Some 75% of 15 to 25-year-olds in Austria follow influencers on social media, according to a researcher from the University of Vienna.

Speaking at the European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG), entertainment researcher Kathrin Karsay reported that 30% follow specific health influencers, with increasing attention paid to content related to mental health – likely a lingering effect of the Covid pandemic.

“Young people use social media to access information,” Karsay noted. Influencers are often seen as “role models”, and similarities between the influencer and follower are a key reason for following an account. However, she cautioned: “Not everyone is an expert.”

According to the study, 30% of young people in Austria said they had already purchased a health-related product because it was recommended by an influencer. “I would like to see more regulation when influencers speak about mental health and promote products,” Karsay said. Nonetheless, young people still place considerable trust in health organisations and professionals, she added.

Karsay also observed a certain “trivialisation and glorification” of mental health issues. “It’s somehow become trendy to have psychological problems, and I see that as an issue,” she said. “Now, everyone claims to have burnout or anxiety.” There is a growing trend of self-diagnosis and the overinterpretation of mental health problems on social media.

Last year alone, there were 300 billion video views related to health on YouTube, Götz Gottschalk, Head of Health at YouTube, told the EHFG. He pointed out that while doctors often don’t have as much time for their patients as they would like, YouTube “has unlimited time.”