Influencer Communication for Youth Health

Social media influencers have become important sources of health information. They discuss topics such as nutrition, mental health, and diseases. However, many influencers lack expertise in the health sector. Additionally, they often pursue commercial goals and serve as advertising platforms for companies. Despite this criticism, influencers have become an integral part of the information landscape for young people. Therefore, it is important to support influencers in conveying evidence- based health information to youth. This way, influencers can also play a crucial role in raising awareness. The citizen science project INCO (Influencer Communication) addresses this very issue by actively placing young people aged 15 to 20 at the center of the project work. Citizen science means that the youth are involved as experts and take on tasks that would normally fall within the domain of professional scientists. Young people from three selected school classes develop campaign ideas, which are then transformed into tailored interventions in collaboration with teachers, the project team, and international experts. These interventions are tested in online and field studies to evaluate their effectiveness and further optimize them. This cooperation not only fosters innovative solutions but also strengthens the scientific thinking of the participating youth and aims to promote their long-term engagement in science. The project builds on the FWF project Health Influencers on Social Media (HISM). For more information, please visit our website: hism-fwf.com