Educating Gen-Z on health issues through TikTok

The initiative aims to alleviate the burden on GP surgeries by providing accessible and informative content

Spotted: Out of the one billion active users on TikTok, Gen Z makes up over 60 per cent of them. And, increasingly, the app is not only being used for comedy and entertainment. A recent study found that TikTok is also becoming a place where Gen Z and millennials seek health advice, instead of seeing a doctor.

With the rise in health-related concerns among young adults and TikTok’s demographic mirroring the cohort of most universities, medical doctor Dr. James Gill has teamed up with the University of Warwick to create #DocTok. 

#DocTok is a new initiative created to provide accessible and accurate medical information to Gen Z on various health issues – from chlamydia to tonsillitis, anxiety, and depression. The project intends to help TikTok users make informed decisions about their health and well-being while relieving pressure on GP surgeries and filling the gap in knowledge dissemination and health literacy. 

Dr. James Gill will combine his medical knowledge with the dynamic format of TikTok to deliver engaging and informative content in a concise and approachable format. The university says the initiative will provide important medical insights directly from a trusted professional and debunk common health myths. 

The #DocTok videos will be posted on the University of Warwick’s official TikTok page @UniOfWarwick. 

TikTok has proven to be an effective tool in giving Gen Z helpful information and is inspiring many companies to create similar platforms and media. Springwise has also spotted Prograd, which provides TikTok-style content to help young people understand finance, while 5Mins created a TikTok-style platform for gamified workplace learning.

Written By: Anam Alam