Social Media as a Tool for Public Health

Can we influence the information shared online to promote positive health outcomes?

Credit: Google Images

Our Social Connection

In our modern age, our lives are heavily intertwined with technology and social media. It is estimated that roughly 5 billion social media accounts exist across the globe according to Global Digital Insights. Approximately 5.9 billion individuals across the globe use social media, and it is reported that 59% of adults get their news from social media sources [1].
With our exposure to internet personalities known as ‘social media influencers’, we are exposed to a great deal of information, it is reported that 59% of adults get their news from social media sources [1]. The reach of information across social media is undeniably broad, and this has been a benefit for social media influencers, building large platforms through sharing information, showcasing lifestyles, marketing products, and connecting with others around the globe. The influencer marketing industry is valued at over 20 billion dollars as of 2026 and an estimated growth to 26 billion dollars in 2027, according to Shopify [2].

Social Media and Health Information

In regard to health information on social media, there is a growing number of influencers sharing health and medical information, which may have increased partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic among other factors.

The influence of social media on ‘social determinants’ and behavioral determinants of health must be acknowledged as it serves as a major source for exchanging information. The role of ‘influencers’ is undeniably broad, and their broad reach serves as a channel to share and spread information. When specifically focusing on health information, the role of social media may play a growing role in the increase of health misinformation and disinformation brought up in care conversations at health care visits. This could potentially be correlated to the growing prevalence of ‘wellness influencers’, who promote a certain type of healthy lifestyle. Social media shows potential for being a platform for health promotion, but it also carries the risk of disseminating misinformation, exacerbating health disparities, and fostering maladaptive behaviors in the community. Understanding how social media influences health behaviors is fundamental for designing effective interventions, guiding public health policy, and improving health outcomes in an increasingly digital society [3].

We must ask how the role of health information shared online contributes to conversations patients are having with their healthcare providers and influencing their health behaviors on a broader scale. The purpose of this piece is to explore the role of social media in communicating health information, influencing health behaviors and public health, and whether it is harmful or helpful.

Translating Information to Care

The purpose of a health care professional is to provide the highest level of care to patients as indicated. Informed care allows a patient to contribute to the discussion of their care and have a role in creating a viable treatment plan alongside their health care team. Part of a health care professional’s job description inherently includes patient education and thus includes correcting any misinformation or disinformation patients may present in conversations about their health. As a clinical pharmacist working in ambulatory care, disinformation surrounding medications and vaccinations is something that I commonly encounter on a daily basis, making education an integral part of my daily patient care activities. Some of the information, patients confide, is things that they have seen on social media. Based on this anecdote, the assumption can be made that health information shared on social media is influencing the public’s understanding of health information.

Easily Influenced

Why are we easily influenced by the information we see online? Psychologically, it has to do with informational influence. This is the concept that new information can change the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of another individual, especially if the receiving party is unfamiliar with the topic or does not hold strong beliefs of their own [5]. Additionally, we provide credibility to those with large followings online due to their large sphere of influence indicated by their reach, which includes follower and view counts. This causes us to trust information communicated on social media channels, often without discerning the nature of the information as either truth or opinion. The influence of parasocial relationships and the portrayed sense of authenticity and relatability creates a perceived sense of trust in the person delivering their message without doing our own due diligence to further investigate the information shared.

Our behaviors are shaped by our surroundings, and so the influence of social media on our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors is inherent. Our health behaviors are shaped by the health information we learn in our environments. Health behaviors refer to any reactive, intentional, habitual behavior by an individual that can positively or negatively affect physical or mental health. It’s important to recognize and evaluate the type of content that is present on internet platforms and how that can influence the health behaviors of the general population [6].

Content Type Present Online

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A recent report published by the Pew Research Center on October 7, 2026 analyzed the nature of the content shared by ‘influencers’ to take a closer look at the true nature of the content they share across more than half a million posts and 6,000 accounts from February to April 2026. What the report found was that the main focus of content is often on healthy living (54%), including fitness and nutrition being the most popular topics in this category, rather than medical topics (34%). Product mentions as brand partnerships were also commonly encountered, making up approximately 38% of content. The Pew Research report found that within the medical topics shared online, most common disease states included diabetes and mental health. Pew found that a majority of medical-related content is discussed by health care professionals with a certain specialty or expertise, and ‘health and wellness’ influencers shy away from medical topics and focus on optimizing health, nutrition, and lifestyle [1]. Additionally, a research paper published in 2024 in BMC Public Health, interviewed ‘health expert content creators’ and their perceptions on social media driven health information and their own perspectives as content creators and health care practitioners. The study found that the role of social media is quite complex in regard to health information, and the majority of issues they noted included misinformation and oversimplification in the information shared by social media influencers. The study noted that there is a potential benefit of using social media as a tool to share information, however, steps need to be taken to mitigate the spread of misinformation online [6].

