A Theory Based on Scant Evidence
I prefer my Theories to be fact-based & logical. This one isnât. Iâve been waiting for more evidence to confirm or refute what I intuitively suspect. No facts have surfaced but Iâve decided to share this anyway.
I got my first inkling in March when Sara Squyres shared this odd IG-Story. I wondered why she was bragging to Emil about cutting back on her screen time.
But it made me notice Emil also stopped regular IG posting in mid-January around the same time Aarika did. Since then he has only allowed himself one ego-boosting post a month, which shows extreme restraint on his part.Â
That was one data dot & the next one happened toward the end of April. Out of boredom, I went scrolling down Adamâs IG Follows, clicking on them to see who they were. And there I found David Perlmutter, MD.Â
Gawd, Adam does love alternative medicine advocates who claim to be science-based & Perlmutter is the current bestselling king of snake-oil salesmen. But donât judge him by my impression of his ideas. Hereâs a review of his first book by The Health Sciences Academy. And hereâs a more devastating take down, titled The Problem With David Perlmutter. The guy is a charlatan who not only promises âmiracle curesâ he also sells expensive shit to his gullible followers.
As Perlmutterâs megaphone has grown, so, too, has his brand empire â he has sold everything from âEmpowering Coconut Oilâ to supplement blends tailored for specific demographics, like the $90 âScholarâs Advantage Packâ for âyoung adults seeking to optimize cognitive function,â and the $160 âSenior Empowerment Pack,â a âcombination of formulas designed to help keep you cognitively sharp as you age.â One book pointed readers to an $8,500 brain detoxification retreat run by Perlmutter, which included shamanic healing ceremonies. (He even has his own organic foaming hand soap.)
SO...Perlmutterâs latest book is titled Brain Wash & the basic premise is social media is bad for you. No kidding. Apparently interacting via the internet is affecting your brainâs chemistry & that causes bad decision-making. But, never fear, Perlmutter has 10-step Program to help you stop, pricey nutritional supplements & an expensive workshop including a private one-on-one session w/ him to correct this condition you didnât know you had.Â
Now hereâs my third data dot: Brain Wash was published on 14 January 2020. Yeah, I know. Itâs only a coincidence but damn if it doesnât fit the timing of Aarikaâs withdrawal from IG. Thatâs all Iâve gotâjust a possible explanation for why she stopped sharing.Â