Don't Get Your Health Advice From Social Media
We get it. Social media is fast, free, and always there when you're curious about a symptom, a supplement or that thing everyone's suddenly talking about. But there's a big gap between what's popular online and what's actually true, and it's bigger than most people realise.
The numbers are worse than you'd think
Researchers have started properly checking the accuracy of health content on platforms like TikTok, and the results aren't great. Studies looking at TikTok videos on topics like nutrition, mental health and specific medical conditions have consistently found that a large chunk, often somewhere between a third and over half, contain misleading, inaccurate or outright false information. Content made by people without medical or clinical training is far more likely to be inaccurate than content made by qualified professionals. And critically, none of this research found that accuracy had much to do with how popular or engaging a video was. The videos that go viral aren't necessarily the ones that are correct.
Why this actually matters
A confusing skincare trend is mostly harmless. But health misinformation can genuinely delay people from seeking proper care, encourage self diagnosis that misses something serious, or lead to spending money and time on advice that simply doesn't apply to their situation. What works for the person in the video, with their body, their history and their specific circumstances, may not be remotely relevant to yours.
What to do instead
This doesn't mean social media is all bad, plenty of qualified practitioners share genuinely useful, accurate information there too. The trick is checking who's actually talking. Are they qualified in the area they're discussing? Are they speaking generally, or specifically about your situation? A fifteen second video simply can't replace a proper conversation with someone who can look at your full health picture.
Bring us your questions
If you've seen something online and you're not sure whether it applies to you, that's exactly the kind of question our naturopaths love working through with clients. Rather than guessing based on a video, bring it into your next appointment and we'll talk through what the evidence actually says for your situation.