'I'm still su!c!dal when you're done with the paperwork': an inductive framework thematic analysis of #camhs on TikTok.

BACKGROUND: Young people are sharing their experiences of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in the United Kingdom on TikTok. Little is known about the content of these videos and their influence on young people's attitudes towards seeking professional mental health support. METHODS: This study explored how CAMHS is represented in a sample of 100 #camhs TikTok videos using participatory inductive framework thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes were developed alongside young people as co-researchers: (a) CAMHS can be frustrating and unhelpful, but sometimes life-saving, (b) Young people can feel their distress is invalidated by CAMHS, (c) CAMHS makes young people feel responsible for their distress, and (d) Young people may not feel CAMHS professionals are trustworthy. Video content described dismissive responses to expressions of suicidal ideation, professional knowledge being privileged over lived experience, and breaches of confidentiality. Some shared positive experiences of CAMHS helping to keep them safe. CONCLUSIONS: Together, the themes reflect a representation of CAMHS as a service where adults are powerful and young people occupy a subjugated position. This may influence young people's professional help-seeking behaviour. Recommendations for clinical practice and future research are presented.

TikTok misinformation and user engagement in female pelvic floor conditions.

IMPORTANCE: Social media platforms are increasingly utilized to distribute medical information. Our study emphasizes the need for accuracy in pelvic health education on social media and the involvement of female pelvic floor (FPF) specialists in content creation. AIMS: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the FPF TikTok videos with the highest engagement for quality of information and misinformation and investigated the relationship between misinformation and user engagement. METHODS: We collected all TikTok videos on the US app with hashtags related to FPF conditions, including 76 on pelvic organ prolapse, 323 on urinary tract infection, 84 on overactive bladder, and 972 on incontinence. The top 20 videos for each FPF condition were selected based on highest engagement, and 74 videos total met inclusion criteria. TikTok videos were scored with the validated DISCERN instrument for quality of consumer health information and a 5-point Likert scale for misinformation. The correlation between misinformation and user engagement was assessed. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed positive correlations among higher average misinformation scores and shares (r = 0.37, p < 0.001), likes (r = 0.23, p = 0.004), and overall engagement (r = 0.25, p = 0.002) in FPF TikTok videos as a group, likely driven by the #UTI category. Most TikTok videos (96%) had poor quality of information (DISCERN score < 3), and 18% of TikTok videos contained misinformation. CONCLUSION: The poor quality and prevalence of misinformation in FPF-related TikTok videos with the highest engagement raise concerns about the propagation of nonevidence-based health information.

Helpful or Not? A Qualitative Study on Female Adolescents' Experience of TikTok When Recovering From Anorexia Nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: The scientific literature reports on how social media potentially influences eating disorders, although there is a large gap in the specific case of TikToks influence of adolescent's recovery from anorexia nervosa (AN). Our study uses in-depth interviews with female adolescents primarily suffering from AN to explore how they perceive the social media platform TikTok in relation to their recovery. METHOD: A total of 14 interviews with female adolescents recovering from AN were conducted and analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: We developed four distinct main themes: social connectivity, algorithmic engagement, regulation and adaptation, and personal agency and recovery pathways. Our findings indicate both potential benefits and harm by TikTok use when in recovery from AN, depending on a complex interplay of individual and contextual factors. DISCUSSION: The study adds nuance to the on-going scientific debate on the role that TikTok plays in recovery from AN in general from the perspective provided by female adolescents. Suggestions are made for clinical implications at adolescent AN outpatient care including parental or professional support in TikTok adaptations and advice on how to discern when use may be triggering or supportive. Future research would benefit from longitudinal designs and inclusion of how individual differences, such as gender and personality, influence the effects on recovery and TikTok use.

Myopia information on TikTok: analysis factors that impact video quality and audience engagement.

