Addressing Social Media’s Promotion of Medicines
The advertisement of medicine online has provided infinite benefits to people from all backgrounds and walks of life. It has also taken away the stigma to using prescription medicine to treat what many believe are non-emergent conditions. Continue reading this article to learn more about miracles social media has brought upon millions of people through promotion of prescription medicine.
Adderall is commonly used for people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The advertisement of adderall on social media has contributed to a wide knowledge of mental health conditions and further awareness on specifically ADHD. Adderall is made up of amphetamine/dextroamphetamine that stimulates the brain and allows increased concentration, as well as combating a sleeping disorder (narcolepsy) that allows the person taking it to stay awake. The attention social media has given this topic helped normalise the appropriate use of adderall which can improve academic, athletic, and workplace performance! Many people wouldnβt have known how life changing the addition of adderall to their life would be without social media.
Ozempic have been everywhere on social media. This yearβs Golden Globe even had a reference to Ozempic where the host, Nikki Glaser, jokingly stated that the event was an OzempicOlympics. In continuation, many teens and young adults have been under the impression that Ozempic is a weight loss treatment that helps celebrities and people of the wealthier class drop weight instantly, but that is simply not the truth. Ozempic (semaglutide) is an injectable medicine which can cause less appetite and combat obesity that was created for people with Type 2 diabetes. In addition, Ozempic can help the body produce more insulin. Not to mention it can reduce counts of glucose or sugar. The company also claims to reduce the risks of heart disease and stroke. Without social mediaβs helping hand, the almost 40 million Americans who have diabetes would very unlikely have known about the miracles Ozempic could bring to their lives!
Laxatives have been heavily promoted on social media as a weight loss product. Many young people have posted content of them consuming laxatives. Laxatives are used to help treat people with constipation. This is yet another convenient and time saving drug that saves an unnecessary visit to the doctorβs office. Some laxatives make changes to your digestive system allowing easier bowel movement. Others may make stool softer which allows it to pass more easily. Laxative provides quick results that would not be as known if social media hadnβt promoted it so considerately. This is yet another instance of social media promoting awareness to people who never would have known about laxatives in their daily lives.
Accutane is a prescription medication for severe recalcitrant nodular acne, or severe acne with large bumps that cannot be cleared up by any other acne medicines. This treatment not only clears up acne on skin but also relieves pain from acne. It also helps many individuals find confidence in themselves. It is a noninvasive approach for those who may have tried to alternatively seek surgical treatments to treat their large painful bumps of acne which then most likely need regular extraction. A common misconception of the use of Accutane is that it will shrink noses. This misconception has caused many people to think Accutane will give them a nose job without a procedure, but that has been shown to be false. Many surgeons have debunked this theory by explaining the appearance of noses may change due to oil glands in the pores appearing smaller after taking accutane. This is also another benefit because along with treating acne, Accutane can also treat clogged pores.
All things considered, itβs always important to do research before hopping on the train of a trend. Many social media trends involving medicine have changed the lives of countless people, but it’s still immensely important to understand the correct and safe ways to use these medications. Nevertheless, these medicines can be life-changing if used correctly and if prescribed by a doctor. The power of social media to bring attention to these medicines is quite admirable and heartwarming as so many people have improved their daily lives, mental and physical health, and overall well being.
Con (dangers of false promotion of medicine)
Adderall has been misused throughout recent years due to social media and the huge influence it has on the youth. Social media platforms like Tiktok, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter), have influenced the use of Adderall among the youth. Many individuals post their experiences on social media about how Adderall made them more productive or have more energy throughout the day. Others shared how Adderall was more like a pre-workout and, due to the drug being a stimulant, it made them focused and worked out for longer. TikTok user @nikonomics posted a video on the platform stating how while he was on Adderall he felt like a βsuperhuman,β how he had never been so productive, and how he was able to finish what would have been a 20-hour essay in just a short amount of time. The statement about Adderall can be correct but very misleading for many students who would want to increase their attention and productivity. Another TikTok user @parkerfuller stated how he had used Adderall for a gym workout routine and how he felt motivated and well put throughout. Although the side effects of Adderall seem to have been beneficial, the long-term impact that Adderall can have on the human body can be very harmful as it can cause cardiovascular diseases, malnutrition due to the drug serving almost like an appetite suppressant, as well as causing the brain to have difficulty to produce dopamine naturally. The two sides of side effects that Adderall can have are not shown to the media; instead, it is often covered as an βenergy supplement,β not knowing the huge risks and dangers Adderall can have in the future.
Ozempic is a semaglutide ingredient that was originally intended for individuals with type 2 diabetes as an alternative to the injection Liraglutide which helped with lowering blood sugar following along with diet and exercise. However, throughout Ozempic being launched and introduced many people online started posting about Ozempic weight loss effects causing major outbreaks of jokes and buyers who wanted to buy the drug to lose a significant amount of weight. However, Ozempic is also used for weight loss in morbidly obese patients, A lot of individuals who were condoning the buying of Ozempic seemed to be thin. In contrast, others bought it to finally achieve the unrealistic beauty standards that certain fashion statements seem to have. TikTok user @neens.com posted a video on TikTok that was a parody of the song βOh Christmas Treeβ singing βOzempic tree Ozempic tree oh how I love to lose 50β¦oh how I love to be skinny.β While the lyrics weren’t inappropriate, the message being sent out about the drug can be very misleading as many people may think Ozempic is only used for weight loss and as an appetite supplement when in reality the original intended use for the drug was for people with Type 2 diabetes. Overall the message being spread behind this drug is harmful not only to adults on social media but to pre-teenagers who may also be on social media platforms consuming propaganda about weight and how to remain βthinβ which can promote other unhealthy behaviors in the future.
Laxatives are a common type of medicine used to treat constipation however this medicine is often talked about online whenever the topics about being βthinβ and βlosing weightβ pop up. Over the past couple of years, social media has had an uproar about laxatives and their use. many videos on social media like TikTok and Instagram shared how one can use laxatives to lose water weight this is a tip for a lot of wrestlers and dancers who may want to feel lighter before a sports competition others have gone online and shown their usage for laxatives as more of an aesthetical appeal to feel slimmer. Brooke Scholfield, a well-known influencer on TikTok and YouTube shared on her podcast βCanceledβ about how when she was in sorority right before any party or major event many girls would take a lot of laxatives the day before to feel βskinnier.β TikTok user @cpd0028 shared on his page a βfunny videoβ about wrestlers not eating, using laxatives, and sitting in saunas to describe the βaverageβ wrestler experience which shows a lot of disorders in eating and bad habits being taken in effect. Overall laxatives themselves are not the issue here but the portrayal of their usage on social media. A lot of individuals have portrayed it as another weight loss βhackβ and have encouraged the usage for it to be thinner when in reality it is only really promoting terrible eating disorders and other unhealthy mentality and behaviors that can be exposed to young teenagers who can get easily influenced by the bad habits. Overall the promotion of laxatives on social media is not being portrayed as it should be but instead being taken out of context and harming others.
Accutane also known as isotretinoin is used for severe acne yet recently it has been a viral sensation on social media due to its side effects that take place. User @aldinaaza posted a video on TikTok that involved a slight change on her nose after being on Accutane, following that the comments under the video seemed to be intrigued with the slight nose change as the nose post looks slimmer. Many people wanted to get more insight into the drug and wondered if the nose changes were permanent. The slight nose changes that were later nicknamed βAccutane nose jobβ overshadowed the mere usage and awareness that Accutane should bring which is to point out the effects accutane can have on someone who’s suffering from severe acne.