TikTok and Type 1: What Doctors Can’t Tell You About Your Illness
The author of this piece has type 1 diabetes.
I believe that there are two types of people - those who unapologetically love TikTok, and liars. The app has become one of the most popular social media platforms within the last year, experiencing a notable rise in usership since the beginning of the pandemic. It attracts more and more users daily with comedy skits, viral dance trends, point-of-view videos, and content that supposedly represents the peak of Gen-Z’s humour. TikTok’s algorithm shows users new videos with similar hashtags and captions to posts that they have interacted with in the past. As a result, liking one video about a certain topic - such as why billionaires shouldn’t exist - is sure to flood someone’s For You Page with more information about it.
As the app consistently gained popularity and the infamous algorithm worked its magic on people’s profiles, the concept of the different ‘sides’ of TikTok emerged. Whether it be falling down a rabbit hole of alt-girl or synth rat videos, it has become a place where people from all over the world can find others with similar interests and senses of humour. The nature of the For You Page also lets young activists spread important educational information quickly. The past few months have seen the amount of resources surrounding topics such as The Black Lives Matter movement, Pride, or Environmentalism skyrocket. In line with this educational ‘side’ of TikTok, a new trend has emerged: sharing the daily reality encompassing living with a chronic illness. These TikToker’s broadcast to thousands of individuals not just what everyday activities are like with an illness, but tips and resources for managing it. As someone diagnosed with Type One Diabetes, this has been an incredibly important discovery, finally giving me the chance to connect with others who understand that diabetes doesn’t preclude me from living my life how I want.
It can, of course, be comforting to see someone’s relatable video about living with a certain chronic illness, say type 1 diabetes (I’m biased but bear with me), but many users with these conditions are actually using the app to give advice that others probably could never have gotten from their doctors. Aside from being downright embarrassing to ask in front of a bunch of adults, no teenage girl is going to want to ask her doctor how alcohol will impact her blood sugar, or advice on how to bring up having a continuous glucose monitor or an insulin pump on your body with sexual partners. Furthermore, the chances of your doctor actually having type 1 diabetes is extremely low. They probably can’t answer questions about what it’s like living with it day to day, rather than just how to manage the illness strictly from a medical perspective. This is where the ‘diabetic side’ of TikTok comes into play: users making info-blasts about alcohol and blood sugar could potentially save someone’s life if they do not know which precautions to take on a night out. I also recently found out that type 1 diabetics can actually receive scholarships for having a chronic illness. I had no idea about this two years ago when I was applying to university - this could save people a lot of money in a country like the USA where insulin is already incredibly overpriced. Overall though, I’ve found that some of the most useful information has simply been about small, everyday occurrences, such as how to keep your blood sugar steady throughout a school day where one is sitting down a lot, or nice ways to store medical supplies when on the go.
It is important to recognise that there is a difference between lifestyle medical advice versus actual medical advice. I strongly believe that actual medical advice should ALWAYS be taken from a doctor, and not from strangers on the internet. For example: looking for a review between two different insulin pumps that you’re hesitating between? TikTok is fine. Alternatively, looking for information on whether it’s okay to take a certain type of birth control with your insulin? Doctor, no matter what. It is in fact illegal to give out medical instructions without a license, so people must always be wary of that. While I can’t say I’ve gone out of my way to watch many TikTok videos about other chronic conditions such as scoliosis or asthma, I know that type of content exists on the app for those who need it. It’s also a great way for people unaffected by these illnesses to learn more about them and what to do to help in an emergency.
The COVID-19 pandemic has physically separated people, but apps such as TikTok have allowed people to come together in new, virtual ways and stand in solidarity with one another. Especially because most people affected by chronic illness are at a much higher risk of further complications from the virus, it’s always comforting to share experiences and see others living the same daily reality as you. TikTok has shown me that, no matter how terrible I’m convinced I am at managing my chronic illness, there’s always at least someone whose blood sugar is worse than mine, and if that’s not reassuring I honestly don’t know what is.
