One in eight people made health decisions based on online misinformation, study finds
A study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found one in eight people made health decisions based on false or misleading online information, rising to one in five among 18-34 year olds.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A new study has found that one in eight people have made a health decision based on false or misleading information they saw online.
The study, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, surveyed more than 2,000 people. It found that the problem is worse among younger adults: for 18 to 34 year olds, the figure rises to one in five. Many of those later regretted their decision.
The misinformation came from a range of sources, including social media, chatbots, AI, work colleagues, family and friends, and traditional news media. The claims covered vaccines, dietary supplements, weight loss injections, and mental health.
More than three fifths of people said they saw such claims on social media. Just under half said the government should do more to address the issue, with suggestions including penalising those who profit from misinformation and educating the public more.
The study also found a link between pay and education and the ability to judge whether a health claim is accurate. More than half of those earning over £40,000 a year felt confident they could judge accuracy, compared with only a third of those earning less than £20,000 a year.
The authors said this shows the problem is not fringe but part of everyday life.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| More than three fifths of people saw false or misleading online information on social media. | |
| One in eight people made a health decision based on false or misleading online information, rising to one in five among 18 to 34 year olds. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News focused on the headline statistic and broke it down by age, sources, and demographics. The tone was informative and slightly alarmed, with the host calling it a huge statistic. The segment also highlighted the correlation between income and confidence in judging health claims, and the public's desire for government action. It did not include any scepticism about the study or alternative viewpoints.
- “That's a huge statistic.”
- “one in eight people say they had made a health decision based on false or misleading information”
- “this isn't a fringe problem, but it is part of our everyday life”
Broadcast Timeline
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