Dear Colleagues,
I am currently organizing a Special Issue titled “TikTok and Public Health” for the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. This journal is peer-reviewed and publishes articles in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health.
TikTok displays unending streams of videos and primarily serves to entertain its users rather than to act as a vehicle to connect friends. TikTok is the most successful video app in the world, with over a billion people spending time on its platform every month. TikTok is especially popular among adolescents and young adults. However, research focused on TikToks’ impact on public health has not kept pace with its popularity.
This Special Issue has two specific aims: 1) to highlight TikToks’ potential impact on issues related to public health and 2) highlight how data collected from TikTok can be used to inform public health, public policy, communication campaigns, and clinical care. In general, this Special Issue is seeking original submissions that examine (1) how users interact with the platform, including problematic use, (2) how products and services are promoted on the platform, especially products (e.g., tobacco, alcohol, supplements, videogames, etc.) that have effects on health, (3) the extent, source, and quality of medical information on the platform, (4) the extent and type of public health-related (e.g., vaccines, cancer, alternative medicine, supplements) misinformation on the platform, and (5) TikToks’ ability to serve as a vehicle to promote health and/or deliver interventions. In this Special Issue, original research articles and brief reports summarizing pilot data or proof of concept studies are welcome.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Jon-Patrick Allem
Guest Editor