BACKGROUND: TikTok is emerging as a vital platform for health information dissemination. Despite myopia being a global public health issue, the high-quality myopia information shared by health educators often fails to go viral. It is imperative to analyze the factors influencing video quality and popularity, especially from diverse perspectives of researchers, health educators, and audiences. METHODS: TikTok myopia-related videos were retrieved using TikTok's default comprehensive search (DCS) and most liked search (MLS) strategies. Venn diagrams were employed to illustrate the relationships and commonalities between the two strategies across four sample sizes (top 200, 150, 100, and 50). Video metadata, including details such as creator information, production properties, upload time, video duration, and viewer engagement, were collected. Video quality was assessed using the DISCERN tool. Video content covering six aspects of myopia were evaluated. The impact of search strategies, video sample sizes, production properties, and myopia content on video quality and audience engagement was analyzed through single-factor or multi-factor analysis. RESULTS: DCS and MLS retrieval strategies, as well as varying sample sizes, resulted in differences in audience engagement for myopia videos (P < 0.039), while The DISCERN quality scores remained comparable (P > 0.221). Videos published by healthcare professionals (HCPs) and non-profit organizations (NPOs) were associated with high-quality (P ≤ 0.014) but comparatively lower popularity (P < 0.033). Videos that reported contents of risk factors, management, and outcomes showed high popularity (P < 0.018), while longer video duration (> 60s) exhibited the opposite trend (P < 0.032). Content on myopia evaluation (P ≤ 0.001) and management (P ≤ 0.022) and video duration were positively correlated with higher DISCERN quality. CONCLUSION: Videos created by HCPs and NPOs deserve greater attention. Rather than pursuing entertaining effects, professional educators should emphasize producing concise, and high-quality myopia content that readily resonates with the audience and has the potential to go viral on the platform.

Evaluation of TikTok videos on acute pancreatitis: content quality and reliability analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common acute digestive system disorder, with patients often turning to TikTok for AP-related information. However, the platform's video quality on AP has not been thoroughly investigated. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of videos about AP on TikTok, and the secondary purpose is to study the related factors of video quality. METHODS: This study involved retrieving AP-related videos from TikTok, determining, and analyzing them based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant data were extracted and compiled for evaluation. Video quality was scored using the DISCERN instrument and the Health on the Net (HONcode) score, complemented by introducing the Acute Pancreatitis Content Score (APCS). Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between video quality scores and user engagement metrics such as likes, comments, favorites, retweets, and video duration. RESULTS: A total of 111 TikTok videos were included for analysis, and video publishers were composed of physicians (89.18%), news media organizations (13.51%), individual users (5.41%), and medical institutions (0.9%). The majority of videos focused on AP-related educational content (64.87%), followed by physicians' diagnostic and treatment records (15.32%), and personal experiences (19.81%). The mean scores for DISCERN, HONcode, and APCS were 33.05 ± 7.87, 3.09 ± 0.93, and 1.86 ± 1.30, respectively. The highest video scores were those posted by physicians (35.17 ± 7.02 for DISCERN, 3.31 ± 0.56 for HONcode, and 1.94 ± 1.34 for APCS, respectively). According to the APCS, the main contents focused on etiology (n = 55, 49.5%) and clinical presentations (n = 36, 32.4%), followed by treatment (n = 24, 21.6%), severity (n = 20, 18.0%), prevention (n = 19, 17.1%), pathophysiology (n = 17, 15.3%), definitions (n = 13, 11.7%), examinations (n = 10, 9%), and other related content. There was no correlation between the scores of the three evaluation tools and the number of followers, likes, comments, favorites, and retweets of the video. However, DISCERN (r = 0.309) and APCS (r = 0.407) showed a significant positive correlation with video duration, while HONcode showed no correlation with the duration of the video. CONCLUSIONS: The general quality of TikTok videos related to AP is poor; however, the content posted by medical professionals shows relatively higher quality, predominantly focusing on clinical presentations and etiologies. There is a discernible correlation between video duration and quality ratings, indicating that a combined approach incorporating the guideline can comprehensively evaluate AP-related content on TikTok.

YouTube/ Bilibili/ TikTok videos as sources of medical information on laryngeal carcinoma: cross-sectional content analysis study.

