Exaggeration
Inflating the facts beyond what the evidence shows.
In our replies we call it: Exaggerates
What it means
Exaggeration starts from something real and stretches it: one incident becomes "every day", a few hundred people become "lakhs", a delay becomes "total collapse". The kernel of truth makes the inflated version easy to believe.
How to spot it in a Reel
- "Everyone", "always", "never", "completely"
- Round, huge numbers with no source
- "Biggest ever" or "first time in history" claims
Examples
- A Reel says "the whole country" turned out for a rally that drew a few thousand.
- A Reel says a scheme "completely failed" when official data shows partial results.
Why it doesn't hold up
The real number matters. A problem that's half as big as claimed may still be a problem, but the response it needs is different.
What to say back
"What's the actual number, and who measured it?"
Questions
How do I check an exaggerated number?
Search the claim with the word "data" or the official body that would count it, and compare.
Check a Reel for this trick
Send any Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram. If it uses this trick, the reply names it and shows where it happens.
Send a Reel