“Doctors: TikTok Mental Health Advice Videos Are a Cesspool of Misinformation”

I’ve been discussing mental health misinformation on social media since 2012. Seeing the sharing of struggles and incorrect definitions and coping techniques guided me to start doing presentations to parents, teachers and anyone else who would listen. Kids are struggling and not getting the correct information about what their particular struggle is and how to get help. TikTok isn’t free from misinformation, it may be at the top of the list (right behind Instagram).

From the article: “The results of the study are terrifying. The biggest issue is misleading information, of which a strong majority of videos (83.7%) contain. The study characterized a video as misleading if it meets any of these three criteria: The advice is inaccurate or potentially damaging, the host is unqualified and does not include a disclaimer, or the video encourages self-diagnosis. The most problematic videos pertained to ADHD (100% found misleading), bipolar disorder (94.1%), and depression (90.3%).”

Take a minute and read this article. We need to teach our kids to me media literate and find the best resources for any struggles they have. TikTok, Instagram and any other social media site is not going to guide them to emotional healing and wellness.  ~Ryan