BACKGROUND: YouTube, a widely recognized global video platform, is inaccessible in China, whereas Bilibili and TikTok are popular platforms for long and short videos, respectively. There are many videos related to laryngeal carcinoma on these platforms. This study aims to identify upload sources, contents, and feature information of these videos on YouTube, Bilibili, and TikTok, and further evaluate the video quality. METHODS: On January 1, 2024, we searched the top 100 videos by default sort order (300 videos in total) with the terms "laryngeal carcinoma" and "throat cancer" on YouTube, "" on Bilibili and TikTok. Videos were screened for relevance and similarity. Video characteristics were documented, and quality was assessed by using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI), Global Quality Score (GQS), and modified DISCERN (mDISCERN). RESULTS: The analysis included 99 YouTube videos, 76 from Bilibili, and 73 from TikTok. Median video lengths were 193 s (YouTube), 136 s (Bilibili), and 42 s (TikTok). TikTok videos demonstrated higher audience interaction. Bilibili had the lowest ratio of original contents (69.7%). Treatment was the most popular topic on YouTube and Bilibili, while that was the prognosis on TikTok. Solo narration was the most common video style across all platforms. Video uploaders were predominantly non-profit organizations (YouTube), self-media (Bilibili), and doctors (TikTok), with TikTok authors having the highest certification rate (83.3%). Video quality, assessed using PEMAT, VIQI, GQS, and mDISCERN, varied across platforms, with YouTube generally showing the highest scores. Videos from professional authors performed better than videos from non-professionals based on the GQS and mDISCERN scores. Spearman correlation analysis showed no strong relationships between the video quality and the audience interaction. CONCLUSIONS: Videos on social media platforms can help the public learn about the knowledge of laryngeal cancer to some extent. TikTok achieves the best flow, but videos on YouTube are of the best quality. However, the video quality across all platforms still needs enhancement. We need more professional uploaders to ameliorate the video quality related to laryngeal carcinoma. Content creators also should be aware of the certification, the originality, and the style of video shooting. As for the platforms, refining the algorithm will allow users to receive more high-quality videos.

An analysis of information about infantile hemangiomas on TikTok: A cross-sectional study.

The video app TikTok, a controversial platform, has increasingly been utilized for the dissemination of health-related topics. In this study, the quality of information on the top 50 most viewed TikTok videos on infantile hemangiomas (IHs) labeled #hemangioma was analyzed. The results showed that the videos were skewed toward more severe subtypes of IH, and most were directed at raising awareness about IH or combating stigmatizing attitudes toward birthmarks. Providers should be aware that social media applications such as TikTok are a commonly used venue for parents to cope and connect but may relay inaccurate or misleading information.

Using Short-Form Videos to Get Clinical Trial Newcomers to Sign Up: Message-Testing Experiment.

BACKGROUND: Recruiting participants for clinical trials poses challenges. Major barriers to participation include psychological factors (eg, fear and mistrust) and logistical constraints (eg, transportation, cost, and scheduling). The strategic design of clinical trial messaging can help overcome these barriers. While strategic communication can be done through various channels (eg, recruitment advertisements), health care providers on the internet have been found to be key sources for communicating clinical trial information to US adults in the social media era. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine how communication source (ie, medical doctors and peers) and message framing of TikTok videos (ie, psychological and logistical framing) influence clinical trial-related attitudes, perceptions, and sign-up behaviors under the guidance of the integrated behavioral model. METHODS: This study used a 2 (source: doctor vs peer) × 2 (framing: psychological vs logistical) between-participant factorial design web-based experiment targeting adults in the United States who had never participated in clinical trials (ie, newcomers). A Qualtrics panel was used to recruit and compensate the study respondents (n=561). Participants viewed short-form videos with doctors or peers, using psychological or logistical framing. The main outcome measures included perceived source credibility, self-efficacy, attitude toward clinical trial participation, behavioral intention, and sign-up behavior. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the direct and indirect effects of message factors on the outcome variables. Source (doctor=1; peer=0) and framing (psychological=1; logistical=0) were dummy-coded. RESULTS: Doctor-featured messages led to greater perceived source credibility (ß=.31, P<.001), leading to greater self-efficacy (95% CI 0.13-0.30), which in turn enhanced behavioral intention (95% CI 0.12-0.29) and clinical trial sign-up behavior (95% CI 0.02-0.04). Logistical barrier-framed messages led to greater self-efficacy (ß=-.09, P=.02), resulting in higher intention to participate in clinical trials (95% CI -0.38 to -0.03) and improved sign-up behavior (95% CI -0.06 to -0.004). Logistical barrier-framed messages were also directly associated with an increased likelihood of signing up for a clinical trial (ß=-.08, P=.03). The model accounted for 21% of the variance in clinical trial sign-up behavior. Attitude did not significantly affect behavioral intention in this study (ß=.08, P=.14), and psychological and logistical barrier-framed messages did not significantly differ in attitudes toward clinical trial participation (ß=-.04, P=.09). CONCLUSIONS: These findings advance our understanding of how people process popular message characteristics in short-form videos and lend practical guidance for communicators. We encourage medical professionals to consider short-form video sites (eg, TikTok and Instagram Reels) as effective tools for discussing clinical trials and participation opportunities. Specifically, featuring doctors discussing efforts to reduce logistical barriers is recommended. Our measuring of actual behavior as an outcome is a rare and noteworthy contribution to this research.

