Study Finds Many Teens Struggle to Tell if Online Health Messages Are True

According to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, 41 percent of teens surveyed in the study were unable to tell the difference between true and fake online medical content. Health misinformation and disinformation has become increasingly common since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and large amounts of fake health news have been spread on social media. Research indicates that positive portrayals of risky health behaviors are related to an increase in these behaviors, while sharing accurate information from health professionals online helps lead to an increase in healthy behaviors. Improving skills like media literacy, health literacy, scientific reasoning, and analytical thinking can help combat the spread of fake health news.



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