The Health Hustle: Theorizing Health Misinformation and Influencer Culture on Short-Form Video Platforms


Michael Christensen, Carleton University

Studies of health misinformation on social media have proliferated in recent years and many of these studies have recently identified short-form video platforms, such as TikTok, Instagram, and to some extent, YouTube, as the most popular sources of this material. This paper examines this genre of video content to understand how influencers develop a form of credibility that allows them to build followings despite sharing misleading or inaccurate health claims. By examining health influencers who are well-known to traffic in questionable health information, the paper raises important theoretical questions about how researchers should evaluate this content. While many articles published in health-related journals quickly dismiss health misinformation as pathological – and some of the advice in these videos can certainly lead to serious health problems – the popularity of the genre points to an underlying cultural phenomenon that makes this content interesting and meaningful to many people. The paper argues that one way this content resonates is through the language of hustle. As scholars of influencer culture have pointed out, the vast majority of influencers engage in a type of aspirational labour that sees them produce content for these platforms for free with the hope of monetizing their brand in the future. At a time when public disinvestment in health care institutions has made access to good health care more precarious, people have had to become experts in their own individualized health. Framed in this way, it is less surprising that narratives about struggle, hope, and empowerment might make specious health claims more attractive.

This paper will be presented at the following session: