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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteSome Gen Z followers interviewed for a 2026 study said physician influencers on TikTok felt more accessible and benevolent than their own doctors—and that they acted on advice or bought products these creators recommended. The findings raise questions about how social media changes the way people weigh health advice, but they do not show that TikTok doctors are more trustworthy overall or that following them improves health.
What the study examined
In “When Doctors Become Influencers: How Social Media Presence Disarms Persuasion Knowledge and Shapes Consumer Behaviors,” Suzanne C. Makarem, Brittany B. Beck and Jie G. Fowler report two exploratory studies. The peer-reviewed article first appeared online on September 22, 2026, in the Journal of Consumer Affairs. Read the study.
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TikTok videos
The researchers analyzed 330 videos posted by 11 selected, US-based licensed physician influencers. The videos were sampled over one month in August 2022; the researchers revisited them in November 2024 to confirm availability and update engagement metrics. Of the sampled posts, 46.7% covered professional or health topics and 53.3% covered personal or non-health topics. Medical or professional attire appeared in 58.2%.
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Interviews with followers
The researchers also interviewed 26 Gen Z participants who followed physician influencers. Interviews took place in May and June 2023. Participants were recruited through undergraduate and graduate business courses at one Southeastern US university and through snowball sampling; each had followed a physician influencer for at least a year.
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These are two small, selected samples—not a survey representative of Gen Z or an experiment that can establish cause and effect.
Do Gen Z followers trust TikTok doctors?
Interviewees described the influencers as accessible and benevolent. They said plain-language explanations could make health information easier to understand, and many contrasted their impression of the creators with their own experiences of personal physicians. VCU’s report on the study also says participants told the researchers they had followed advice and bought products recommended by influencers. Read VCU’s report.
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Those accounts help explain why a creator’s advice might feel persuasive to a follower. They do not demonstrate that physician influencers are objectively more accessible or trustworthy than other doctors, or that followers generally buy recommended products or adhere to the advice.
Did the young people in the study check the doctors’ credentials?
None of the interviewed followers reported checking whether the influencers were actually licensed physicians. Some said visual signs—including lab coats, stethoscopes, scrubs or a diploma—made the creators seem credible. This describes the 26 people interviewed; it is not evidence that Gen Z users on TikTok generally skip credential checks.
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That distinction matters because professional appearance is not the same as verification. A person considering health advice can look for a creator’s full name and credentials, then confirm licensing through the relevant official licensing authority. A medical-looking outfit or a large following, by itself, does not establish qualifications.
What the authors mean by the “mere social media presence effect”
The authors propose that a physician’s visible presence on social media can signal benevolent intent and accessibility. In their explanation, those impressions may reduce a follower’s skepticism—even when a commercial motive, such as promoting a product, is apparent. They call this proposed mechanism the “mere social media presence effect.”
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It is an interpretation developed from exploratory findings, not a proven causal effect. The studies do not show that being on TikTok causes greater trust, weakens skepticism, changes health behavior or improves health outcomes. Engagement may also reflect TikTok’s recommendation algorithm and repeated exposure, rather than the creator’s presentation alone.
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How to read the findings
- What they show: In this small qualitative interview group, followers described physician influencers as approachable and benevolent, and some reported acting on recommendations.
- What they do not show: They do not measure how common those views or behaviors are among Gen Z, rank influencers against doctors in a controlled comparison, or establish effects on health.
- Why the sample matters: The video analysis covered 11 selected prominent US physicians, while interviewees came from one university and snowball referrals. The results may not represent other creators, audiences or settings.
The study’s useful warning is not that TikTok doctors should automatically be distrusted. It is that a platform’s familiar, personal style can shape how health advice feels—and that perceived accessibility or professional appearance should not replace checking a source’s credentials or evaluating a recommendation carefully.
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