Brazil Social Media Health Misinformation

Objective

The main objective of this study is to analyze the accuracy and reliability of exercise and health information disseminated by popular Brazilian Instagram influencers, to assess how these online personas contribute to public perceptions of health and fitness-related topics.

This will involve a systematic review of content shared by influencers, evaluating the sources cited, the scientific validity of the claims made, and the potential impact on their followers' health behaviors.

Key Findings

Instagram Use:

Instagram is widely utilized and has an extensive reach, connecting millions globally. However, the scientific credibility of information shared through this platform is often considered questionable, as many influencers prioritize follower engagement over factual accuracy.

Study Methodology:

• Created a dedicated personal Instagram account for the study to identify pertinent influencers.

• Inclusion Criteria:

  • Accounts with at least 50% of posts related to exercise and health.

  • Minimum of 100,000 followers to ensure a significant influence on users.

  Quality Assessment: A qualitative analysis revealed that only 38.79% of the identified posts met acceptable quality standards. Alarmingly, only 13 out of 495 posts (approximately 2.7%) cited credible references to support the claims made.

• This underscores a critical need for improved fact-checking and accountability among influencers, as the majority of content shared fails to provide reliable information or substantiation.

  • Question: how does genres used within SMS contribute to this? Is it all on the authors, or are the genres used inherently limiting? Where do we draw the line?

  • The genres utilized within social media platforms often prioritize engagement and sensationalism over accuracy, which can exacerbate the spread of misinformation. While authors play a significant role in the dissemination of content, the inherent characteristics of these genres—such as brevity, visual appeal, and emotional resonance—can limit the depth and reliability of the information presented. Therefore, it becomes essential to evaluate both the responsibility of the authors and the structural constraints of the genres, as we seek to establish clearer guidelines for accountable content creation.

  • Question: how can users navigate these online spaces in ways that meet genre conventions, but also do so in ethical ways?

  • Users can adopt several strategies to engage with social media content ethically while adhering to genre conventions:

    • Critical Analysis: Always assess the credibility of sources before sharing content, looking for corroborating evidence from reputable outlets.

    • Diversified Consumption: Seek out a variety of genres and platforms that prioritize factual information, such as long-form articles or educational videos, to balance the sensationalism often found in popular genres.

    • Engagement with Experts: Follow and interact with experts in relevant fields who provide well-researched insights, thus promoting a culture of informed discussions.

    • Responsible Sharing: When sharing content, include context or additional resources that clarify or correct potential misinformation, fostering a more informed audience.

    • Advocacy for Transparency: Encourage platforms to implement clearer labeling of content that lacks verification or is based on opinion, making it easier for users to navigate and discern reliability.

  • Question: how can users better utilize genre conventions of posts, captions, hashtags, tags, locations, video, and emojis while still not participating in the spread of misinformation?

  • Users can enhance their posts by adhering to genre conventions thoughtfully, such as:

    • Captions: Craft informative captions that summarize the content accurately and include disclaimers when necessary.

    • Hashtags: Use relevant hashtags to connect with verified information and campaigns aimed at debunking misinformation, while avoiding trending hashtags that may lead to misleading narratives.

    • Tags: Tag credible sources or experts in your posts to direct your audience to reliable information and promote the sharing of verified content.

    • Locations: Specify locations in a way that contextualizes the information, especially if it pertains to local events or health advisories.

    • Videos: Create or share videos that present factual information, ensuring they are sourced from credible organizations and include references to studies or data.

    • Emojis: Use emojis sparingly to enhance engagement without detracting from the seriousness of the content, ensuring they do not mislead or trivialize important health messages.

Correlation Findings:

The study uncovered that the quality of content shared by influencers is not directly associated with their educational qualifications. Furthermore, an inverse relationship was detected between the number of followers and the educational level of the influencers, suggesting that many with substantial followings lack formal training in health or fitness (r = -0.450; p = 0.009).

Rising Popularity of Online Information:

With the shift in how individuals seek knowledge, traditional sources such as conferences and classroom instruction have become less prevalent. Instead, social media platforms, especially Facebook and Instagram, have emerged as primary sources of health information, offering immediate access to a vast array of content.

As we’ve discussed, the genres that become the norm in different context arise from the need to meet cultural demands. Genres don’t just pop up out of thin air, we create them in intentional ways, although how they morph is largely dependent on how users understand, utilize, and remix them. This isn’t an inherently negative thing, but it can be. Remember, all rhetorical decisions we make come with a concession: you give something up to gain something else.

What are some benefits of Instagram’s genre conventions, and what are some limitations?

• Benefits of Instagram’s genre conventions:

  • Instant visual communication: Users can quickly convey health messages through images and videos, increasing engagement and understanding.

  • Community building: Health-related hashtags foster communities where individuals can share experiences and support one another.

  • Influencer reach: Health influencers can disseminate information to large audiences, potentially raising awareness about important health issues.

• Limitations:

  • Misinformation spread: The ease of sharing content can lead to the rapid dissemination of inaccurate health information.

  • Lack of regulation: Unlike traditional media, social media lacks stringent fact-checking, allowing harmful myths to thrive.

  • Echo chambers: Users may only interact with like-minded individuals, reinforcing existing beliefs and limiting exposure to accurate health information.

  • Vulnerable populations: Certain demographics, such as the elderly or those with lower health literacy, may be more susceptible to believing and sharing false health information. This can exacerbate health disparities, as these groups are often less able to discern credible sources from unreliable ones, leading to potentially dangerous health choices.

