The trend: Most consumers are skeptical of the health information they see on social media, according to a new KFF survey. Nearly 1,300 US adults were surveyed last month.
The topline data: 11% of consumers turn to social media for health information and advice every day. Over half (55%), including 74% of people ages 18 to 29, do so at least occasionally.
But consumers don’t think the health content they see on social media is too reliable.
- Less than 10% of social media users say they trust “most” of the health information and advice they see on social platforms.
- Between 12% and 18% say they do not trust any social media health content they encounter, with specific percentages varying by platform.
- 40% trust most (8%) or some (32%) of the health information they see on TikTok, giving it a slight edge over YouTube (39%) and Reddit (35%) as the most reliable social media platform for health content.
- On the other end of the spectrum, nearly 6 in 10 social media users have little or no trust in health information seen on X (59%) or Facebook (58%).