More Than 1 in 5 Users Make Health Decisions Based on Social Media, Despite Widespread Distrust
The lack of accessible healthcare drives many to rely on social media feeds for medical advice.
3 min read
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...
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