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Fox News
6 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Over half of top 100 mental health TikTok videos contain misinformation: report
Over half of the top-trending TikTok videos giving advice on mental health include misinformation, according to a report released Saturday. The Guardian compiled the top 100 TikTok videos posted under the #mentalhealthtips hashtag and sent them to psychiatrists, academics and psychologists, who examined them for misinformation. Some examples of bad advice include using supplements like holy basil, saffron or magnesium glycinate or eating an orange in the shower to decrease anxiety, "methods to heal trauma within an hour" and "guidance presenting normal emotional experiences as a sign of borderline personality disorder or abuse." The Guardian says that in its review, experts determined that "52 out of 100 videos offering advice on dealing with trauma, neurodivergence, anxiety, depression and severe mental illness contained some misinformation, and that many others were vague or unhelpful." Dan Poulter, a former health minister and NHS psychiatrist who looked at the videos about severe mental illness, said some of them "pathologise everyday experiences and emotions, suggesting that they equate to a diagnosis of serious mental illness.""This is providing misinformation to impressionable people and can also trivialise the life experiences of people living with serious mental illnesses," Poulter said. Amber Johnston, a British Psychological Society-accredited psychologist who evaluated the trauma videos, told The Guardian that even though some contained portions of truth, they were oversimplified. "Each video is guilty of suggesting that everyone has the same experience of PTSD with similar symptoms that can easily be explained in a 30-second reel," Johnston said. "The truth is that PTSD and trauma symptoms are highly individual experiences that cannot be compared across people and require a trained and accredited clinician to help a person understand the individual nature of their distress." She added that "TikTok is spreading misinformation by suggesting that there are secret universal tips and truths that may actually make a viewer feel even worse, like a failure, when these tips don't simply cure." Another expert, Chi Onwurah, a Labour member of Parliament in the United Kingdom, said TikTok doesn't have the best track record. "Content recommender systems used by platforms like TikTok have been found to amplify potentially harmful misinformation, like this misleading or false mental health advice," she added. "There's clearly an urgent need to address shortcomings in the OSA to make sure it can protect the public's online safety and their health." The Guardian reported that TikTok said videos were removed "if they discouraged people from seeking medical support or promoted dangerous treatments. When people in the UK search for terms linked to mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, autism or post-traumatic stress disorder, they are also directed to NHS information." In January, the Supreme Court upheld a federal law that would ban the Chinese-owned social media company. In May, President Donald Trump said that he would extend the deadline for the TikTok ban so that the company can be sold to a U.S. owner. A TikTok spokesperson told Fox News Digital about The Guardian's analysis, "There are clear limitations to the methodology of this study which opposes this free expression and suggests that people should not be allowed to share their own stories." They added that, "At TikTok, we proactively work with health experts at the World Health Organisation and others to promote reliable information on our platform and remove 98% of harmful misinformation before it's reported to us." Jeff Smith, director of the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital the news only adds to concerns about the company. "If we needed another reason to wrest control of TikTok away from the Chinese Communist Party, this report on mental health disinformation would serve as a powerful reminder," Smith said. He added, "It has been clear for years that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The extent of TikTok's misinformation, propaganda, and espionage activities are shocking and extensive. This report only underscores the urgent need for the Trump administration to force a sale of TikTok to an American entity or ban the app from operating in the United States, as required by law."
Engadget
03-06-2025
- General
- Engadget
TikTok ripe with mental health misinformation, new study reports
The internet is both excellent and horrible at spreading information and community. In one sense, it can provide access to so many people and perspectives that aren't available in a person's day-to-day life. At the same time, it can be ripe with misinformation and people who cause more harm than good. Now, a new study from The Guardian is revealing just how intertwined these two things can be. An investigation found that 52 out of the top 100 videos tagged #mentalhealthtips contained at least some misinformation, according to a team of mental health professionals. These clips discussed conditions and experiences such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, trauma, neurodivergence and more. "TikTok is spreading misinformation by suggesting that there are secret universal tips and truths that may actually make a viewer feel even worse, like a failure, when these tips don't simply cure," said Amber Johnston, a British Psychological Society-accredited psychologist, who reviewed videos about trauma for The Guardian . The experts identified four major themes within the misleading and inaccurate information. The first, pathologizing normal emotions, came in videos that described everyday feelings, such as tiredness or feeling anxiety around changes, as clear indicators of specific mental health disorders. They seemed to imply that experiencing any symptoms of a mental health disorder meant the viewer must be living with it. Then there was misuse of therapeutic language, whether through inaccurately describing a mental health disorder or using words like abuse, to explain certain actions, without context or nuance. The third category was reportedly the most common: unevidenced treatments and false claims. These clips include claims that a certain method can heal trauma in just one hour, that ingesting certain things causes depression and that manufactured supplements will ease anxiety. The last theme identified was anecdotal evidence. Videos in this area included recommendations to get inpatient treatment solely based on the creators' own experiences. Another showed someone in a hospital gown who implied that they were in a psychiatric unit for being too honest with their therapist. Misinformation is a tremendous issue across social media platforms, with many companies doing little to nothing about it. Take Meta, for example, which removed its fact-checking program in the US this past April. Instead, it has opted for community notes that allow for crowdsourced responses to posts. TikTok has made multiple claims over the years that it's removing "problematic" content and inaccurate videos. In a statement shared with The Guardian , a TikTok spokesperson commended the app for being a place people can share and get support for their mental health experiences. "There are clear limitations to the methodology of this study, which opposes this free expression and suggests that people should not be allowed to share their own stories." The spokesperson added that TikTok works with the World Health Organization and the NHS in the UK to provide accurate information, further claiming that the app removes 98 percent of "harmful misinformation before it's reported to us."
