Embracing Social Media as a Modern Means of Health Promotion: Can We “Like” and “Share” Our Way Towards Better Population Health?

Abstract

Over the past year, the world has been drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While some sectors have successfully embraced the accelerated way in which societies were forced to digitize, it could be said that the public health sector has not fully taken advantage of the opportunities presented by social media. This article explores some of the benefits of using social media as a means of health communication, particularly with regards to faster dissemination of information and benefits to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns surrounding social media misinformation and the “digital divide” are also addressed and recommendations are made on how they can be tackled. Furthermore, real-life case studies from the Pacific Islands region and Finland are explored so as to identify ways in which similar frameworks and strategies can be applied in other similar communities across the world.