Do you ever find yourself caught in a health advice doomscrolling session on TikTok late at night?
If so, you’re certainly not alone.
Findings from the new Bupa Wellbeing Index 2026, which surveyed 8,000 people across the United Kingdom, found that people are increasingly turning to social media for quick answers to their health questions – with YouTube (25%) and TikTok (20%) ranking as popular sources of health information among respondents.
Meanwhile, one in five (20%) reported that they believe that influencers have more up-to-date health information than doctors, despite 38% of adults sharing that they have personally come across health information online that they later discovered was misleading.
Researchers have made similar findings elsewhere, and in the United States, surveys by Pew Research Center found that 40% of US adults – including half of adults under 50 – regularly turn to social media influencers and podcasts for health advice.
Social media feeds are inundated with health advice, tips and information, but to what extent is this actually helping or hindering our ability to make informed choices about our health?
We spoke to Dr Stephanie Hicks, a general practitioner specialising in mental health, to explore the benefits and potential pitfalls of turning to social media for health advice.
She has also shared some practical tips for navigating health content online without letting it fuel health anxiety.
"I think there are a lot of positives about social media [in the health space].
“It’s a powerful tool for speaking to lots of people, particularly younger people, and it’s a great way to get information out there quickly,” says Dr Hicks.
"I follow a lot of doctors and medical professionals on social media myself, and there are a lot of qualified professionals that share great health content on these platforms.
"Social media is a place where lots of people will see and learn about new things, so in that regard I think it can be beneficial.”
"The main drawback is that anybody can publish anything on social media, so even though a video has been shared and liked by lots of people, that doesn’t necessarily mean that its content is accurate,” highlights Dr Hicks.
"This can cause confusion around what health information online is correct and what isn’t.
"In addition, consuming this content can potentially impact people’s decision making as to how they will go onto manage whatever condition or worry that they might have.”
She also expresses concern around sensationalised content.
"The algorithm seems to favour content that is more sensational, emotionally charged and surprising, as this tends to be the type of content that gets shared and reacted to the most,” explains the GP.
"So, it’s important to remember that just because something has been widely shared or is popular, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s accurate.”
"While it’s good to think about your health and how you can make yourself the best person that you can be, health anxiety is when you are repeatedly searching and checking your body for health concerns, and the reassurance that you pick up isn’t enough,” explains Dr Hicks.
"This kind of behaviour and concerns almost becomes a problem in itself.
“Often when I see a patient with health anxiety who really focuses on something, it can almost become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Social media can often fuel these concerns.
"If you are researching a specific symptom or condition on social media, it’s likely that you will find videos of people sharing stories about really terrible experiences they have had,” says Dr Hicks.
"This can lead people to go down a rabbit hole of scrolling, which is likely to feed into this anxiety."
Unsure what to believe
If spending time on social media is making you feel anxious about your health, and you aren’t sure what information to believe, here are some tips that could help.
> Limit your exposure
"The format of social media is designed to grab your attention and make you consume and watch more and more content, so I would recommend trying to limit the amount of exposure that you have to health-related content online,” recommends Dr Hicks.
"If you’re continuously being shown advertisements for supplements or content that is making you really worry about your health and feel overwhelmed, you probably need to step away from it.”
> Unfollow any triggering accounts
"Unfollow any accounts that trigger any feelings of anxiety, make you feel bad about yourself and/or demotivate you because they will drain you and will not help you live your life to the fullest,” advises Dr Hicks.
> Utilise support services at work
"Quite a lot of workplaces have access to health and well-being services that can provide support if you are getting overwhelmed and worried about your health and anxiety,” says Dr Hicks.
> Be more sceptical about what you see online
"When you are consuming health content online, try and think about who is providing this information,” recommends Dr Hicks.
"Are they a doctor?
“What are their qualifications?
“What evidence are they providing?
“Are they trying to sell a product or a service?
“If they are selling a product or a service, be a little bit more sceptical about what they are saying.
"In addition, if someone is sharing a story about what happened to them, be mindful that this is their individual experience and won’t necessarily be applicable to you.”
> Be cautious of anything that seems too good to be true
"If something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is,” says Dr Hicks.
"If something is a groundbreaking cure/product to fix a health problem, it would probably be on the news and there would be lots of evidence and research to back it up.”
> Fact-check information with reputable sources and official websites
Don’t take everything someone says online at face value, and do your own research.
"If you want to find out more about a specific condition or symptom, I would recommend looking at recognised reputable health websites such as the NHS (National Health Service) or Bupa UK,” advises Dr Hicks.
"Official health organisations are far more stringent with the evidence and information that they put online, so will give you better information.”
> See advice from your doctor
"If you are really worried about a specific health concern, then it’s probably worth speaking to a professional like a GP,” says Dr Hicks.
"My general rule of thumb is to wait three weeks before going to the GP for general aches, pains and ailments, because the body is usually good at healing itself.
“However, if you have severe pains and lots of symptoms, please see a GP as soon as you can.”
If you have been experiencing ongoing symptoms, Dr Hicks recommends keeping a symptom diary.
"Keep a note of what your symptoms are, when you are experiencing them and any other information that could be relevant, such as what you have been eating, to show your GP in your next appointment,” recommends Dr Hicks. – PA Media/dpa
