‘Creators fighting back against misinformation needs more publicity, more support, and more resources to stem the tide’

EVERYONE will have whiled-away a considerable number of hours this week watching videos on TikTok, Instagram or Facebook.

Mind-numbing at the best of times yes, but a harmless-enough pastime for the majority. But what happens when the algorithms which decide what we are watching start hammering home health advice?

Recent studies have found that TikTok is fast becoming the first port of call for “Gen Z” and “millennials” who prefer the consultation of influencers over doctors.

GP surgeries are notoriously hard to access – especially since the pandemic – and, despite advancements in telemedicine, self-diagnosis and self-medication have become part of everyday life.

The hashtag #Guttok continues to trend, with accounts pushing a variety of gut health trends that they claim can lead to a flat belly and improved well-being.

During Covid, sales of an anti-parasitic medicine surged after films touting it as a Covid “miracle” drug went viral. It is easy to be taken in, and just as easy to seek out medication from online pharmacies.

Social media giants have grown immensely popular because they promote what is sensational and controversial.

The difference now is that even just a prolonged hover on one particular post – however misleading you realise it to be – can lead to a stream of similar films showing-up in your “for you” feed for days or weeks to come.

Being bombarded by a series of films in this way, can become a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. It is easy to see how someone struggling to make connections “in real life” might start convincing themselves they are facing a similar health problem as the online personality they most admire.

There are plenty of doctor influencers on TikTok dishing out content on anything from behind-the-scenes emergency room stories to skincare advice. But as with everything that is online, it is hard to distinguish between what is real and what is pure quackery.

Everyone knows about social media’s impact on impressionable minds. But things are moving so fast and hopes of effective regulation now seem like a dizzy daydream.

Capitalist corporations are never going to prioritise what is socially responsible. The NHS and GPs are going to have to get digital in a meaningful way if they are to retain a connection with younger patients.

Creators fighting back against misinformation needs more publicity, more support, and more resources to stem the tide.