Quality Assessment of TikTok as a Source of Information About Mitral Valve Regurgitation in China: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: In China, mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is the most common cardiovascular valve disease. However, patients in China typically experience a high incidence of this condition, coupled with a low level of health knowledge and a relatively low rate of surgical treatment. TikTok hosts a vast amount of content related to diseases and health knowledge, providing viewers with access to relevant information. However, there has been no investigation or evaluation of the quality of videos specifically addressing MR. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the quality of videos about MR on TikTok in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on the Chinese version of TikTok on September 9, 2023. The top 100 videos on MR were included and evaluated using quantitative scoring tools such as the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, the Global Quality Score (GQS), and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audio-Visual Content (PEMAT-A/V). Correlation and stepwise regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between video quality and various characteristics. RESULTS: We obtained 88 valid video files, of which most (n=81, 92%) were uploaded by certified physicians, primarily cardiac surgeons, and cardiologists. News agencies/organizations and physicians had higher GQS scores compared with individuals (news agencies/organizations vs individuals, P=.001; physicians vs individuals, P=.03). Additionally, news agencies/organizations had higher PEMAT understandability scores than individuals (P=.01). Videos focused on disease knowledge scored higher in GQS (P<.001), PEMAT understandability (P<.001), and PEMAT actionability (P<.001) compared with videos covering surgical cases. PEMAT actionability scores were higher for outpatient cases compared with surgical cases (P<.001). Additionally, videos focused on surgical techniques had lower PEMAT actionability scores than those about disease knowledge (P=.04). The strongest correlations observed were between thumbs up and comments (r=0.92, P<.001), thumbs up and favorites (r=0.89, P<.001), thumbs up and shares (r=0.87, P<.001), comments and favorites (r=0.81, P<.001), comments and shares (r=0.87, P<.001), and favorites and shares (r=0.83, P<.001). Stepwise regression analysis identified "length (P<.001)," "content (P<.001)," and "physicians (P=.004)" as significant predictors of GQS. The final model (model 3) explained 50.1% of the variance in GQSs. The predictive equation for GQS is as follows: GQS = 3.230 - 0.294 × content - 0.274 × physicians + 0.005 × length. This model was statistically significant (P=.004) and showed no issues with multicollinearity or autocorrelation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that while most MR-related videos on TikTok were uploaded by certified physicians, ensuring professional and scientific content, the overall quality scores were suboptimal. Despite the educational value of these videos, the guidance provided was often insufficient. The predictive equation for GQS developed from our analysis offers valuable insights but should be applied with caution beyond the study context. It suggests that creators should focus on improving both the content and presentation of their videos to enhance the quality of health information shared on social media.

TikTok Videos Related to Rhinoplasty in China: Characteristics and the Quality of the Information.

