections, painful joints among other maladies.

 All this information is posted and shared thousands of times on Indonesia’s busy social networks. According to We Are Social, a Singapore-based social network ranking agency, Indonesia currently has 79 million active social media users (roughly the population of Germany), almost half of them use Blackberry Messenger, Facebook and WhatsApp — the savvy tools for sharing and posting online.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with sharing useful health tips. Knowledge about the origin of the Bromelain enzyme from a stack of pineapples could indeed be helpful. Research on Bromelain, according to the University of Maryland in the US, started in the 1800s as pineapples have been widely used to treat indigestion and reduce inflammation in Central and South America. In more recent medical research, it is widely recognized as being able to reduce inflammation from infection and injuries.

Regarding cancer, however, the direct link between eating pineapple stems and curing the fatal disease is still highly questionable. Citing several German studies, Cancer Research UK summarized that enzyme therapy, including Bromelain, “can help to control symptoms of both cancer and cancer treatment”. No mention about how Bromelain stands in comparison to chemotherapy — further research is still needed.

The same could be said about other DIY treatment.  A post claiming celery as a household remedy to cleanse kidneys and help cure kidney failure needs lengthier investigation. Another post on onion as cancer preventer and anti-aging essence warrants more research.

Social media users however, do not seem to be too concerned about this obvious lack of scientific evidence. The posts are re-shared and resent thousands of times anyway.

While consuming fruits and veggies is generally recommended for a well-balanced diet, a lack of scientific understanding can drive people to benignly swallow pseudo-scientific claims. A close friend is eager to try on the celery therapy after losing a father to chronic kidney disease, fully aware that she may not get the promised result.

Further, such posting could pose immediate danger to readers who would prefer to terminate real medical treatment such as chemotherapy because Bromelain is 10,000 times stronger anyway.  This social media experience is not unique to Indonesia. The internet is rife with websites and blogs experimenting with how easy it is to dupe social media users with questionable medical or scientific information.

A fake piece of research that claimed daily chocolate consumption helped one stay healthy made a major splash in both print and broadcast media last year. The social media post was shared widely, likely because as “a news item” it had more legitimacy as being true and official.  Except of course, it was neither — media can be (easily) lied to too.

So what does this say about the state of our society’s scientific literacy? Social media is the most powerful means ever for the spreading of information, straight and spoof alike.

However, the bombardment of health posts, science updates, technology coverage and so on are shared on such a scale that it demands a real effort to merely fact-check with Google. For reasons like bandwidth capacity alone, many users are not up to the challenge.

Instead they just share the post, expecting that it may be beneficial for someone, with little concern for scientific evidence. It seems that falling for scientific hoax after hoax seems to be the new social media norm.

Nonetheless, it is not all grim for the future of scientific literacy in Indonesia. While health hoaxes abound, the practice of sharing and posting suggests Indonesians are keen on keeping up with the latest scientific findings, providing that they are easy to grasp and have a direct link to their immediate problems.

This provides an opportunity for Indonesian scientists to help spread scientific literacy among users of social media. Let’s not forget that many health posts are camouflaged as authoritative information, often by using a renowned profession (doctor, surgeon, specialist, researcher) as a source of knowledge.

The high number of shares indicates the sharer’s trust in the credibility of the source.

And this is where emphasis should be placed — while social media users crave authoritative insight, scientists should respond with swift communicable answers. Whether they post, tweet and blog, the main intention should be to offer scientific judgment. Cancer Research UK for example, took the time to meticulously explain the myth that bicarbonate sodium (baking soda) is a cancer cure .

With a few clicks, social media users could share the page and help limit the spread of fake cancer science.  Official scientific bodies such as the Indonesian Cancer Foundation or Indonesian Doctors’ Association could offer a similar service — debunking health myths and, at the same time, building scientific literacy.

As is obvious in the earlier cases, scientists’ failure to take part in this process could mean leaving scientific literacy to the merciless quacks of social media.
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The writer holds a degree in science technology in society from the University College London and currently works for CNN Indonesia.