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Scottish Sun
Everyone can see the Margaritas but only the most eagle-eyed can spot the cocktail without the lime
A slice of lime is almost obligatory with a Margarita SIP TIP Everyone can see the Margaritas but only the most eagle-eyed can spot the cocktail without the lime Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FOR many, cocktails are part and parcel of summer. In fact, recipes for the drinks are searched over 266k in a year, with more than three million searches for "cocktails near me". Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Only the eagle-eyed can spot the Margarita glass without a slice of lime on the rim Credit: VSO 3 A slice of lime is almost obligatory when it comes to a Margarita Credit: Alamy And if you're a fan of a DIY cocktail, you're probably well aware of the ingredients that go into a Margarita. So it might not be too hard for you to spot the cocktail in this brain teaser, created by VSO, that doesn't have a lime on the rim. Others might find it harder to spot the Margarita glass without the slice. If you're struggling, divide the image into quarters and take on each part in turn. Just go up and down each column and row, then you can rule out any of the sections that just have glasses with limes on them. For those still unable to find the glass, you might want to check on the left side of the image. Any luck? If not, check the top left of the image and you might be lucky enough to find it. It has recently been proven that doing brainteasers is beneficial to our mental health, as it keeps the brain active. "What is well understood about both the brain and mental health is that people are highly driven to pursue learning," clinical psychologist in neuropsychology Dr Amber Johnston told Yahoo UK. Everyone can see the sun in this hot weather scene - but you're a genius if you can spot 5 differences in under 10 seconds "Anything that offers new challenge and learning opportunities has been found to lead to greater well-being and enjoyment, with studies showing that people prefer to choose a novel and challenging task over an easy, repetitive one, even without reward for participating in either. "Because we are naturally motivated towards challenge and learning, brainteasers fit into a fun category of hobbies that can improve our mental health." How can optical illusions and brainteasers help me? Engaging in activities like solving optical illusions and brainteasers can have many cognitive benefits as it can stimulate various brain regions. Some benefits include: Cognitive stimulation : Engaging in these activities challenges the brain, promoting mental agility and flexibility. : Engaging in these activities challenges the brain, promoting mental agility and flexibility. Problem-solving skills : Regular practice enhances analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities. : Regular practice enhances analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Memory improvement: These challenges often require memory recall and can contribute to better memory function. These challenges often require memory recall and can contribute to better memory function. Creativity: They encourage thinking outside the box, fostering creativity and innovative thought processes. They encourage thinking outside the box, fostering creativity and innovative thought processes. Focus and attention: Working on optical illusions and brainteasers requires concentration, contributing to improved focus. Working on optical illusions and brainteasers requires concentration, contributing to improved focus. Stress relief: The enjoyable nature of these puzzles can act as a form of relaxation and stress relief. It's also important to mix things up - by not doing the same puzzles day after day. "What we recommend for overall enhancement of higher level thinking skills, particularly in an older population worried about having less cognitive stimulation in their daily lives, is to challenge your brain in as many unique and diverse ways as you can," Dr Johnson added. "Maybe a crossword or Wordle, and why not a pub quiz?"
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Everyone can see the Margaritas but only the most eagle-eyed can spot the cocktail without the lime
FOR many, cocktails are part and parcel of summer. In fact, recipes for the drinks are searched over 266k in a year, with more than three million searches for "cocktails near me". Advertisement 3 Only the eagle-eyed can spot the Margarita glass without a slice of lime on the rim Credit: VSO 3 A slice of lime is almost obligatory when it comes to a Margarita Credit: Alamy And if you're a fan of a DIY cocktail, you're probably well aware of the ingredients that go into a Margarita. So it might not be too hard for you to spot the cocktail in this brain teaser, created by Others might find it harder to spot the Margarita glass without the slice. If you're struggling, divide the image into quarters and take on each part in turn. Advertisement Try out more Brain Teasers Just go up and down each column and row, then you can rule out any of the sections that just have glasses with limes on them. For those still unable to find the glass, you might want to check on the left side of the image. Any luck? If not, check the top left of the image and you might be lucky enough to find it. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous It has recently been proven that doing brainteasers is beneficial to our mental health, as it keeps the brain active. "What is well understood about both the brain and mental health is that people are highly driven to pursue learning," clinical psychologist in neuropsychology Dr Amber Johnston told Everyone can see the sun in this hot weather scene - but you're a genius if you can spot 5 differences in under 10 seconds "Anything that offers new challenge and learning opportunities has been found to lead to greater well-being and enjoyment, with studies showing that people prefer to choose a novel and challenging task over an easy, repetitive one, even without reward for participating in either. "Because we are naturally motivated towards challenge and learning, brainteasers fit into a fun category of hobbies that can improve our mental health." Advertisement How can optical illusions and brainteasers help me? Engaging in activities like solving optical illusions and brainteasers can have many cognitive benefits as it can stimulate various brain regions. Some benefits include: Cognitive stimulation : Engaging in these activities challenges the brain, promoting mental agility and flexibility. Problem-solving skills : Regular practice enhances analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Memory improvement: These challenges often require memory recall and can contribute to better memory function. Creativity: They encourage thinking outside the box, fostering creativity and innovative thought processes. Focus and attention: Working on optical illusions and brainteasers requires concentration, contributing to improved focus. Stress relief: The enjoyable nature of these puzzles can act as a form of relaxation and stress relief. It's also important to mix things up - by not doing the same puzzles day after day. "What we recommend for overall enhancement of higher level thinking skills, particularly in an older population worried about having less cognitive stimulation in their daily lives, is to challenge your brain in as many unique and diverse ways as you can," Dr Johnson added. "Maybe a crossword or Wordle, and why not a pub quiz?" 3 If you struggled, the answer to the tricky puzzle is above Credit: VSO Advertisement
