Reflections on the influence of the media on health: online social networks, the dissemination of information and health production
1
Programa Pós Graduação Saúde Coletiva, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória/ES, Brazil
2
Escola de Saúde Pública, Instituto Capixaba de Ensino, Pesquisa e Inovação em Saúde/ Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do Espírito Santo, Vitória/ES, Brazil
3
Curso de Medicina, Escola Superior de Ciências da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Vitória, Vitória/ES, Brazil
4
Enfermagem, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio das Ostras, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3341
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
The production of health information is a process influenced by cultural, political and media dimensions, in which narratives about bodies, risks and lifestyles are constructed, influencing social perceptions and subjectivities. With technological advances and the increased use of online social networks, we can see a transformation in social behaviour with significant impacts on health. In the contemporary context, online social networks play a central role in the circulation of health-related content, expanding both access to information and the dissemination of misinformation. This study aims to critically analyse the influence of online social media on the production of meanings about health in the field of Public Health.1,2
METHODS:
This is a reflective narrative review based on an interpretative reading of selected theoretical and empirical works from the LILACS, Medline/PubMed, SciELO and Web of Science databases, using the descriptors “communication and health”, “social media exposure”, “mobile social network” and “public health”. The selection of studies was guided by the prominent presence of the discussion between online social media and health.
RESULTS:
The analysis shows that digital platforms intensify the speed and reach of information, contributing to the legitimisation of certain discourses on health, especially those related to body aesthetics, weight loss and lifestyles, which are often dissociated from scientific evidence. The studies analysed point to recurring problems with information quality, favouring the circulation of fake news and misinformation, posing significant challenges for public health systems and highlighting the ongoing need to strengthen responsible and critical health communication practices. 3,4,5
CONCLUSIONS:
It can be concluded that digital media plays a strategic role in contemporary health production, requiring the strengthening of public policies that address communication, platform regulation, and the promotion of health literacy as strategies to combat misinformation in local and global contexts.6,7
The production of health information is a process influenced by cultural, political and media dimensions, in which narratives about bodies, risks and lifestyles are constructed, influencing social perceptions and subjectivities. With technological advances and the increased use of online social networks, we can see a transformation in social behaviour with significant impacts on health. In the contemporary context, online social networks play a central role in the circulation of health-related content, expanding both access to information and the dissemination of misinformation. This study aims to critically analyse the influence of online social media on the production of meanings about health in the field of Public Health.1,2
METHODS:
This is a reflective narrative review based on an interpretative reading of selected theoretical and empirical works from the LILACS, Medline/PubMed, SciELO and Web of Science databases, using the descriptors “communication and health”, “social media exposure”, “mobile social network” and “public health”. The selection of studies was guided by the prominent presence of the discussion between online social media and health.
RESULTS:
The analysis shows that digital platforms intensify the speed and reach of information, contributing to the legitimisation of certain discourses on health, especially those related to body aesthetics, weight loss and lifestyles, which are often dissociated from scientific evidence. The studies analysed point to recurring problems with information quality, favouring the circulation of fake news and misinformation, posing significant challenges for public health systems and highlighting the ongoing need to strengthen responsible and critical health communication practices. 3,4,5
CONCLUSIONS:
It can be concluded that digital media plays a strategic role in contemporary health production, requiring the strengthening of public policies that address communication, platform regulation, and the promotion of health literacy as strategies to combat misinformation in local and global contexts.6,7
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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