From "liver flushing" tutorials filmed in dirty bathrooms to chiropractors cracking necks with metal tools bought on Amazon, these videos have racked up billions of views. But beneath the catchy music and the "link in bio" lies a hidden danger that is eroding public trust in science and literally costing lives.
The sketchy creator offers the opposite: a 10-minute, empathetic video where they look into the camera and say, "Your doctor lied to you." This feels like social support, even though the creator has no medical license. You might ask: If these videos are so dangerous, why aren't they removed? sketchy medical videos
Platforms hide behind Section 230 (in the US), which protects them from liability for user-generated content. Furthermore, most sketchy creators add a tiny, fast-spoken disclaimer: "This is not medical advice." From "liver flushing" tutorials filmed in dirty bathrooms
Next time you see a video of someone cracking a spine, drinking a strange-colored sludge, or claiming they have a secret the CDC is hiding, ask yourself one question: Would I bet my life on this being true? You might ask: If these videos are so
Because eventually, if you follow enough sketchy advice, you will be doing exactly that.
If you have a medical concern, turn off the screen and call your primary care physician. Your life is worth more than a "like."
A boring, factual video explaining that "antibiotics don't work on viruses" gets scrolled past. But a video screaming that "Doctors are hiding the cure for cancer" gets watched to the end (outrage), shared (disgust), and commented on (debate). The algorithm interprets this engagement as quality content.