AUSTIN — Alex Bell is a millennial. The first generation to really grow up with the internet. Now, some members of this group are hitting their mid-30s and experiencing major health changes. Bell knows better than most. She was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer at 32 years old. She turned her illness into action and became the moderator for r/breastcancer, a support and information space on Reddit for those diagnosed with the condition.
"It changed my life, and I've learned so much about how patients approach health care in medical decisions," the now 39-year-old said during a panel during SXSW in Austin in March.
But not all health information on social media, let alone the internet at large, is credible. Wherever you look, someone is lying to you – or at least misleading you – about your health. Influencers on TikTok tout the benefits of vitamins, supplements and at-home cures, often without a medical license or necessary context. Looking for accurate medical information online has grown more complicated with the advent of AI, where it's easy to ask ChatGPT to play the role of your doctor.
People have been flocking to Reddit specifically to crowdsource health advice; the platform houses more than 700 health communities. Internal data shows the number of views on its health and wellness content rose by 61% the last two years. The moderators ("mods") of each subreddit strive to stay on top of imposters or those who otherwise lack knowledge in these spaces to maintain their credibility.