BACKGROUND: There are numerous videos related to rhinoplasty on TikTok in China. The objective is to examine videos on Chinese TikTok regarding rhinoplasty surgery and evaluate the content quality of rhinoplasty-related videos on TikTok. METHOD: We collected 184 Chinese video samples related to rhinoplasty and extracted basic information. We used the PEMAT-A/V tool to evaluate each video. RESULTS: A total of 184 videos were included in the study. The sampled videos received approximately 4.8 million likes, 900,000 comments, and 300,000 favorites. Most of the videos (n = 130, 70.65%) were posted by certified plastic surgeons on the TikTok platform. This study found that 6 (3.26%) videos contained obvious errors or misleading information. Regarding the PEMAT-A/V, the median total score was 85.71 (n = 184, IQR = 78.57-92.45%). Videos created by plastic surgeons had the highest comprehension score (n = 130, median = 100%, IQR = 91.67-100%), while videos from news media (n = 16, median = 75%, IQR = 70.76-77.34%) had the lowest usability and PEMAT-A/V total scores. In terms of video content, the PEMAT-A/V total score for surgical risks/contraindications related content (n = 15, median = 92.86%, IQR = 83.48-92.86%) was the highest, while scores for complaint-related content (n = 20, median = 75, IQR = 71.43-78.57%) were the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first report in China to evaluate the quality of information in nose plastic surgery-related videos on TikTok. We found that the quality of videos created by plastic surgeons on the TikTok platform is generally high, while videos provided by news media have lower quality. We encourage healthcare professionals to share more high-quality information on TikTok and educate patients on how to properly handle misinformation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

'Black Out Rage Gallon' (aka borg): An investigation of a risky drinking trend on TikTok.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: A 'Black Out Rage Gallon' (borg) is a customised, individual alcoholic beverage popularised on TikTok, whereby half the water in a gallon jug is replaced with alcohol (usually spirits), flavourings, electrolytes and caffeine. We investigated the characteristics and portrayal of the emerging alcohol trend associated with the hashtag descriptor #borg on TikTok. METHODS: We identified highly viewed TikTok videos with the #borg hashtag (n = 103) and conducted a content analysis, capturing viewer engagement ('likes', shares, comments), techniques used, characteristics of featured individuals, and the portrayal of alcohol and risky drinking behaviours. RESULTS: Alcohol was visible in three quarters of the videos analysed (n = 78, average amount of alcohol present 865 mL per borg) and consumed in one third of the videos (n = 34). One quarter of videos (n = 25) promoted alleged benefits of borg consumption compared to other alcohol products or approaches to drinking, yet only nine videos included a warning about potential harms. CONCLUSIONS: The borg trend on TikTok may encourage risky drinking, by portraying it in a style that younger viewers are likely to see as fun and entertaining. SO WHAT?: We were able to gain a better understanding of how this potentially health harming activity is represented on a social media platform that is popular with young people. The speedy dissemination of this trend highlights the need to monitor, investigate and counter emerging trends. Concurrently, there is an urgent need for content restrictions to limit the visibility and promotion of risky alcohol consumption on TikTok.

Anxiety management strategies on TikTok: a discourse analysis of collective coping mechanisms.

Background: This study investigates the discourse on anxiety management strategies within the TikTok platform, analyzing a substantial dataset of 45,639 comments collected over a year.Aims: The primary aim is to explore the various strategies users employ to manage anxiety, focusing on how these strategies are discussed and shared on TikTok.Methods: A mixed-method approach was utilized, combining Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for topic modeling with qualitative analysis. This methodology allowed for the identification of nine distinct topics, which were further grouped into three main categories: Self-Empowerment and Coping Strategies, Community Support and Social Connectivity, and Recognizing and Navigating Triggers.Results: The analysis revealed a diverse range of strategies users employ to manage anxiety, spanning personal coping mechanisms, social support networks, and the recognition and mitigation of triggers. These findings underscore TikTok's role as a dynamic space for sharing, exploring, and validating experiences related to anxiety management.Conclusions: TikTok offers unique opportunities for identity construction and community support amidst the challenges of anxiety. However, the study acknowledges limitations, such as potential biases in keyword-based data collection and the complexity of capturing multimodal discourse on the platform. The conclusion emphasizes the need for further refinement of digital mental health platforms, calling for sophisticated algorithmic solutions to enhance user support and content relevance.

