TikTok doesn’t command a particularly enviable reputation as a safe space online, but new research suggests that it is a hellscape for misleading content covering mental health. The platform has often been lambasted for getting teens and young adults hooked on physically injurious trends and socially harmful behavior, and its struggles with COVID-19 misinformation are well-documented. Often, TikTok is serving problematic content to millions of its s.
According to research by medical professionals over at advice shared on TikTok is misleading in nature. Using the hashtags #mentalhealthadvice and #mentalhealthtips, the team combed through hundreds of videos and their transcripts, and discovered that 14.2 percent of videos discussing mental health on TikTok could be potentially damaging. Worryingly, the entire batch of videos talking about ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) was found to be brimming with misleading health content. The track record of videos discussing bipolar disorder and depression wasn’t too promising either, with PlushCare’s team identifying over 90 percent of them as “highly misleading.”
Find Your Mental Health Experts Elsewhere
Just over half of the advice doled out by TikTok videos was found to be accurate, while nearly a third of the videos contained downright inaccurate information. Another concerning discovery was that a mere 9 percent of TikTok content creators had the relevant qualification to be doling out mental health counsel. Only a paltry 1 percent of the videos were found to contain the necessary disclaimers. The problem, however, is further exacerbated by the sheer scale of content sharing that happens on TikTok. PlushCare notes that the 500 videos they analyzed had garnered over 25 million views and had ed over 3.5 million likes. The net follower count of handles that share mental health tips stands at over 43 million.
ScreenRant reached out to PlushCare experts to get a grasp on TIkTok’s mental health misinformation problem. When asked about their outlook regarding the pattern of misinformation spreading on TikTok in the foreseeable future, PlushCare Therapy Lead, Melissa Dowd, notes “TikTok looks to be on a knife-edge.” Dowd adds that TikTok is struggling because of how much content needs to be moderated, which is not exactly easy because the videos shared on the platform include different forms of content such as text, images, and audio. The latter is quite a potent medium, as TikTok Sounds have been exploited to disseminate COVID-19 hoaxes in the not-too-distant past.
So, what should an average TikTok do, in order to avoid being influenced by misleading mental health content? In Dowd’s expert view, TikTok s should pay attention to any labels or prompts that warn about the video’s veracity. In case there are no labels but the content itself seems suspicious, it’s always a good practice to check the creator’s profile and analyze their content track record, as well as their follower count. Another crucial step is to avoid amplifying the reach of such dubious content. “Do not like, share, or interact with videos that contain misleading information,” Dowd recommends, adding that engagement gives an algorithmic boost to misleading media.
If you or someone you know is going through a mental health crisis, you can find help by dialing the 988 helpline, calling 1-800-985-5990, or texting “TalkWithUs” to 66746. Expert assistance can also be accessed round the clock on the 988lifeline.org website, and one find helpful resources anonymously at SAMHSA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator.