By Alexa MacLean
Everyone in public health is aware of the power of digital platforms. Roughly one person in every three in the United States is thought to consult YouTube before seeing a doctor, a proportion even higher among Generation Z (13-25 year olds), and millions connect online with peers for health support and advice. Google searches have for several years now accounted for around 9 out of 10 initial symptom-searches, making it a go-to space for healthcare providers to offer accurate information and advice. Many health practitioners, psychologists, doctors and nurses are taking to platforms like TikTok to create engaging content about important health topics including family, mental and sexual health.
The influence of digital platforms on our health is monumental and growing. Yet time spent online is being linked to increased levels of anxiety in under-18s, and despite people spending more time than ever connecting digitally, reported levels of loneliness are higher than ever. This report is from the US, but the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 25% of older people and between 5-15% of adolescents worldwide experience social isolation and loneliness, at similar rates across all regions of the world. Technology has revolutionized social connection by enhancing communication across distances, enabling new forms of social interaction, and providing support networks, but has also facilitated a shift away from face-to-face connections, and enabled the introduction of cyberbullying and trolling.
And, while it’s true that digital technologies can give millions accurate health information , they can be just as fast to spread falsehoods and misinformation, if left unchecked. Misinformation and disinformation emerged as the top risk over the next two years, according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks Perceptions Survey 2024- 2025.These factors have led health providers to examine the impact of digital media on health and mental wellbeing. Meanwhile digital platforms, which were not set up to act as health centers, are responding to the challenges in a number of ways.
Challenge of digital technologies
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, trust in large institutions, governments and even health bodies has been shaken. Many felt they were bombarded with what seemed like contradictory and piecemeal infection-control advice and changing measures. Against this backdrop, peer-to-peer health advice on social media attracts interest by being seen as agenda-free, friendly, collegiate and unpatronizing.
Health advice is everywhere on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat – created by individuals, influencers and others. These peer-to-peer conversations are incredibly popular and accessible, but there’s little accountability for the information and advice shared. If a doctor offers information on social media, they are still bound by the Hippocratic Oath. If a public health body sends out misleading information, there are accountability mechanisms. For individuals, this doesn’t apply. Realistically very few people look at scientific journals to verify information so the majority of us depend on honest brokers to guide us towards reliable information.
WHO responds to health challenges
The World Health Organization (WHO) has taken on the challenge in a number of ways. As misinformation on social platforms threatened to crowd out public health messages during the COVID-19 pandemic, it worked closely with Google and Meta to ensure evidence-based information was returned in search results and prioritized by the algorithms. Youtube developed robust fact-checking procedures that helped it remove false information, thereby empowering users to have safer product experiences. Additionally, YouTube’s misinformation policy was informed by WHO public health research, and within two years of the policy being in place, YouTube was able to remove over 1.5 million videos containing COVID-19 misinformation. To promote healthier behaviors during the pandemic WHO worked with Tinder to encourage people to quit smoking and to access mental health advice.
Facebook and Instagram also added features that directed users to reliable health information from WHO when they searched for COVID-19-related terms or viewed related content. Between January and April 2020, Meta’s platforms directed more than 2 billion people to WHO resources, with 350 million people clicking on the content to learn more about COVID-19. WHO also convenes Fides; a network of 800+ social media creators who are also health professionals capable of producing accurate, inspiring and engaging health communications on digital platforms. It has formed a partnership with TikTok to strengthen this initiative and they have launched a series of campaigns around the world, focused on delivering health and wellbeing content through trusted creators.
Social connection in focus
So what about the link between mental and physical wellbeing to the amount of time we spend online? Is our reliance on interaction via screens damaging to our mental health, and can tech companies play a role in mitigating this? Certainly the issue of social connection is rising-up the political, and public health, agenda. Lack of social connection has serious physical and mental health impacts across our lifespan, including increased risks for cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes, dementia, depression, anxiety and suicide. Momentum is building around this topic, with the launch of the first-ever WHO Commission on Social Connection (2024-2026), culminating in a flagship report expected by May 2025.
Technology has revolutionized social connection by enhancing communication across distances, enabling new forms of social interaction, and providing support networks for people facing social isolation or mental health challenges. The downside is that over-reliance on digital tools can lead to superficial relationships lacking non-verbal cues, and potentially increased loneliness, and diminished social skills. Striking a balance between online and offline connections is key to fostering healthy social relationships and preventing the negative consequences of digital overuse.
Opportunities for public-private partnerships
Digital platforms are too big to ignore for any organization invested in improving health. So we won’t ignore them, and instead choose to engage and build solutions for the future. We believe we need big tech inside the public health tent because they reach millions and have the power to help people live healthier lives. The WHO Foundation is inviting companies and philanthropists to come together to tackle some of the most pervasive issues online, from misinformation to mental wellbeing. Together with global health experts, we can create opportunities to tackle these challenges together.
To kick-start this important conversation we convened discussions at this year’s World Economic Forum meeting in Davos between tech and health practitioners, with the aim of making digital platforms a place where people can navigate the maze of health information with confidence, find accurate, trusted information and increase their wellbeing. The challenges presented by these platforms on global health are great but they also present a compelling opportunity for strong public-private partnerships that bring together companies, philanthropists and global health experts to ensure that everyone, everywhere, can stay healthier online.
If you represent a company or foundation and you would like to learn more or to discuss ways to get involved in improving health online, contact our team.
Alexa MacLean is Senior Partnerships Manager at the WHO Foundation. You can connect with Alexa and find out more about her work on LinkedIn
WHO Foundation