Cyber social proof and hazard: Investigating the impact of social media on pediatric burn incidents - Analysis and comprehensive literature review.

Investigating the growing concern of pediatric burn injuries caused by social media challenges. Adolescents, seeking fame or succumbing to peer pressure, engage in risky behaviors, recording and sharing them online. The study presents two case reports detailing severe burn injuries resulting from such challenges, highlighting the physical and psychological toll on affected children and their families. In Case report 1, a 14-year-old suffered severe burns attempting a TikTok challenge involving igniting a soaked t-shirt. The patient's critical condition necessitated intensive care, surgical procedures, and skin grafts, accompanied by complications like anemia and sepsis. Case report 2 features a 9-year-old who sustained extensive burns while attempting another social media challenge. Treatment included escharolysis, skin grafts, and surgeries, with complications managed during the recovery process. A literature review explores social media-generated burn injuries, revealing their physical and psychological impact. The influence of social proof and peer pressure on adolescents' behavior in the digital age is discussed. The pandemic's effect on mental health is considered, emphasizing the vulnerability of adolescents to such challenges. In conclusion, the paper highlights the rising incidence of teen burn injuries linked to social media challenges. Urgent measures are needed to restrict the promotion of risky behaviors on social platforms. Alongside state-of-the-art burn treatments, comprehensive psychological care is essential for young patients and their families to cope with trauma. Increased content monitoring and the dissemination of prevention materials are recommended to mitigate the occurrence of such incidents.

TikTok content as a source of health education regarding epicondylitis: a content analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the validity and informational value of TikTok content about epicondylitis. The hypothesis tested herein was that TikTok video content would not provide adequate and valid information. METHODS: The term "epicondylitis" was used as a keyword to comprehensively search for TikTok videos, and the first 100 videos that were retrieved were subsequently included for analysis. The duration, number of likes, number of shares and number of views were recorded for each video. Furthermore, the videos were categorized on the basis of their source (medical doctor, physiotherapist, or private user), type of information (physical therapy, anatomy, clinical examination, etiopathogenesis, patient experience, treatment, or other), video content (rehabilitation, education, or patient experience/testimony), and the presence of music or voice. Assessments of video content quality and reliability were conducted using the DISCERN tool, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, and the Global Quality Score (GQS). RESULTS: A total of 100 videos were included in the analysis: 78 (78.0%) were published by physiotherapists, 18 were published by medical doctors (18.0%), and 4 were published by private users (4.0%). Most of the information pertained to physical therapy (75; 75.0%) and most of the content was about rehabilitation (75; 75.0%). The mean length of the videos was 42.51 ± 24.75 seconds; the mean number of views was 193,207.78 ± 1,300,853.86; and the mean number of comments, likes, and shares were 22.43 ± 62.54, 1578.52 ± 8333.11, and 149.87 ± 577.73, respectively. The mean DISCERN score, JAMA score, and GQS were 18.12 ± 5.73, 0.80 ± 0.53, and 1.30 ± 0.52, respectively. Videos posted by medical doctors/private users had higher scores (p < 0.05) than videos posted by physiotherapists. Videos that focused on education or patient experience had higher scores (p < 0.05) than videos based on rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: TikTok can be an unreliable source of information regarding epicondylitis treatment. It is common to find nonphysicians who share medical advice on the platform, with medical treatments demonstrating the weakest level of supporting evidence. Elbow surgeons should advise their patients that treatment recommendations from TikTok may not align with established guidelines. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV-Cross-sectional study.

Building Community and Identity Online: A Content Analysis of Highly Viewed #Autism TikTok Videos.

