Social media health 'cures' are not what the doctor ordered
University of Chicago researchers found that nearly 60% of certain TikTok videos they analyzed on sinus infection contained inaccurate or misleading information. That compares to nonfactual information in 15% of videos from medical professionals.
Michael Dwyer/AP
Medicine is an imperfect science and doctors, being human, can make mistakes. But that doesn't mean a physicians' advice and expertise can be replaced with the musings of a social media influencer with the latest iPhone and selfie light.
Health misinformation proliferated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to deadly consequences for some Americans who flouted scientists by opting to go maskless and not get vaccinated.
Chucking the doctor's orders appears to be an infectious disease in itself, as more people are flocking to social media to seek guidance for ailments from online quacks and laypeople.
Case in point: TikTok videos on sinusitis, or sinus infections, created by nonmedical influencers, or those who didn’t identify themselves as medical professionals were more popular than clips posted by health experts, a recent study by two University of Chicago researched found.
Not all the content generated by medical professionals that was analyzed in a 24-hour period was perfect. Fifteen percent of their videos had nonfactual components. But nearly 60% of the more visible recordings made by people who never went to medical school contained inaccurate or misleading information, as Sun-Times reporter Mary Norkol noted.
Tips like shoving garlic in a nostril to combat sinus problems and placing potatoes in a pair of socks overnight to "draw out toxins" may just elicit laughs from most viewers. And maybe the risks to people who attempt these hacks are mostly going to be smelling like they're trying to ward off a vampire,having a bulbous plant stuck in their nose, or starchy feet. But straying away from expert medical assistance can be a slippery slope and cause serious harm if science-deniers are dealing with a serious or potentially life-threatening disease.
The statistics on the reliance on social media for health care are nothing to sneeze at.
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans trust health influencers more than medical professionals and nearly 1 in 5 Americans flock to TikTok before their doctors when seeking treatment for a health condition, a 2022 survey commissioned by discount pharmacy service CharityRx revealed.
It is OK to glance at the internet for some answers when you're under the weather, as there is evidence-based information online. But in most cases, "there’s no substitute for seeing the doctor," said Dr. Christopher Roxbury, one of the researchers who conducted the University of Chicago TikTok study.
Still skeptical over what the doctor suggests? There's always a second opinion, or third, from other medical experts.
It's not rocket science: There's an easy cure for health misinformation, if we use common sense.
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