How misinformation undermines health literacy

Super-sour chewing gum for panic attacks? What is touted as a therapy in a TikTok reel with over three million views has nothing to do with medical guidelines. The video overlooks recognised methods such as behavioural therapy or relaxation techniques, emphasised Luis Teichmann in his keynote speech at the DMEA in Berlin. The emergency services engineer, content creator and author of the Spiegel bestseller “Sind wir noch zu retten?” warned of declining health literacy in the face of misinformation on social media.

Teichmann backed up his argument with figures: 51.9 per cent of Germans have difficulty finding information about mental health issues. Almost three-quarters are unable to distinguish trustworthy information from false claims. Around 70 per cent felt unable to identify the pros and cons of treatment options. This led to behaviour that posed a risk to health, such as a decline in willingness to be vaccinated.

Combating fake news with the truth

Although programmes on public service broadcasters, among others, produced so-called ‘reactions’ to medical fake news, these often received fewer clicks than the original videos. According to Teichmann, the success of misinformation stems from the human desire for the extraordinary. A rare side effect generates more clicks than balanced scientific reporting. This was particularly evident during the coronavirus pandemic: according to the WHO, 60 per cent of the information about Covid-19 circulating on social media was false.

Teichmann called on university hospitals, research institutions and other healthcare providers to publish their own fact-based content online. His motto is to act rather than react. For this reason, he founded the association “Blaulicht für Blaulicht”, which offers psychotherapeutic support to emergency responders following traumatic incidents – and all without any sour chewing gum.