This NYT article discusses the professionals who spend their time debunking health and mental health misinformation on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
We've also been seeing the role social media has played during the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of people's access to information (e.g., vaccine availability announcements) and misinformation (promoting sometimes harmful treatments that aren't evidence-informed).
This article left me with a few questions about the role that social media and technology will play in the future in the health and mental health/addictions field?
- What role should social media companies play in monitoring (or not monitoring) this kind of mis/information?
- How will these information platforms affect how young people engage in health/mental health services and treatment? And how will services adapt for this new generation?
- How can we teach individuals (including ourselves) to think critically about the information they're engaging online while still empowering them to make informed choices about their own care?
GGTU have an upcoming webinar related to this topic: The Impacts of Digital Technologies on Mental Health and Addictions Series, Part 3: Bridging the Digital Divide to Optimize Health Outcomes and Experiences for Youth on July 21, 2022 at 1 pm ET which I'd encourage you to sign up for if you're curious about this topic!