Healthcare in a TikTok World

When there is authentic, true, and expert material portrayed, social media is the most effective way to reach a target audience.

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Healthcare in a TikTok World

Whether we want to recognize it or not, social media influence is responsible for healthcare beliefs and decisions about one’s health care. There are many platforms to choose from, but the most prominent I see and hear about is TikTok. This very well may be because I have two teenage daughters. I will admit to jumping on the TikTok bandwagon as well. I was initially looking for sheer entertainment purposes like most. After a while, I realized there was much more to see and hear.

My first introduction to this platform was through my daughters. It quickly became an entertaining way to stay occupied during Covid since spending more time at home. I shook my head every time my daughter came from her room asking for strange ingredients during the pandemic to satisfy her desire to try every TikTok recipe she could find. This did keep us busy, and we had decent results, even making homemade sushi. It became an expensive way to keep her interest in something other than isolation. We enjoyed the latest dance challenges and had many laughs. It was also really the first time I realized just how influential this social media was.

Since things have eased up with Covid, TikTok is still going strong along with every other social media platform. We are now seeing commercials on TV about it and advertising what TikTok has taught them. Topics in healthcare from diseases, vaccines, treatments, and symptoms are evident in all of them. What I see in my home is that the teenage population listens and absorbs all of it. They have the social media market cornered in their short 3-minute clips. It is just enough time to get attention and make a mark. It is no surprise that my daughter, in addition to evaluating her culinary skills, also gets her healthcare information from here. Why would she get her information from her mother, who has been a Nurse Practitioner for 25 years? Of course, the most popular teen TikTok creator would know better. The social media influence is real and impressive. I could give so many examples of what she has decided her ailments are from based on what she has seen on this app. Not all the information is negative or untrue; on the contrary, it has started several conversations stemming from something she has just watched. She has decided that she wants to be healthier lately as far as her food choices and asked me to order the vitamins she saw. This I consider a positive result of her swiping!

I am an adult with a medical background, and I find myself following several TikTok creators during their health journeys. Some creators are cancer patients; some have medical issues, and others are diet- and weight-loss journeys. While I may not make healthcare choices from watching these, I find some of them inspirational and educational. Recently I realized I was overdue for my pap smear and mammogram. After watching creators that were going through breast cancer and cervical cancer, it gave me pause, and I made my appointments. While I did not make a healthcare decision exactly, it did remind me, and I had them done right away. It can be a fantastic way to see real-life people going through real-life medical journeys. I have recently followed several creators that were daily reporting on Monkeypox infections they were experiencing. This was informative for me because the population that I work with is considered a high-risk group for acquiring this infection. I have had patients diagnosed, and I felt like I could see similarities in what I had seen with these creators. Patients come to me and tell me things they saw on TikTok and ask to be evaluated for it.

Unfortunately, there will always be misinformation, and people will make decisions about their healthcare as a result of any social media platform. For some, social media is the only resource they turn to. When there is authentic, true, and expert material portrayed, social media is the most effective way to reach a target audience. Sadly, it can be difficult to resist the urge to believe and try everything seen. We have experienced many times the detrimental effects social media has as well. It has a strong influence on all age groups and, therefore, will always be an influence in healthcare decision-making.

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STD-NP

About STD-NP

M.Laureano WHNP, 27 years experience, Public Health, Infectious Disease

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Public/Community Health.

Thank you for your article! I've used TikTok mostly for entertainment purposes as well, but I found some pretty cool mental health stuff there as well. If I question anything, I turn to more reliable sources, but you're right in that it can kind of spur a person to take action. Nice work!

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Specializes in Family, Maternal-Child Health.

Interesting article - like the personal side of the article where you shared what you have learned and what your daughter has taken away from her TikTok experiences.  It does seem this is a good target for capturing the interest of teens and young adults - something as you hinted should be realized by healthcare professionals looking to share supported research and offer valid health care tips to TikTok viewers.

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