Tweets Show Americans Eating Healthier in Pandemic

• By Sydney Murphy HealthDay Reporter
• August 1, 2022
• Full Page

Whether it's fact or brag, tweets suggest people ate healthier during COVID lockdowns and restaurant closures, a new study finds.

Tweets about healthy foods rose 20% between May 2020 and January 2021, while those about fast food and alcohol dropped 9% and 11%, respectiv...

Social Media Has Big Impact on People Taking Up Smoking, Vaping

• By Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling HealthDay Reporter
• July 13, 2022
• Full Page

The potent influence of social media may include tobacco use.

By analyzing 29 previously published studies, researchers found that people who viewed social media that contained tobacco content were more ...

Facebook, Instagram Take Down Posts Offering Abortion Pills

• By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• June 28, 2022
• Full Page

Facebook and Instagram have started taking down posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to get them after the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade.

These po...

More Cyberbullying, More Suicidal Thoughts Among Teens: Study

• By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 28, 2022
• Full Page

Adolescents who experience cyberbullying are more likely to think about suicide, a new study shows.

Researchers found a link between being bullied online, through texts or on social media...

Want Reliable Diet Advice? Don't Head to TikTok

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• June 15, 2022
• Full Page

A new study warns that the social media giant TikTok is filled with confusing and wrong information about the heart-healthy, plant-based approach to eating dubbed the Mediterranean diet.

For the study, researchers analyzed 200 videos posted to the platform last August. T...

Week Off Social Media Boosts Mental Health: Study

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• May 11, 2022
• Full Page

It's no secret that too much social media can be bad for one's mental health. Now, research suggests that taking even a brief break from TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can ease symptoms of dep...

Teens on TikTok: Fun, But Addictive and Maybe Harmful

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• April 28, 2022
• Full Page

In the fall of 2021, TikTok announced a major milestone to coincide with its fifth anniversary: The amassing of roughly 1 billion global users, many of them young, turning to the app every month as a way to view, make and share bite-sized videos.

But what exactly do tho...

Who Are the New 'Patient Influencers' on Social Media?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• April 15, 2022
• Full Page

Disability activist Gem Hubbard regularly shares her insights about life in a wheelchair with more than 75,000 Instagram followers, under the handle @wheelsnoheels_, and her YouTube videos boast more than 3.7 million hits.

Hubbard, who hails from the U.K., is "increasing...

Does Social Media Harm Kids? It Might Depend on Their Age

• By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
• March 29, 2022
• Full Page

Your child's risk of harm from social media is higher at certain ages and it's different for girls and boys, researchers report.

To figure out how social media use affected "life satisfaction" among 10- to 21-year-olds, the investigators analyzed long-term data on 17,400...

U.S. Surgeon General Investigates COVID-19 Misinformation

• March 4, 2022
• Full Page

An investigation into health misinformation on COVID-19 has been launched by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.

"Misinformation has had a profound impact on COVID-19 and our response," Murthy told CNN. "Studies have demonstrated that the vast majority of the...

Is Pandemic Social Media Use Worsening Tic Disorders in Teens?

• March 1, 2022
• Full Page

For reasons that remain murky, new research warns that a spike in social media use during the pandemic might have worsened tic disorders in children.

Tics are sudden twitches, movements or s...

Loneliness Can Be Unhealthy Heartbreaker for Older Women

• February 7, 2022
• Full Page

It's a fate many older women fear: loneliness and isolation as they age. Now, new research suggests those feelings may also predispose them to heart disease.

The findings may be especially relevant now because of social distancing required by the pandemic.

"We are ...

Crowdfunding for Medical Costs Almost Always Fails

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 4, 2022
• Full Page

You have almost certainly seen the pleas while scrolling through social media: Called crowdfunding, folks try to raise money to pay for their sick loved one's mounting medical bills.

But new research sh...

U.S. Teens Were Already in Mental Health Crisis Before Pandemic Hit

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• January 24, 2022
• Full Page

MONDAY, Jan. 24, 2022 (HealthDay Now) -- Alaina Stanisci has grappled with an eating disorder since she was 10, and the disruptions of the pandemic only made things worse for the high school senior.

"I actually experienced a relapse at the beginning of the pandemic becau...

Many Marijuana Vendors Aim Advertising at Kids: Study

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• January 21, 2022
• Full Page

Some recreational pot shops are using tricks from the old playbooks of alcohol and tobacco companies to target underage users on social media, a new study reports.

Despite state laws restricting such marketing, researchers found marijuana retailers on social media promot...

Celebrities' Social Media Promotes Junk Food, Often for Free

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• January 13, 2022
• Full Page

Images of people eating and drinking are a staple of social media, but new research finds such posts from celebrities often puts the spotlight squarely on junk food.

Profit isn't always the reason why, investigators found: Celebrities often highlight unhealthy food favor...

Worried About Your Teen's Social Media Use? Experts Offer Help

• Robert Preidt
• January 13, 2022
• Full Page

Is your teen staring at their smartphone all day? There's many things parents can do to protect kids from the potentially negative effects of social media, experts say.

While there are positive aspects to