The era of wellness content — and its frumpier, under-resourced sibling health education content — has arrived in the online influencer space with aplomb. Tune into a “Call Her Daddy” podcast episode on getting through a breakup and you’ll receive a special discount code for online therapy. Watch the world’s most popular YouTuber pit 50 of his colleagues against one another for a cash prize, only to realize you’ve walked into an ad for wearable health tech.
At the same time, as health educators compete for attention against TikTok’s ruthless algorithms and Substack’s top echelon of popular writers, their content often mimics entertainment content — with varying degrees of success. Family physician and creator Mike Varshavski, who has accrued over 14 million YouTube subscribers for his medical education and entertainment videos, told STAT that the absence of “evidence-based voices online” leaves open “a gap filled by grifters” eager to capitalize on people’s confusion. The distinctions between entertainment, wellness sponsorships, and genuine health information are collapsing in on themselves, leaving consumers to parse through what’s real or not on their own.
