Sensitivity to conspiracy beliefs, interest in alternative therapies… Seeking health information on social networks rather than from a doctor or general media leads not only to a low level of medical knowledge but also to refusing or abandoning care, estimates une investigation* published by the Descartes Foundation.
In partnership with the National Academy of Medicine, the Descartes Foundationspecializing in issues related to information and disinformation, surveyed 4,000 French people to establish in figures the link between their sources of information on medical news and their knowledge of health as well as behaviors such as vaccine refusal or the renunciation of conventional medical treatment.
A lower level of medical knowledge than others
To establish the level of medical knowledge of the respondents, the investigators submitted to them a certain number of assertions, true or false – the first consistent with current medical knowledge, the latter non-compliant and circulating on social networks, such as “drinking wine increases the risk of developing certain cancers” (true) or “eating frozen lemon helps fight diabetes and certain tumors” (false).
The survey conducted by Laurent Cordonier, sociologist and research director of the Descartes Foundation, shows that respondents who favor social networks, but also YouTube or messaging groups like WhatsApp to find out about these subjects, have a level medical knowledge lower than the others. A sensitivity to conspiracy beliefs or an interest in alternative therapies are also factors associated with less knowledge, the researchers observed.
Dark chocolate to “cure” depression?
Beyond their health knowledge, the way they obtain information also has an influence on the health behavior of respondents, according to this survey. For example, those who obtain information “often” to “very often” on health topics via YouTube are 2.9 times more likely than others to have already given up medical treatment in favor of an alternative therapy.
Among the widespread beliefs, the one “according to which dark chocolate could cure serious mental disorders such as depression is a belief which is adopted by more than 50% of the population we surveyed (out of 4,000 people surveyed)”, notes Laurent Cordonnier. “And this belief, like other false health beliefs, is correlated with the use of social networks. This is one of the pieces of information that has been circulating on Facebook in particular. »
People who obtain information primarily through TikTok are twice as likely to refuse a vaccine for themselves or their child (excluding the Covid vaccine) as those who choose another means of information.
Countering the effects of health misinformation
Since the entry into force at the end of August of the new European Union legislation on digital services (DSA), platforms are now required to monitor the potential danger of their content in terms of health in particular.
To counter the effects of health misinformation, the Descartes Foundation also suggests promoting the dissemination on social networks of quality health content, consistent with scientific knowledge. She pleads for this content to come in particular from influencers recognized and supported by health professionals and scientific and medical institutions, such as the National Academy of Medicine or Inserm.
*For this study on information and health, the Descartes Foundation conducted a survey, via an online questionnaire, of 4,000 French people representative of the major metropolitan French population, carried out from July 12 to 26, 2023.