A recent study found that more than 1 in 5 adults in the United States who use social media reported making health decisions based on information they encountered there. This trend raises concerns about the reliability of health information on social media platforms.
Expert Insights
Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University, notes that social media has become a major source of health information. However, she warns that social media does not distinguish between expert advice and personal opinion, and that financial conflicts of interest may exist.
Dr. Wen advises people to be cautious of content that promises quick fixes and to verify important information before acting on it. She also suggests that people should be wary of information obtained from artificial intelligence (AI) and always consult with their clinician.
Best Practices
To use social media wisely for health information, Dr. Wen recommends asking who is providing the information, checking if the information is supported by scientific evidence, and being skeptical of content that promises quick fixes.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
