In a world where a single swipe can bring medical advice to your feed, Dr. Briana Calcagno‑Davi urges caution.
The Warning
“Don’t Google it!” is the first line of advice Dr. Briana Calcagno‑Davi, a senior pediatric neuropsychologist for Northwell Health and private practice owner, shares with patients. She follows it with a sharper warning: “Don’t Instagram it! Don’t TikTok it! Don’t Reddit it!” The senior pediatric neuropsychologist, known online as Dr. Bri, points out that misinformation often originates from people who are not health clinicians.
How Social Media Amplifies Misinformation
According to Calcagno‑Davi, social‑media algorithms track engagement and browsing history. “A simple click on a link or a like on a post relating to a health topic could lead to a flood of related posts on a user’s social media feed,” she explains. In today’s era, information can surface at a user’s front door without an active search. She advises patients to perform due diligence: “If it finds you at your front door, do your due diligence to look into who’s saying it, what they’re saying, and do a little research before you take it as truth.”
Surveying Social‑Media Health Seekers
To better understand how people use social media for health information, Calcagno‑Davi teamed with undergraduate students and hospital volunteers to launch an anonymous online survey. The survey collects demographic data and asks participants about their use of social media for health knowledge, including whether they research the specialists they encounter, rely on comments, or purchase supplements advertised on the platforms.
Survey Findings
Preliminary results, with respondents aged 13 to 85, show that nearly 70 % of participants consider social media an effective way to gain medical or clinical knowledge. However, less than half of those respondents have verified the legitimacy of the health care specialists they find online. “Small picture is understanding the utility of social media as a health information platform,” Calcagno‑Davi says. “Big picture is if there is a lot of people out there who are getting misguided on social media, how do we protect them?”
The Sydney Study
An earlier University of Sydney study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined almost 1,000 Instagram and TikTok posts about five controversial medical tests promoted by influencers. The analysis found that 87 % of the content mentioned potential benefits, only 15 % highlighted potential harms—including overdiagnosis from full‑body MRIs or early cancer detection—and a mere 6 % referenced scientific evidence. The reach of these posts totaled nearly 200 million followers, and nearly 70 % of the influencers had a financial interest in promoting the tests.
Rising Measles Concerns
Health officials warn that misleading information about measles prevention is contributing to rising case numbers in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The spread of inaccurate vaccine information on social media is a key factor in this trend.
Consequences of Misinformation
Calcagno‑Davi cautions that receiving misinformation can delay proper diagnosis and care. “At worst, it can cause people to use harmful products or push off proper care that can be detrimental to their health,” she says. She notes that the problem has already manifested in various cases and predicts it will become more complicated as the social‑media era of health literacy expands.
Vetting Self‑Proclaimed Professionals
Dr. Bri recommends that viewers vet all self‑proclaimed medical professionals on social media, regardless of how professional they appear. She stresses that procedures exist to protect the public: providers’ license statuses and other credentials are publicly accessible and should be verified before following their advice.
Parental Guidance
As a mother of two, Calcagno‑Davi emphasizes the importance of open communication with children. “It’s really hard to mediate how children, and teenagers specifically, use social media,” she says. She suggests parents set barriers while maintaining an open dialogue: “Reminding your child that if they feel a certain way in their body, in their mind, to come to them and they can give them guidance—it’s better than turning to potential threats that are on the internet.”
Hope for Verification Badges
Calcagno‑Davi expresses hope that social‑media platforms will adopt a verification badge for health care professionals. “Wouldn’t it be great if we had a little red shield or a specific verification badge that verifies that the poster is someone in a clinical field as a health provider?” she asks. Such a badge could help users distinguish legitimate experts amid a growing threat from artificial intelligence.
User Responsibility
Until stricter regulations are implemented, Calcagno‑Davi states it is the obligation of all social‑media users to protect themselves and ensure they receive information from reliable sources. “The more information we have on people’s utility of social media as a health platform, the more we can help to support the public in utilizing it safely,” she concludes.
How to Verify Credentials
In the fitness realm, creators should hold certification from an accreditation organization and confirm their credentials through the U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals database. For medical professionals, the American Medical Association and the American Board of Medical Specialties maintain searchable databases that can verify a doctor’s qualifications when the creator shares a legal name and general location. State‑run databases also allow users to check whether a provider is licensed to practice medicine or has faced disciplinary action.
Closing Thoughts
Dr. Briana Calcagno‑Davi’s message is clear: social media can be a powerful tool for health information, but it must be approached with skepticism and verification. By understanding the reach of misinformation, examining survey data, and using available verification resources, users can navigate the digital health landscape more safely.
Key Takeaways
- Nearly 70 % of survey respondents view social media as an effective source of medical knowledge, yet most do not verify specialists.
- A University of Sydney study found that 87 % of influencer posts on medical tests highlight benefits, while only 6 % cite scientific evidence.
- Parents and users should actively vet professionals and consider platform verification badges to mitigate misinformation.
