Every day, you come across social media influencers regardless of what sites you use. A social media influencer is defined as a person who uses the internet to urge people to take action and has the power to influence the choices of others.
Often, the impact of influencers can be benign. You might try the latest trend, like a specific workout or healthy drink recipe they have promoted just for fun. And they can be so pervasive you might not even realize you have been influenced. Many jumped on the Watertok drink train without knowing where it started.
But sometimes, their impact can be serious. Online influencers are promoting controversial medical tests like full-body MRI scans, genetic tests for cancer, blood tests for testosterone levels and more. Their promotions are misleading.
Researchers looked at 982 posts from different influencers. The influencers promoting the tests ranged from folks who could be your neighbor to health professionals. The posts used fearmongering and suggested people were letting themselves down if they didn’t take the tests. They framed the tests as an empowering way of taking charge of health. They never mentioned the risk of unnecessary medical treatments or diagnoses. The unnecessary treatments can include surgery and come with a hefty price tag.
Many tests are sold directly to people to cut out their doctors. If you read our blogs, you know we always urge you to talk to your doctor before making a change in your health routine. We tell people to discuss supplements, including Glucocil, with their doctor to ensure they are right for their health needs. Your doctor knows your medical history and goals and can tell you if a choice could help you. If a company doesn’t want its product to be scrutinized by a doctor, you should always think twice about trying the product. It’s a red flag when they don’t want you to discuss it thoroughly.
Prof. Stacy Carter of the Univ. of Wollongong said the study “shows clearly that influential social media posts promote testing and talk up the alleged benefits of testing – even when tests are useless, or potentially harmful… This study adds to the evidence that medical misinformation is common on social media, and suggests we should all think again when an influencer encourages us to get tested.”
Before getting any test, you should talk it over with someone who won’t make any money off of you taking it. A test that could benefit you will stand up to scrutiny. If a test is for something you have no symptoms for and aren’t at risk for, you should think twice because you may cause yourself a lot of undue mental stress for no reason.
When it comes to influencers, it’s always important to ask yourself the question your mother used to ask, “If everyone is jumping off a cliff, are you going to do it too?”
