One second, you’re watching a cute animal video, and the next, you’re being given unsolicited health advice from a wellness influencer who swears a trendy diet cured their illness.
We live in a world where our social media feeds are controlled by AI algorithms that feed off engagement. And more people are engaging with health content than you might think.
A new study released on Tuesday in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that among US adults who used social media over the preceding 12 months, nearly 85% reported sharing health information, whether personal or general, on social platforms, while close to 70% participated in health-related online communities.
Though the majority of users (78%) believed that the health information they viewed on social media was false or misleading, over one in five said they made health decisions based on the content they’d seen on it.
“Clinicians, public health leaders and platforms have to take this information environment seriously,” said Dr. Rohan Khera, a cardiologist and data scientist at the Yale School of Medicine and one of the study’s authors.
“The goal should not simply be to tell people to avoid social media, but to improve the quality of health information in the places where people already spend time,” Khera told CNET.
The study comes at a time when many are struggling to find consistent, affordable access to healthcare, making free social media health content more immediately available.
The results are based on the 7,278 people who participated in the 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey, conducted annually by the National Cancer Institute to learn about the US public’s use of health- and cancer-related information.
Seeking health info on social media
In particular, Hispanic users and adults age 65 and older were found to be more likely to make health decisions based on social media content. Black and Hispanic individuals were also reportedly less likely than white individuals to distrust social media health content, while those with higher education or household income were more inclined to doubt it, regardless of other factors.
Among the adults with chronic conditions who used social media, they were less likely than those without chronic conditions to share health information or participate in online communities. It’s unclear whether that’s because they were already receiving regular care from a dedicated doctor.
“This study focused on how people engage with health information on social media, but it did not evaluate the specific content people were seeing, where it came from or whether it was accurate,” said Khera. Future studies could expand on the sources of social media health information, delving into whether it’s AI-generated or from a doctor or influencer.
Since the study relied on self-reported survey data, the results may be subject to bias.
“We also need to better understand which types of content are most likely to influence decisions, which groups may be most affected and how platforms can promote accurate health information while limiting misleading claims,” Khera concluded.
Ultimately, health misinformation impacts all demographics. When medical professionals aren’t accessible, many of us are left to independently audit and verify health-related social media content on our own.
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