Memorable health messaging

Think about the information you know about your health. Now consider who that information came from. Was it a family member? A friend? Your doctor?

Historically, the information people remember the most comes from people in their interpersonal networks. But that seems to be changing - at least when it comes to young adults and the health-related information they receive on social media.

For college students, the health-related information they remember most comes from influencers and strangers, according to new research by Emily Pfender, assistant professor of communication at the University of Delaware.

In work published recently in the journal Health Communication, Pfender and her team surveyed nearly 300 college students about health information they received on social media, and the messages that have stuck with them the longest. For the students, the information mainly came from TikTok and Instagram, with the majority from accounts the students didn't follow.

It's a surprising - and concerning - finding that upends the communication field's theory of memorable messages, which traditionally says the information people recall the longest comes from trusted individuals in their networks.