Background: TikTok is a popular social media site for connecting with others online where many users also access and share health-related information. Previous studies have characterized information shared about specific disabilities on TikTok, but descriptions of autism-related content are lacking. Understanding the information shared about autism on TikTok is important to understanding health communication in this space, the lived experiences of autistic people, and the role that social media platforms play in building community through connection, understanding, and inclusion. Methods: We used an open-source data scraper to identify and download videos with at least 1 million views and that used the hashtag #autism from TikTok. Using a joint inductive and deductive approach, we performed a content analysis of videos. We identified six content topics that described video content (e.g., positive social interactions and features of autism), and three categories that described video purpose (e.g., educational, experiential, and observational). We used descriptive statistics to describe characteristics of who was in the TikTok videos. Results: We analyzed n = 678 videos. The most common content topic of TikTok videos was features of autism (39.7%), followed by marginalization (25.4%). Most videos were categorized as experiential (61.4%) or observational (31.4%) rather than educational (7.2%). Approximately 65.5% of videos featured an autistic adult and 22.6% featured an autistic child. Among videos featuring an autistic person (n = 594), most autistic people were perceived to be White (87.0%) with similar numbers of feminine (52.9%) and masculine (44.8%) presenting autistic people. Conclusions: Highly viewed #autism TikTok videos primarily share autistic people's individual experiences rather than providing general education about autism. However, autistic Black, Indigenous, and people of color may have difficulty finding others that represent them along both disability and racial dimensions. Future research should investigate autistic people's motivations for using TikTok, and how #autism content shapes social discourse about autism.

What was the purpose of this study?: We wanted to describe information about autism that is highly viewed on TikTok to better understand what people see, hear, and learn about autism online. Autism content on TikTok can help autistic people find others with similar experiences and build community and can shape the way nonautistic people view and interact with autistic people. What did the researchers do?: We downloaded videos from TikTok that used the hashtag #autism and had at least 1 million views. We watched the videos and assigned each video a content topic and a category. Content topics described the content of the video and categories described the purpose of the video. What were the results of the study?: We included 678 videos grouped into six content topics: (1) features of autism, which included videos about restrictive and repetitive behaviors, social and communication differences, associated core experiences, and talents; (2) marginalization, which included videos about lack of access, stigma and misconceptions, and inspiration porn; (3) supports, which included accommodations, services and interventions, and caregiving; (4) positive social interactions; (5) daily life; and (6) miscellaneous/other.The most common content topic was features of autism (39.7%), followed by marginalization (25.4%). The least common content topic was positive social interactions (5.2%). The most common category of videos was experiential (61.4%), followed by observational (31.4%) and educational (7.2%). More than half of the videos included an autistic adult, and about a quarter included an autistic child. Among the videos that included an autistic person, most autistic people were perceived to be White, and there were similar numbers of masculine and feminine-presenting autistic people. What do these findings add to what was already known?: We know that many autistic people like to communicate online and use social media. These findings show that most of the content about autism on TikTok involves autistic people sharing their life experiences instead of providing "facts" or education about autism. Because autistic people from diverse backgrounds were less often present in videos, these individuals may have difficulty connecting with each other on TikTok. What are potential weaknesses in this study?: We did not download TikTok videos while logged into a user account, so the videos we included may be different than the videos shown to an individual user who searches #autism. The way that we categorized videos may have been different from how others would have done so. We did not include less-viewed videos in the study, which could have had different content topics. Our perceptions of the gender, race, and ethnicity of people in videos may not reflect how they would self-identify. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: These findings may be helpful for autistic adults who are looking for online community building with other autistic people. Because many autistic people shared their lived experiences, these findings may promote understanding and acceptance of autistic people by nonautistic people.

An Emerging Ophthalmology Challenge: A Narrative Review of TikTok Trends Impacting Eye Health Among Children and Adolescents.

