The latest research reveals that millennial and Gen-Z young adults are rewriting the rules on how they make health decisions. They’ve traded physicians’ inflated expectations for insight from their peers. A survey conducted by Edelman in March, which included over 16,000 respondents from 16 countries, highlights that while 82% of young adults acknowledge their doctors’ influence on health decisions, a substantial number are turning to friends, family, and social media for information.
The study indicates that adults under the age of 35 continue to rely on their individual healthcare providers for medical choices. Nearly half (45%) of young adults believe that an average person can possess knowledge comparable to trained doctors regarding health matters. This trend further highlights a rising distrust in traditional medical gatekeeping.
Barriers to engagement with conventional health news do not seem to deter young adults. Two-thirds (67%) mostly or always engage with traditional media sources. Plus, 55% are doing so at least once a month with dedicated independent health-focused podcasts or newsletters. In face of this engagement, there is a striking recent trend of looking for advice outside of the medical establishment.
During the last year, nearly half (45 percent) of adults 18 to 34 have decided to go against their health care provider’s recommendation. Instead, they’ve looked to their friends and family. The overall demand among young adults for health-related advice on social media has already increased dramatically. That’s right—all the way up from 26% to 38%! This change could be indicative of a cultural trend, where the validation of one’s peers becomes an important filter through which decisions are made.
The survey uncovers a frightening new trend, indicating a sad statistic — 60% of young adults said they have regret a health decision. These bad decisions are often based on false or incorrect information. Our trust in traditional media is crumbling. Less than four-in-10 Americans say they have confidence in media companies to get accurate information about the health crisis out.
Courtney Gray Haupt, a spokesperson for Edelman, highlighted the significance behind these findings.
“Younger adults have truly created their own health ecosystem with how they’re looking for information, who they trust, what they’re doing with health information.” – Courtney Gray Haupt
Unfortunately, that data tells an alarming story. In fact, a third of young adults confess that social media influencers without medical expertise have swayed their health choices. Thus, contrary to other age groups, young adults have an intense desire for informal sources of health advice. Though average trust in non-traditional sources is 53% and reliance on untrained individuals is 39%, young adults tilt even further toward these informal channels.
