When I was a teenager all I knew about guitars came from a catalog, guys at a music store or someone I knew. Today with the vast amount of knowledge available, a guy like you has the ability to know these things via the web. Some "kids" might have the talent to play and teach without the curiosity to examine the tools used. It becomes a larger problem in professions like, mortage brokers, stock brokers, insurance sales, auto repair, real estate whatever when we trust others to know what they SHOULD know to protect us from a costly mistake or purchase decision.
There have always been idiots or crooks placed in positions to hurt others. And so it goes.