Beware of Bicycle Face

We like to think misinformation is a modern problem.

It’s not.

It’s always been here. Back in 1895, doctors warned women not to ride bicycles.

Not because it was dangerous. But because it might give them something called “bicycle face.”

A condition, they claimed, that could leave a woman looking strained, disheveled… even disfigured!

But it was never really about faces

It was about freedom.

Bicycles gave women mobility. Independence. Choice.

So a story was created to stop it.

In a time when women were campaigning for their rights.

A lie travels around the world while the truth is putting on its bicycle clips.

The difference now?

It’s faster.
Scaled.
And harder to spot.

Take AI imagery.

When we asked our Family Panel, 95% said they want transparency around AI-generated photos.

Because people are starting to question what’s real…. and what’s been constructed.

But here’s the truth.

Facts & imagery don’t spread on their own.

Stories do.

Always have.

And the stories that resonate today?

They’re grounded in something real.
Real people.
Real moments.
Real truth.

Because in a world of increasing noise,
it’s not more of the same that connects,
it’s the stories that feel human.

That’s why storytelling is no longer a 'nice to have.'

It’s a critical skill.

Not to manipulate.
But to connect.
To cut through.

To be remembered for the right reasons.

Find out more about our Power of Storytelling workshops.