New TikTok partnership seeks to battle health misinformation

With large numbers of people using TikTok as a news source and other information, the app has become flooded with more info than people know what to do with. The main problem with this -- especially when it comes to health and medical advice -- is that many users have no way of knowing what's quality content and what's misinformation.

This is the main reason behind a new partnership between the World Health Organization and TikTok. The organization's Fides network is leading the charge on this. It's a group of about 800 healthcare influencers making an effort to combat misinformation on the app, specifically related to health.

The initiative is all about not just sharing quality information, but also providing helpful resources to audiences, breaking stigmas, and creating spaces and opportunities for community building around various healthcare topics.

There are many creators on TikTok, for example, creating online content about chronic diseases, nutrition, and fitness. Because creators don't have to be experts in a particular field, or they don't have to back up any of the information they provide to their audiences, it can be difficult to sift through what's trustworthy content and what isn't.

WHO hopes that this partnership will allow its network of healthcare influencers to push against health misinformation with impactful stories and resources that allow audiences to learn and spread facts and encourage others to become informed.

When it comes to health, misinformation can potentially be life-threatening. There are plenty of stories on TikTok about creators who followed the seemingly harmless advice of influencers and ended up in the hospital because of it. It's always important to remember that just because it's on the internet doesn't mean it's the best advice for you. Always do your research before following online advice that could negatively impact your health and safety.