Emergence of Medical influencers on social media : Beneficial or Misleading?

General
1

Social media is a great platform for spreading awareness, talking about taboos, busting myths and relaying information. Being a medical content creator comes with a heavy responsibility of conveying accurate medical information consistent with the practical medicine. From medical students, fresh graduates to Consultants, everyone has an opinion to share. Even creators with no medical background post medical information which brings the question of credibility in this scenario. It becomes difficult for public to discern whom to trust as the information they want is so conveniently available on social media. At the end it becomes viewer’s sole responsibility to make use of that information or avoid it. What is your opinion about this trend?

MBH/AB

3 Likes
2

I am so glad that you brought this up. Another thing I noticed is that med influencers post content from inside the hospital during working hours, which seems really unethical to me

1 Like
3

I would say both. Listen to others, but make your own decision. Don’t blindly trust anyone; check their qualifications to ensure they are genuinely qualified and not a quack.

1 Like
4

Aditiii, you’ve touched on a dilemma that sits right at the intersection of medicine and modern media.

Medical influencers can democratize health information and make conversations about taboo topics more approachable.

But when credibility blur when a polished reel weighs more than years of clinical training the risk is that myths spread faster than facts.

I feel the solution isn’t to dismiss influencers, but to demand accountability.

Verified medical voices need amplification, while audiences need digital literacy to question who is speaking before believing what is spoken.

In the end, influence without integrity is just noise but influence with evidence has the power to truly heal at scale.

1 Like
5

You’ve brought up a crucial point! Medical information is now more widely available thanks to social media, but it is also more complicated. Credibility is crucial because when facts and opinions are combined, misinformation can spread quickly. As viewers, we need to trust qualified professionals and double-check our sources. True health awareness requires both responsible content production and knowledgeable consumption.

1 Like