Self-Care or Misinformation? Investigating the Herbal Wellness Movement on TikTok

This study looks at how TikTok users talk to each other and share information about herbal medicine using the hashtag #HerbalMedicine. The study looks at 84 highly-engaged TikTok posts over a 30-day period using a mix of methods, focusing on user type, sentiment, engagement metrics, and thematic content. Research shows that most of the content is made by regular people, and they often get more views and engagement than experts. The conversation is mostly positive or neutral, which shows that society is open to natural therapies. However, it also brings up problems with false information because there aren't any professional validations or disclosures. DIY treatments, health problems, and commercial advertising are all examples of larger trends in commodified wellness and "aspirational labor." The study shows that TikTok promotes health stories that are good for the community, but it also runs the risk of spreading false claims. When it comes to public health communication, this means making platform-specific changes and working with creators to spread information that is based on facts.