In today's digital age, children and teenagers are deeply entrenched in the world of personal electronic devices including laptops, tablets, and smartphones. These serve as gateways to captivate online content. With children as young as 4 years old having access to these gadgets, the potential benefits of technology coexist with many possible risks. One such risk is the growing global issue of myopia. TikTok, a mobile application that gained immense popularity since its inception in 2016, has garnered 1.7 billion active monthly users in 2023 and is expected to reach two billion in 2024. A significant portion of TikTok's user base consists of adolescents, with approximately 41% falling in the 16-24 age group and a third aged 14 or younger. This social media platform has given rise to the phenomenon of "internet challenges," where users complete and share various tasks through videos. While most of these challenges are harmless, some pose serious risks to teenagers who eagerly seek validation and attention from their peers. This manuscript sheds light on a specific subset of TikTok challenges, namely those related to ophthalmological risks. These challenges include "rubbing castor oil trend," "bleach/bright eye challenge," "mucus fishing challenge," "eggsplosions", "beezin challenge", "Orbeez challenge", "blow-drying eyelashes", "sun gazing," and "popping styes". The manuscript emphasizes the importance of monitoring and regulating potentially dangerous content on social media platforms like TikTok. While these platforms offer educational opportunities, they can also promote life-threatening actions, necessitating efforts to protect vulnerable young users and promote safe online engagement.

TikTok Tracheostomy Video Analysis of Quality, Credibility, and Readability.

Objective The goal of this study is to analyze the quality, credibility, and readability of videos on TikTok related to tracheostomy in order to assess the adequacy of the information for patient and parental education purposes. Study design This was a cross-sectional analysis of online content. Methods The social media platform TikTok was explored for videos related to tracheostomy. The search function was utilized with multiple hashtags related to tracheostomy and videos were reviewed and scored for quality, credibility, and readability. Each of the videos was assessed using the DISCERN criteria, JAMA benchmark, and readability score based on text either presented in the video or written in the caption. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated for each of the studied parameters. Results The TikTok search bar was queried using multiple hashtags, including "#trach," "#tracheostomy," "#trachea," and "#tracheotomy" for relevant videos from October 14 to October 15, 2021. Overall, 60 videos were selected for complete review and analysis. The total views for all related videos analyzed was 17,712,281. The total likes were 693,812. The videos were primarily posted by non-healthcare professionals making up approximately 72% of all videos. Videos created by physicians generated 63% of all views. The average DISCERN score for each video was 24.83 out of 75. The average Flesch Reading Ease score was 70.59 and the average Flesch-Kincaid Grade level was 5.5. There was a positive DISCERN score and views with R = 0.255 (p = 0.049), positive correlation between DISCERN and likes R = 0.334 (p = 0.009), positive correlation between DISCERN and JAMA R = 0.56 (p=<0.0001), positive correlation between DISCERN and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level R = 0.330 (p=0.010) and a negative correlation between DISCERN and Flesch Reading Ease Score R = -0.337 (p=0.009). There was also a statistically significant positive correlation between JAMA and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level R = 0.260 (p=0.045). Conclusion Overall, the quality of the videos on TikTok regarding tracheostomy rated poorly on the DISCERN quality index but included text that was fairly easy to read. Currently, medical videos on TikTok do not meet the quality metrics needed to properly educate the public and should not be used as a primary resource.

Analysis of Popular Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Content on TikTok.

Researchers used the TikTok platform to investigate the quality of select TikTok educational content regarding gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). One hundred TikTok videos that fit the inclusion criteria were analyzed using DISCERN, a tool that evaluates the quality of consumer health information on the internet. There was no substantial difference in DISCERN scores between physicians and non-physician content creators. Nevertheless, both groups consistently scored low (<3) in areas such as providing sources of information, indicating the publication date of their sources, discussing treatment risks, and outlining potential consequences if no treatment is pursued.

TikTok for language teachers: Affordances of TikTok on teachers' identity and emotional vulnerability.

This qualitative study examines how five secondary school TESOL teachers in Thailand use TikTok to express their emotions and shape their professional identities. The research uses semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to explore the platform's role as an emotional outlet and a medium for enhancing teacher-student relationships. Findings indicate that TikTok helps teachers manage work-related stress and allows them to present authentic selves, facilitating deeper connections with students. This interaction further informs their pedagogical practices and supports their professional identity development. The study suggests that TikTok's ability to bridge emotional expression with professional engagement offers valuable insights for integrating social media into educational frameworks. Recommendations are provided for leveraging these platforms to enhance teachers' well-being and instructional strategies, highlighting the need for further research with a broader sample. This study demonstrates the potential of social media to impact teaching dynamics and professional growth.