Social Media in Dermatology and an Overview of Popular Social Media Platforms
October 2021
in “
Current Dermatology Reports
”
TLDR Social media is increasingly used in dermatology for education and networking but has risks like misinformation and privacy issues.
The document "Social Media in Dermatology and an Overview of Popular Social Media Platforms" discusses the growing use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and others in the field of dermatology. These platforms are used for patient education, professional networking, and research dissemination. However, the document warns of the risks of misinformation and privacy concerns, with only 35% of top posts on Instagram being from healthcare workers and the accuracy of information on YouTube varying greatly. Despite these risks, dermatologists are encouraged to increase their social media presence to counteract misleading posts with evidence-based knowledge. The document also notes potential biases and privacy concerns, as social media users are generally younger, female, and have internet and mobile device access. The document does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the authors and declares no conflicts of interest.
