Spending thousands of yuan to test your child's talent genes? It's definitely a waste of money and a rip-off for your child!

1. The application value of genetic testing in medicine is undeniable. At present, the scientific progress of genetic testing is still focused on disease research.

2. With the current level of technology, the "talent gene" test is not reliable and is suspected of hyping the concept. Many institutions that do not have the ability to test are skirting the rules under the guise of "science" to reap the benefits of parents.

Have you heard of "genetic testing for talent"? Let's take a look at some of the promotions of some businesses: If Einstein was forced to play basketball since childhood, if pianists were forced to practice ballet since childhood, how many geniuses would there be, and thus become ordinary people! Use scientific methods to test your child's talent and let your child win at the starting line...

Many parents are tempted when they see this information. They hope to discover their children's talents earlier so as to find a shortcut in parenting. However, although talent gene testing may seem high-tech, it is actually full of consumer traps. EyeHealth is here to dig deeper and hope to provide a reference for parents who are considering placing an order.

Can you test your talent genes without leaving your home? Is this a high-tech gimmick?

If you search the keyword "children's talent gene test" on the Eye Health e-commerce platform, you can see several pages of related products. The prices range from a few hundred to a few thousand yuan, and the test content is also very wide, including learning ability, memory ability, stress resistance, language potential, communication potential, athletic potential, etc.

The testing method is also very simple. The main process is: the buyer places an order → the merchant sends the sampling tool → the buyer takes the sample by himself (just scrape the inner wall of the mouth with a swab to collect saliva) and sends the sample back → the merchant issues an electronic test report. Eye Health contacted a talent gene testing merchant to inquire about the testing principle. The customer service said, "Talent gene testing uses gene sequencing methods, and the results are compared with big data to draw relevant conclusions. Generally, an electronic report can be issued within 7 days after the sample arrives at the laboratory." Then, the customer service sent a sample of the electronic report.

Yanjianweishi found that this beautifully produced electronic report, which is more than 60 pages long, covers 22 talent characteristics including memory, learning ability, creativity, leadership, musical talent, mathematical talent, etc.

Talent gene test report provided by merchants

Each talent trait includes test results, item description, risk factors, ability training points, training methods and references. Among them, [Test Results] shows in detail the level of a talent (strong, medium, weak) and the corresponding gene locus.

Talent gene test report provided by merchants

"Is this interpretation reliable?" In response to the question from Eye Health, the customer service representative said that all test results will undergo strict quality control procedures to ensure the accuracy of the original data, which can guarantee an accuracy rate of 99%.

How do consumers feel about the results of talent gene testing? Looking through the reviews on Eye Health, some people feel that it is quite accurate, while others say it is "not very accurate and can only be used for fun", and some think it is "an IQ tax and has no value".

Buyer Reviews

Can we really judge a child's talent by comparing data? According to the Workers' Daily, an industry insider said that, first of all, statistical research based on samples of a specific group can only produce statistical correlations rather than causal relationships. In other words, just because the gene loci are the same, it does not mean that the successful people in the database have the same talent. Secondly, talent gene testing requires a large number of real cases in the database to support it, but almost all talent gene testing institutions can neither solve the problem of sample size nor the problem of data quality.

In addition, Zeng Changqing, director of the Key Laboratory of Precision Genomic Medicine of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, mentioned in an interview with CCTV News that there are many kinds of talents, some of which are related to thinking, some are related to memory, and some are related to athletic ability. These completely different talents involve a large number of different genes and molecular mechanisms. To figure this out, it is necessary to study many individuals with the same talents at the same time. There is no such big data at present. Using two or three points to judge the grand proposition of "talent" is tantamount to electronic fortune-telling.

"If I had known earlier, I would have done a talent gene test for my child when he was young, which would have delayed him for five years." "Use scientific methods to test children's talents and truly teach them in accordance with their aptitude."... Businesses link a certain gene with a child's future, and claim that the weak correlation is the determining factor. Through unscientific propaganda, they mislead parents in order to stimulate their consumption.

Promotion of a talent gene testing product on an e-commerce platform

From a legal perspective, these advertisements by businesses are suspected of being illegal. Article 4 of my country's Advertising Law clearly stipulates that "advertisements shall not contain false content, nor deceive or mislead consumers." In serious cases, it may constitute a crime and face criminal liability.

Talent gene testing is not included in the clinical test catalog

Yanjianweishi noticed that the projects involving genetic testing in my country's current "Catalogue of Clinical Laboratory Items of Medical Institutions" mainly include disease-related molecular biology and cytogenetic testing, tumor molecular biology testing, and molecular biology testing for medication guidance, etc. "Talent gene testing" is not within the scope of the catalogue.

Information source: "Catalogue of Clinical Laboratory Items of Medical Institutions (2013 Edition)"

Why do genetic companies keep doing this when it is not in the clinical test project catalog? According to the Economic Information Daily, industry experts said that the genetic tests approved by the state are specific projects used in clinical practice, such as genetic disease testing and non-invasive prenatal testing. There is no authoritative document to indicate the standards for talent gene testing, and there is a gap in supervision, so some genetic companies are skirting the rules.

Although the test results lack scientific support and professionals are skeptical, many parents still want to give it a try with the attitude of "in order not to delay the child, it is better to believe it", and are willing to fall into the consumer trap of high-tech gimmicks.

On social media platforms, topics related to talent gene testing have also received a lot of attention, with some netizens even joking that "talent gene testing can measure the IQ of parents."

Talent gene testing topic netizens discuss

The healthy growth of children is the most concerned issue for parents. On the road of parenting, they are always worried that they are not giving their children enough. Some unscrupulous businesses seize this weakness of parents to deceive them. In fact, it is necessary to understand the potential of children in order to cultivate them, but it requires more careful daily observation and patient guidance, rather than relying on machines to measure it all at once.

Parents should not blindly trust any high-tech. Instead, they should learn more about it, improve their ability to distinguish, have a full understanding of the significance and professionalism of the technology, and avoid pitfalls.