What You Need to Know About Health Claims Made Online

It is easy to turn to social media for health information. Especially for the younger populations, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram have become a go-to source for health and wellness advice. However, experts recommend that users should proceed with caution when mining these sites for health content.

Here is what you need to know about the accuracy of these sites and how you can fact-check the information.

Verify Credentials

The first step in sourcing your health content is to verify the credentials of the author. Most reputable authors will clearly display their credentials. Good titles to look for include MD, RDN, RD, or PhD.

In addition to looking at the degree credentials, be sure to check to see that the content creator's educational background is not from a diploma mill. A credential offered by a governing body or through a state or federal license is one recommended way to verify the authenticity.

Cross-Check the Claims

You can feel more confident in the accuracy of the health information you are receiving if you cross-check the claims with another reputable source. Any specific school of thought that is promoted by various experts in the same field is generally more accurate.

Consensus among trusted professionals is a good indication that what you are reading is correct and can be applied to your own situation.

Reputable sources are typically good at contrasting their new research with the previous findings, recognizing that the science changes over time. Most trusted professionals also will point out specific limitations to the new research or other considerations to make before applying the principles.

Sources that talk in absolute truths should be avoided.

So should content that cherry picks data to promote a certain claim. Other warning signs to look out for include extreme opinions or sweeping claims that do not allow room for nuance.

Look for Scientific Evidence

Savvy social media users look for content that is backed up by scientific evidence and detailed evidence. A lack of cited research should raise a red flag. Creators that get defensive about their claims are also cause for concern.

Many TikTok creators simply rely on simple anecdotal evidence or user testimonies. It is important to realize that a testimonial is not the same thing as cited research.

Creators who lean on peer-reviewed academic research are far more reputable than creators that only provide testimonial evidence. Government agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide evidence backed up by research rather than another unqualified source.

Be Aware of Red Flag Words and Phrases

You can also increase the chances that you are taking in solid evidentiary based health information if you know what words and phrases often indicate unreliable content. Content creators tend to use the same buzzwords to draw in their audience, regardless of the accuracy of the statements.

For instance, be wary of the phrases "big Pharma," "the secret doctors don't want you to know," "doctors everywhere agree," and words such as "detox" "miracle," or "cleanse."

In general, any content that encourages a distrust in mainstream medicine should be treated with caution. Claims that seem too good to be true or ideas that promise immediate results should also make you suspicious.

Look for Financial Incentives

Lastly, any content that is attempting to sell a product or service should put you on alert. Many wellness influencers on TikTok and other social media platforms are only trying to make money.

Just because the content looks educational on the outset, it may be a ploy to draw you in and get you to commit to a purchase. The most reputable content does not have a financial incentive tied to it.

You cannot guarantee the validity of everything that you read on the internet. However, you will improve your personal digital literacy if you follow these guidelines.

The more that you click on reputable sources, the more that these sources will appear in your feed. Conversely, engaging with questionable content will translate to more of this suspicious activity on your feed.

There is no doubt that social media can be a goldmine of valuable information. But you need to know how to filter out the bad advice and opinions from the scientifically-backed advice.

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