Objective:

To analyze the engagement of sunscreen-related content on TikTok, focusing on the prevalence of misinformation and its impact.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Thefinaldatasetcomprised971videosthattogetherhaddrawnmorethan2.4billionviews.Most—843videos(87%)—promotedsunscreenuse,andthepromotionwasoftencommercial:599videos(62%)promotedspecificproducts,and112(12%)includedapurchaseoptionsuchasadiscountcode.Health-relatedcritiqueswereuncommon,withonly58videos(6%)raisinghealthconcernsaboutsunscreen.Critique-onlyvideoshadroughlytwicethemeannumberoflikes,morethanfourtimestheshares,andaboutthreetimesthecommentscomparedtopromotion-onlyvideos.Mostcritiquevideosalsopromotedsunscreen,withonly16videoscriticizingsunscreenwithoutanypromotion.

Interpretation:

The analysis indicates that while the majority of TikTok content promotes sunscreen, the few critical videos attract significantly higher engagement, suggesting that contrarian views may gain disproportionate visibility.

Limitations:

• The study is a descriptive content analysis conducted at a single point in time.
• The sample is limited to the most-viewed English-language videos and may not represent all sunscreen content.
• Engagement comparisons are based on small numbers of critique-focused videos, warranting caution in interpretation.
• No clinical or behavioral outcomes were measured, and the study does not indicate the impact of video exposure on patient behavior.

Conclusion:

The findings highlight the need for clinicians to be aware of prevalent sunscreen myths and engage with patients about their concerns, emphasizing the importance of UV protection.

Sources:

• PLOS Digital Health
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