Navigating health, food and misinformation in social media environments

The digital transformation of society plays a central role in shaping contemporary health and food narratives and practices in everyday life. Social media platforms (SoMe) have become primary sources of information for many sociodemographic groups, particularly young people, providing places for social connection and the circulation of health information. In this context, trust in scientific evidence and public health expertise is increasingly mediated by commercially-driven digital environments, while the authority of public health institutions is increasingly challenged.

Drawing on qualitative interviews with young women aged 18 – 25 years in Norway, this study explored their perceptions and experiences of online health and nutrition content on SoMe.

The findings indicated issues concerning trust, uncertainty, and misinformation in young women’s encounters with health and nutrition information on SoMe. Trust appeared as an ambivalent issue. On the one hand, SoMe influencers were frequently used as sources of food inspiration, as they shared content that showcased colourful, appetizing food that young women considered healthy, motivating and partially accessible. Participants were exposed to health promoting narratives in SoMe, i.e. regarding all bodies having worth, demonstration of cooking skills, or having a positive relationship with food rather than focusing on nutrients.

At the same time, uncertainty was evident, as participants expressed scepticism towards the credibility of information disseminated in SoMe, emphasizing that there was no guarantee that such content was accurate or evidence based. Influencers’ menus, recipes, and nutrition advice were sometimes described as overly restrictive or unrealistic, contributing to uncertainty about own eating practices and physical appearance. SoMe influencers were viewed as carrying a degree of responsibility for the messages they disseminated, given their reach, influence and the trust they create with their audiences. This trust was at times perceived as being misused, particularly when misinformation was shared or when commercial interests were promoted, such as through “sneaky” marketing or endorsements of health- and food-related products.

Overall, this study indicated that young women encountered a dense and often contradictory digital information environment where good health advice shared space with misinformation. Reliance on fragmented and commercialized digital information environments constitute an underrecognized risk for public health preparedness and resilience. Supporting young people in navigating misinformation requires system-wide policies, including regulating the digital environment and supporting media and health literacy for creating empowered digital health citizens.