Consequently, the growing popularity of a wellness culture on social media, such as ‘biohacking’ and alternative medicine approaches cannot be overlooked. Supplements, injectable peptides, wearables and other medical devices to ‘optimize’ good health, seem to be part of the current zeitgeist, potentially in response to a perceived failure of the healthcare system and efforts to promote better health outside of the system. This failure is due to patient-reported frustrations around increasing costs, decreased access, and less solutions to chronic diseases in tandem with increased provider burnout, growing administrative burden, decreased patient care times based on sentiments and anecdotes voiced online. However, a majority of the interventions shared online have limited evidence to support use, as either an FDA-approved indication or clinical evidence to support use in humans. Subsequently, the normalization of these interventions implies a perceived level of safety that we give to standard medical therapies within the health care system, which may not be inherently true despite popularity. More evidence is needed to support broader use of these interventions, which may come with time. However, we must also ask why these interventions have become so popular and is there any implication in reflecting on the current state of healthcare in the United States. Apart from ‘fixing’ the health care system, how can we aid in improving health outcomes and promoting appropriate health communication? Social media may be a valuable tool.

Using Social Media to Promote Better Health Outcomes

The important delineation mentioned in the Pew Research Report was the difference between a traditional ‘influencer’ and health care providers that share medical information online, who have the education and expertise to back up their claims [1]. For influencers, their experience serves as their qualification for their perceived expertise, which can potentiate the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Having easier access to health information from a reputable source, such as a doctor or nurse sharing their knowledge online, helps combat health misinformation and disinformation. And there is a large proportion of health care providers online educating the masses and correcting circulating misinformation, which is a practice within the scope of public health. A systematic review identified the potential for social media to be an advantageous education modality to disseminate positive and accurate health information

Public health encompasses the sharing of information through education, of which social media plays an integral role today in our age of information. It may be overwhelming in amount, and if unable to understand the premise of the information, that can breed misinformation being shared. So in the age of modern technology with abundant access to knowledge, where social media is a mode of communication of said information, can it be a tool or a terror from a public health perspective? A systematic review conducted in 2025 identified the potential for social media to have a positive impact on disseminating positive and accurate health information, but greater research is needed to guide policy development [6].

We cannot slow or altogether stop the spread of information on social media. However, if we can influence the quality of the input, then that may positively influence the health outcomes within the population through the information that our patients learn online. This is a theory that organizations and institutions are bringing to life, such as Harvard’s School of Public Health, where they have created courses to teach influencers and online personalities how to share health information online [7].

We have yet to see the impact of this intervention, but it may prove beneficial as we add more reputable voices to the discourse surrounding health and wellness online. Promoting ‘health’ of the population begins with broad interventions that improve access in an equitable manner, and social media platforms may be one of the key aspects because of its broad reach.

Citations:

1. Pew Research Center. (2026, October 19). Social Media and News Fact Sheet. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/social-media-and-news-fact-sheet/
2. Dopson, E. (2026, September 19). 26 Influencer Marketing Statistics to Know in 2026. Shopify. https://www.shopify.com/blog/influencer-marketing-statistics
3. Kaňková, J., Binder, A. & Matthes, J. Helpful or harmful? Navigating the impact of social media influencers’ health advice: insights from health expert content creators. BMC Public Health 24, 3511 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-21095-3
4. Ramirez, A.G., Chalela, P., Sabado-Liwag, M.D. and Choi, K. (2021). Behavioral Determinants in Population Health and Health Disparities Research. In The Science of Health Disparities Research (eds I. Dankwa-Mullan, E.J. Pérez-Stable, K.L. Gardner, X. Zhang and A.M. Rosario). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119374855.ch4
5. (2007). Informational influence. In R. F. Baumeister, K. D. Vohs (Eds.) Encyclopedia of social psychology (pp. 481–481). SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412956253.n283
6. Paul, B., & Headley-Johnson, S. A. (2025). The Impact of Social Media on Health Behaviors, a Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 13(21), 2763. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13212763
7. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2026). Creator Program | Center for Health Communication. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. https://hsph.harvard.edu/research/health-communication/creator-program/