For the past few weeks, the flu has been pissing everyone off as the holidays approach.
But fortunately on TikTok, American influencers seem to have found THE miracle cure: onion juice.
Videos promote this pungent solution, made by macerating sliced onions in water and now accumulate tens of millions of views on the platform despite the lack of scientific proof of its effectiveness.
"Onions aren't going to hurt anyone, but if someone is sick, they need to go to real health professionals," warns Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago. .
"I'm afraid that some people will just go and drink onion juice and not really get treatment, and then they could spread the Covid or the flu around them," she adds, as these two viruses spread in the United States along with a third that causes bronchiolitis.
This magic potion is however praised under the videos, with comments such as “it works for me!
- a success that could simply be due to the placebo effect.
A dubious magic potion
The success of the onion juice videos illustrates the prevalence of more than dubious health information on TikTok.
From vaccines to abortion, influencers in the virtual world can have a deleterious effect on the very real health of users.
In one of the most viral videos (2.5 million views), a woman who identifies herself as a "child of mother nature" promotes onion juice and calls on people to let the solution ferment for a few hours to make it more powerful.
“Miracle cures are very attractive, and in a way, it is believed that the more painful a solution, the more effective the magic will be,” notes Abbie Richards, misinformation specialist at TikTok.
"Simple solutions for complicated problems often work well with engagement-based algorithms, like TikTok's," she explains.
“Even more so when these solutions are inexpensive and easily accessible, whereas recognized care is not.
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TikTok closes its eyes
The onion juice videos weren't removed from TikTok because the social network, otherwise out of favor with US authorities, didn't categorize them as content that 'could do harm'. know a spokesperson at AFP.
A delicate question for social networks and platforms seeking to determine the right balance between the fight against misinformation and freedom of expression.
Too much moderation on onion juice could push the idea that this type of treatment is censored, says Abbie Richards.
Rather, she says, TikTok could ensure that reliable and recognized information on health issues is “available, accessible and captivating”.
Access to healthcare, the real American dream
The success of these videos exposes “the gaping problems” of the American health system, continues Abbie Richards.
About 30 million Americans - 9% of the population - live without health insurance, according to the authorities, while the care there costs a fortune.
And millions more have minimal insurance.
"It's easy to say 'remember to contact your doctor'," warns Abbie Richards.
"It doesn't really surprise me that in a society where access to health is restricted, where the system is overloaded and where there is confusion in the fight against new diseases, people drink onion juice or put garlic in their ears”.
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