Sunscreen Misinformation Spreads Way Faster Than the Truth on TikTok, Study Reveals
Sunscreen protects you from UV rays, but the message is getting lost in translation on social media.
4 min read
Misinformation about sunscreen makes up a small portion of TikTok videos about the subject, but those posts are disproportionately popular and widely shared, a new study finds.
Wellness topics are commonly affected by misinformation spread online. That includes content related to sunscreen -- a crucial tool in preventing skin cancer. A new peer-reviewed study conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta found that misinformation on TikTok receives higher audience engagement compared to pro-sunscreen content.
The study looked at 971 of the most-viewed TikTok videos about sunscreen and found that the most-viewed videos had anti-sunscreen messaging. These videos only made up a small fraction of content found on TikTok (6%), compared to pro-sunscreen videos (86.8%). And only 1.5% of the posts the researchers reviewed claimed sunscreen caused harm.
Although there...
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