LoginDo the majority of Americans use social media to get health information?
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Yes.
In two recent polls, a majority of U.S. adults said they use social media to get health information.
July 2025 by KFF, a leading health policy research nonprofit: 55% said they use social media βto find health information and adviceβ at least occasionally. Less than one in 10 said βmostβ of the information is trustworthy.
September 2024 by Healthline: 52% said they learned from social media health and wellness tools, resources, trends, or products they tried in the past year. About 77% expressed at least one negative view, such as βthere is a lot of conflicting information.β
An April 2024 medical journal article said that over one-third of social media users perceived high levels of health misinformation, and two-thirds reported βhigh perceived discernment difficulty.β
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is conducting a long-term study to determine how social media affects the physical/mental health of adolescents.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- KFF: KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust
- KFF: KFF Health Information and Trust Tracking Poll: Health Information and Advice on Social Media
- Healthline: State of Consumer Health
- Healthline: State of Consumer Health toplines
- JMIR Infodemiology: Perceptions of Health Misinformation on Social Media: Cross-Sectional Survey Study
- University of Wisconsin-Madison: Scrolling for answers
Do the majority of Americans use social media to get health information? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
