How the Health Sector Is Distorting Social Media
During times of joy and times of sorrow
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and other social media platforms were originally intended for social networking, microblogging, photo sharing, and video sharing, but new uses have overpowered traditional ones. I am talking about the “Sponsored” and “Promoted” posts, and particularly, those advertising healthcare products and services.
This story begs the question: Is social media marketing of healthcare products and services ethical?
I have to admit that the huge spike in ad exposure on social media platforms annoys me, but witnessing the new ads that have been flooding these platforms made me more lenient and more firm at the same time. I now feel at ease when encountering beauty ads, fashion ads, technology ads, etc., although I do not dare to press on a single one because this means having countless similar ads popping up every single day. However, I am absolutely not okay with seeing the healthcare sector marketing its products and services. And guess what? The COVID-19 outbreak made things even worse.
From Pharma, Biotech, and Health Services
From oral probiotic suspensions and nasal sprays or ointments, to over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and vaccines, pharmaceutical companies have made their presence felt on social media platforms. Skincare companies exploited these platforms too for marketing their products and mobile apps that in some cases claim to diagnose skin conditions and give personalized skincare routine and tips. Biotechnology companies as well did not hesitate to create social media profiles for specific technologies that help manage chronic conditions, and use paid ads for marketing.
I also came across new health services. For example, I checked a sponsored ad for a messaging app that links patients to healthcare providers, and to my surprise, it allows healthcare providers to provide billable medical consultations for cases that do not require a physical examination. I think this raises a critical question! A similar service provided by another company also appeared on my screen, but this one is specialized in issuing healthcare cards, where every card gives its holder a bunch of services and discounts at certain hospitals around the world. Moreover, if you check the company’s website, you notice that some products are sold on it too. And this is another big question mark!
COVID-19 Outbreak: Some of these companies decided that this is the best time for marketing hand sanitizers and moisturizing creams through paid ads on social media platforms, and you have probably encountered a lot of ads related to COVID-19. These ads do not make things better, and can even give us more reasons to panic.
To Hospitals and Healthcare Providers
I was fed up with paid ads on social media platforms when hospitals and healthcare providers joined. Just imagine that while viewing Instagram stories and posts, you see a well-known hospital in your country using disease awareness campaigns to market their services. Worst of all was the realization that plastic surgeons are actively using paid ads to tell you how to take care of surgical wounds. They also offer you a free consultation and share with you the perfect facial angles (not forgetting to ask you to share your measurements with them), as if people do not already have enough insecurities about their looks.
In addition to plastic surgeons, we have:
- General practitioners pinpointing the risk factors of chronic diseases, and the importance of regular checkups
- Dentists encouraging you to choose a certain brand of dental caps (crowns) or teeth whitening products
- Dermatologists advertising specific laser hair removal technologies, in addition to treatments and cosmetics
- Doctors marketing their medical lectures with some offers, such as having lifetime access for $5 only
- And guess what? Fertility centers as well pushed some doctors to highlight some common pregnancy complications, and reassure you that they have the best specialists
COVID-19 Outbreak: Well, yeah! It did not stop these “sponsored” and “promoted” posts. Doctors are now using awareness about COVID-19 to urge you to visit them.
I want to clarify my point of view. The healthcare sector should make use of social media platforms to communicate with their customers in a productive manner, but I am far from accepting their paid ad campaigns. Therefore, I believe that we can all play a role to control this phenomenon.
- Governments should supervise the healthcare sector’s presence on social media platforms. They should launch studies that determine the impact of such ads on social media users, and the number of sales they make.
- Social media companies should execute laws that address advertising healthcare products and services and that are in some cases country-specific. They should also work with authorities to make new laws or amend existing ones in an attempt to put the brakes on the emerging social media marketing.
- Social media users should be aware that ads aim to make them emotionally motivated to investigate and buy the advertised product or service, and with this clutter of hundreds of ads, it is hard to consciously make the right decision and take the right action.
This topic is crucial, especially in hard times. The healthcare sector should be aware of the fact that people are unable to process the huge amount of information they are bombarded with on a daily basis. During a global crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic we are facing now, it is even harder for people to judge ads with numerous brand names and logos on social media platforms.
We need to give people a break. We should not take advantage of the fragility of people during times of crisis and isolation. If the healthcare sector’s goal is to increase awareness, then it should instead cooperate with international organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and national ones to help, support, and save people.
