Scott Baradell - Tiktok

STUDY: MORE THAN HALF OF TOP 100 MENTAL HEALTH TIKTOKS CONTAIN MISINFORMATION

More than half of all the top trending videos offering mental health advice on TikTok contain misinformation, a Guardian investigation has found.  People are increasingly turning to social media for mental health support, yet research has revealed that many influencers are peddling misinformation, including misused therapeutic language, “quick fix” solutions and false claims.  Those seeking help are confronted with dubious advice, such as eating an orange in the shower to reduce anxiety; the promotion of supplements with a limited evidence base for alleviating anxiety, such as saffron, magnesium glycinate and holy basil; methods to heal trauma within an hour; and guidance presenting normal emotional experiences as a sign of borderline personality disorder or abuse.  Many videos offered general advice based on narrow personal experience and anecdotal evidence, which “may not be universally applicable”, he added.  The posts reflected how “short-form, attention-grabbing soundbites can sometimes overshadow the more nuanced realities of qualified therapeutic work” on social media. The videos also over-emphasized therapy. “While there is strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of therapy, it’s important to emphasize that it’s not magic, a quick fix or a one-size-fits-all solution,” he said.

Do doctors have a credibility problem? Are young people more likely to follow the advice of their friends or "TikTok Docs" than their physician?

An expert on trust. He heads up Idea Grove, a full service marketing company that has been helping companies and organizations tell their story for the past two decades.  He’s the author of Trust Signals: Brand Building in a Post-Truth World.