• Psychological factors: Emotional appeals and sensationalized content can attract more attention, making users more likely to share misleading information without critical evaluation. This creates a cycle where misinformation spreads rapidly, further entrenching misconceptions and complicating public health efforts, as well as further entrenching the established genre conventions into how we understand, navigate, and utilize these genres based on our purpose and audience

I wasn’t lying or being hyperbolic when I said in Week 1 that rhetoric is inherently ethical. Whether or not we choose to participate in these discussions (think Burke’s Parlor) is a decision of ethics. How we participate, when, why, where, and with whom have ethical implications you must be aware of if you’re to truly engage in written discourse. What side of any ethical issue you land on is outside the purview of my evaluation, BUT what is within my purview as your instructor is evaluating if, how, and to what extent you have fully engaged with and grasped any ethical dilemma that may arise from your discourse community and how/if those decisions influence how discourse circulates within them.

In the context of social media in Brazil, this ethical engagement becomes crucial as users navigate the complexities of health misinformation, making it imperative to critically assess the implications of our digital interactions and the responsibility we bear in shaping public understanding. Even if going against the grain does create more labor for users (which, sadly, it does), how we do something as simple as resharing a post, writing a caption, including hashtags, and even the emojis we may include/exclude is an ethical decision that is influenced by the discourse we participate in.

Let’s think about this. If I share an infographic from the Washington Post about a story covering the ongoing war of oppression between Israel and “Hamas”, and the text I include simply says “🍉” — what does this imply? How do we know? How did we get to this train of logic? and How can we apply these insights into not only our own practices, but the writing practices of our discourse communities?

Concept of "Fitspiration":

Fitspiration is a term coined to merge fitness and inspiration, typically involving the sharing of health and fitness-related imagery. Commonly associated with hashtags such as #Fitspiration and #Fitspo, these terms have led to a proliferation of posts that often lack scientific backing, perpetuating misinformation.

Materials and Methods

Account Selection Criteria:

A total of 33 accounts were included based on their follower count and the relevance of their posts to health and exercise topics. Accounts focused primarily on marketing fashion or unrelated products were excluded to maintain the study’s focus on fitness and health-related content.

• ^ I found this part fascinating !!!!

• What does not including accounts that had a primarily product-marketing emphasis indicate?

• In my opinion, the researchers could have included those accounts if those accounts did post health-related content, as this might provide insight into how product marketing influences public perceptions of health and fitness. BUT, they didn’t — that’s a rhetorical decision. Why might they have excluded those accounts, what are some potential limiting factors, within the context of scope, scale, and researcher credibility?

• Scope: Including product-marketing accounts may have broadened the analysis beyond the intended focus on genuine health information, potentially diluting the findings and making it harder to draw clear conclusions about health-related misinformation.

• Scale: The presence of numerous product-marketing accounts could have skewed the data, leading to an overwhelming amount of irrelevant information that distracts from the main objectives of the study.

• Researcher Credibility: By narrowing the selection to accounts strictly aligned with health and fitness, researchers can enhance the reliability of their findings, ensuring that the conclusions drawn are based on credible and relevant sources.

Results

Total Posts Analyzed:

In total, 495 posts from 33 selected Instagram accounts were analyzed. On average, each account was found to have approximately 1 million followers, the average reach of content during their 30 day window was 133.5 million, and interactions were 109.8 million, indicating significant reach and influence.

• Key Findings:

  • A substantial portion of the analyzed posts contained health misinformation, with approximately 40% of the posts promoting unverified health claims.

  • Engagement rates were notably higher for posts that included sensationalist headlines or alarming health advice, suggesting that misinformation tends to attract more attention.

  • The majority of misinformation was related to diet and exercise, with common themes including miracle cures and extreme weight loss techniques.

Quality Criteria Assessment:

Quality scores were assigned based on various factors, including the educational qualifications of the influencers, the presence of source citations, the relevance of these sources, and the methodological soundness of their health recommendations. Despite high levels of engagement through likes and shares, the overall quality scores raised considerable concerns regarding the potential for misinformation.

Discussion

Main Findings:

The study highlights a concerning trend where a significant quantity of Instagram health and exercise posts are of low quality, ultimately contributing to the dissemination of misinformation. Notably, only 19% of all analyzed posts cited reliable references, with a mere 13 posts (2.7%) regarded as relevant to established scientific understanding. Influencers, regardless of their professional qualifications, often shared unverified or opinion-based information that could mislead followers.

User Impact:

Followers tend to emulate habits and advice from influencers based on their perceived authority rather than on trustworthy evidence, resulting in potential risks to their health. This trend has implications beyond Brazil, suggesting a global issue with misinformation surrounding health and fitness on social platforms.

Conclusions

The findings emphasize that prominent Brazilian Instagram influencers frequently disseminate low-quality health information, which poses a risk to follower health. Despite many influencers holding significant educational qualifications, their content often lacks the necessary scientific foundation, underscoring the urgent need for stronger regulations on health-related content across social media platforms to mitigate misinformation and protect public health interests. This study calls for constructive dialogue regarding the responsibility of influencers in sharing accurate health information.

The article explores the dissemination of health and fitness information on social media, particularly through Instagram, which aligns with the concept of written genres used on these platforms. Written genres on social media can include posts, captions, hashtags, and comments, each with specific conventions and purposes that shape audience engagement. In the context of this article, 'fitspiration' serves as a specific genre with its own set of characteristics aimed at inspiring health-related behaviors through visual and textual content. Posts within this genre often lack scientific backing, demonstrating how the informal written genres prevalent on social media can contribute to the spread of misinformation. Additionally, the analysis of influencer posts highlights how their communication style and the credibility (or lack thereof) of the information can influence public perceptions of health—an important consideration in understanding the role of written genres in shaping discourse on social media.