How does social media influence health behaviours?

• A. It always improves health behaviours.
• B. It eliminates health misinformation.
• C. It can lead to isolation and unhealthy behaviours.
• D. It guarantees rapid medical care.

Answer: (C)

Social media shapes health behaviours in a mixed way. It can be a powerful source of motivation, information, and support, but it can also contribute to negative outcomes. The notion that it can lead to isolation and unhealthy behaviours best captures the potential downsides: heavy online use can reduce real-world social contact, foster constant comparison, and immerse people in feeds that promote risky or unhealthy practices. This is why social media doesn’t guarantee positive change; misinformation can spread, and not every health message is reliable, so relying on it alone doesn’t ensure better health or faster medical care. In practice, the influence of social media depends on how it’s used, what content is consumed, and the individual’s context.