TikTok and WHO are teaming up to aid fight widespread health misinformation on social media

The social media platform TikTok has become a cultural phenomenon, influencing the behavior and tastes of its users in almost every area of ​​life. From dance trends to skincare and makeup products, health hacks to fad diets, TikTok recommendations can go viral in minutes – just like health advice.

Some of most frequently searched Educational videos on TikTok cover diet, exercise and sexual health.

“Fitspiration” is a popular hashtag on social media that aims to motivate users to lead a healthier lifestyle. “Fitspo” posts often feature before-and-after photos or “aspirational” photos of influencers with ideal body types. But numerous studies I found it many of them social media posts [can have a negative impact] on users’ mental health and promote or aggravate it body insecurity.

Social media has its advantages. For example, it allows users to share their experiences with health problems. One study showed this 80% of cancer patients employ social media to engage peers. However, it can also aid spread health misinformation.

For example, 2023 study conducted by Dublin City University found that 57% of Gen Z and Millennial TikTok users are influenced by or regularly adopt food trends from the platform. The same study also found that only 2.1% of nutritional data analyzed on TikTok were found to be correct when compared to public health guidelines.

But that may change soon. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced long-term partnership with TikTok to provide users with credible, science-based evidence.

However, healthcare professionals are already trying to raise health literacy on social media. Doctors and specialists post videos aimed at educating users about melanoma and melanoma dark skinfor example. These resources are very necessary because although melanoma is less common in people with gloomy skin, five-year survival rate is just 66% compared to 90% for non-Hispanic whites. This is because melanoma is often diagnosed much later in people with darker skin.

Other cancer related topics such as laryngeal cancer, stomach cancer, thyroid cancer AND breast cancer they also show increased user interaction. However, while there are many patient perspectives, health care providers have far fewer, lower-quality resources.

2022 study found that of the most popular articles published on social media in 2018 and 2019 about the four most common cancers, one in three contained false, wrong or misleading information. And much of this misinformation about cancer was potentially harmful. For example, promoting unproven treatments.

Stories shared by patients posting on social media about the topic their journeys with cancer May be powerfulespecially for users going through similar experiences. But they can also be scary – and sometimes they are untrue.

Challenging topics

Content about potentially embarrassing or intimate health issues has become popular on social media, which is often the first point of contact when symptoms occur or after an initial diagnosis.

Anal fissure videos are very popular number of viewsand posts sharing experiences with intrauterine contraceptive devices attention was drawn to frequent side effects that can aid other users make contraceptive decisions.

IVF is a valuable and a growing topic of discussion on social media, but there is greater engagement needed from experts to ensure medical accuracy of advice and guidance.

Creating power for good

Similarly, information on social media about neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD has increased dramatically in the movement of viewers. Celebrities, in particular, employ social media platforms to talk about their own diagnoses and urge or inspire others to seek aid. For example, Tom Stoltman, the current reigning and three-time strongest man in the world, has been outspoken about his autism diagnosis and how it can be a superpower.

The growing challenges of mental health diagnosis are a double-edged sword on social media. Availability of information may help you understand diseases – but it can also aid in self-diagnosis, which are growing and may cause burden on healthcare systems AND potential risk to patients.

Various studies drawing attention to the problem of health disinformation on social media. One study showed that X (formerly Twitter) had the highest levels of misinformation. Lots of research evaluation of health content on social media shows that less than 30% is medically correct.

So while health posts on social media can be beneficial for those seeking a patient perspective, it is critical that users also have access to high-quality, medically correct resources from qualified professionals.

We hope that the WHO and TikTok collaboration will aid facilitate and promote greater engagement of healthcare workers on social media.