You’ve been having trouble focusing and your doctor writes you a prescription for a new medication. When you get home from the pharmacy, you notice that the drug comes with an insert that includes a long list of potential side effects. Worrying that this treatment might be worse than your initial problem, you do extensive web searches to decide whether to take the new pills.
Which of the following sources will provide the information you can most rely on?
A. A prize-winning Superbowl commercial, sponsored by the manufacturer, that features a celebrity spokesperson who has a PhD in neuroscience
B. A YouTube influencer who endorses the drug because many of her followers tell her how pleased they are with the results they have experienced since starting the medication
C. A published study conducted by outside researchers that compares the outcomes for 1000 people with attention deficit disorder, half of whom were randomly selected to take the drug and half of whom were unknowingly given a placebo instead
D. A video posted on TikTok by someone who looks like you and who talks about experiencing significant side effects after taking the drug
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