Recently, the China Association for Science and Technology "Science Refuses Rumors" WeChat official account released a list of scientific rumors in October 2024. It is worth noting that rumors such as "using drugs to dilate children's pupils for optometry is harmful to the eyes" and "creases in the ears indicate the risk of coronary heart disease" have been listed. And many of these medical and health rumors come from online medical science popularization videos. With the rise of short videos and live streaming, medical science popularization has become a hot topic on major online platforms. Of course, there are legitimate popular science programs from authoritative institutions, but there are also many fake popular science programs that seek to gain traffic and make quick money. As you can see from browsing the internet, some of the hosts in front of the camera may indeed be doctors, but they use the name of science popularization to "smuggle private goods", or quietly sell classes and promote products on their accounts or comment sections, or suggest fans to add WeChat and guide them to designated pharmacies to prescribe high priced prescriptions. Some are social workers who have a basic understanding of medical knowledge, and in order to attract attention and gain followers, they fabricate and spread false popular science content such as "ketogenic diet can starve cancer cells" and "drinking vinegar can prevent cardiovascular disease". Moreover, some actors dressed in white coats disguised as doctors, performing exaggerated plotlines such as "unethical love between medical staff" and "revenge on mediocre doctors", even brushing aside the boundaries of pornography and lowering the moral bottom line. The chaotic mix of good and bad in medical science popularization not only damages the online ecosystem, but also the public's health and well-being. If "popular science popularization" and fake science popularization, which are carried by traffic, become popular, the scientific and authoritative nature of medical science popularization in people's minds will be greatly reduced, and professional and rigorous real science popularization may be "squeezed to the corner" by traffic. If patients are misled by pseudo science popularization and give up formal treatment to seek so-called 'miracle therapies', it may ultimately lead to worsening of the condition and even endanger their lives. And those indecent videos that "ride on the image of doctors" will reduce the public's trust and goodwill towards doctors, causing damage to the image of the medical community. To rectify the chaos in medical science popularization, we must adhere to the principles of law and regulations, and strengthen the responsibilities of relevant departments, medical institutions, online platforms, and individuals. On the one hand, relevant departments should expand the supply of authoritative and formal medical science popularization in response to public health needs, and squeeze the living space of pseudo science popularization. By strengthening the promotion of medical knowledge and enhancing the public's ability to identify, we aim to prevent people from paying for fake science popularization. Medical institutions should establish corresponding behavioral norms and fulfill their management responsibilities for doctors' participation in medical science popularization. On the other hand, relevant departments should increase punishment for those who engage in false science popularization and play borderline games for the sake of gaining traffic, causing a negative impact. They should dig deep and cut off the chain of traffic monetization benefits behind them. Of course, as a channel for information dissemination, the regulatory responsibility of online platforms cannot be shirked. It is necessary to establish strict review and violation handling mechanisms, timely identify and clean up fake popular science content, and never provide them with a place to hide. Building a clean and vibrant medical science popularization ecological environment is the common responsibility of the whole society. All parties should take active action to make all kinds of pseudo science popularization on the Internet disappear, so that every desire for health can get real and beneficial feedback. (New Society)
Edit：Chen Jie Responsible editor：Li Ling
Source：Science and Technology Daily
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