If you were on TikTok in 2022, you likely came across some of the site’s most viral videos this year – including the infamous giant chocolate giraffe, the Corn Kid and Squishy the Chipmunk gobbling down nuts.
TikTok is also now a conversation starter in healthcare, with countless physicians and nurses deemed influencers – and plenty of average people discussing their experiences with health, mental health and the healthcare system as a whole. It’s not surprising, then, that 2022 saw numerous viral videos focusing on health issues.
Here are the top 10 most popular health videos in 2022.
1. Roe v Bros
In November, a TikTok account called “Roe v Bros” posted a video in which a woman asked men on the street what they knew about women’s bodies and reproductive health. That video, which took off with the question: “Can women pee with a tampon in?” racked up more than 13 million views and two million likes.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, most if not all of the men’s answers were incorrect. In another recent viral video, the account asked men about human eggs, hymens and fallopian tubes – all to get incorrect answers again.
The account, likely a response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June, urges viewers to educate themselves on women’s reproductive health – and to go vote.
2. Perks of healthcare vs. tech
A video by Tiktok user vivviey showing the perks of working at a tech company – including free breakfast, snacks and hair products in the bathroom – racked up 1.7 million likes.
As a cheeky response to the video, user rthardwell – who notes on his account that he produces “relatable dark medical humor,” posted his own showing the “perks” of working in healthcare. In that one, he noted breakfast at the hospital wasn’t free, snacks were only for patients, they only had about a half hour for lunch and desk set-ups were pretty uncomfortable.
That video, pointing to some of the burnout issues many healthcare workers face, gained nearly 700,000 likes. “The 30 minute undisturbed lunch is a lie though,” one commenter wrote, “[it’s] more like 5 seconds.”
3. The nurse ‘ick’ video
Not all TikToks are lighthearted – and some can even trigger change in the healthcare system. One TikTok video posted by labor and delivery nurses at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta probably became the biggest controversy related to healthcare on TikTok in 2022.
In the video, the nurses described their “icks” about patients and working in the delivery ward, such as when family members bothered them for help. The video, which has since been deleted, prompted a backlash from TikTokers and medical professionals, who considered the nurses’ complaints a sign of unprofessionalism and bad bedside manners.
[Embed tweet: https://twitter.com/PopCrave/status/1601738770490961920
The controversy resulted in Emory Hospital firing the workers featured in the video. Back on TikTok, other nurses began sharing their “reverse icks” and denouncing the video, pointing out that having good bedside manners is something they value in their work ethic.
4. Depression self-care
TikTok has become a massive platform for mental health content since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when social isolation and increased demand for mental health services drove many young people to seek ‘self-help’ tips on social media.
So-called mental health influencers, like therapists and psychiatrists who offer their perspective on things like depression or therapy, have risen on the site. But TikTok is also chock-full of misinformation on mental health, according to a recent study.
That said, many young people use the site to spark conversations and transparency about their own struggles with mental health. User hannahloynds’ video about how she manages her depression, which has garnered nearly 4 million views, is an example of one that went viral in 2022.
5. Healthcare in Canada vs. U.S.
TikToker josephdebenedictis started a conversation this year about the differences between American and Canadian healthcare systems.
A video that cheekily shows a patient in Canada waiting long hours but paying nothing, it contrasts with a patient in the U.S. handing over all their credit and debit cards after the appointment. “Which one’s better?” he asked.
In a follow-up video, Joe explained he’s experienced both health care systems as a Canadian who’s lived in the U.S. “Canadian healthcare is just better,” he noted in the follow-up. “You can never live up to the peace of mind that you get from never seeing a medical bill, from never worrying about going bankrupt if you break your leg or something.”
6. “Healthcare 2022”
In 2020, a video of a nurse filming herself “grieving” after a patient’s death went viral and stirred up a significant reaction.
While it appears she wanted to show how much she cares about her patients, the backlash came from the sentiment that it appeared she was doing it to gather clout, or attention on the platform.
Since then, the video has opened up a larger conversation about how medical professionals – who are becoming more and more savvy with TikTok – use the platform at work, and whether they’re being respectful to their patients.
One recent video by Ryan Lombard poked fun at the idea, acting out a scenario titled “Healthcare 2022” in which someone arrives at the hospital needing medical attention.
The video cuts to the original 2020 video of the nursing stopping to grieve – i.e. posing for TikTok – instead of actually taking care of the patients. The video opens up questions about how healthcare providers are using the platform more and more as part of their work – and when it’s appropriate.
7. Stopping negative thoughts
TikTok user growingannanas is another voice in the mental health space on TikTok, especially with one video that accumulated 2.1 million likes.
In that video, she suggests posting a baby or childhood photo of yourself onto your bathroom mirror to remind yourself to speak or think positive and kind things to yourself. She noted this can be helpful to people who struggle with negative or self-critical thoughts.
8. Titanic nurses
Sometimes TikTok videos under the #healthcare hashtag are simply silly, designed for a laugh and have no deeper underlying meaning – and these are sometimes the most refreshing to see.
One video from Australian clinic Bendigo Health featured nurses and medical workers re-enacting the famous scene from Titanic on a hospital bed rolling down the hallway to Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”
9. Healthy food isn’t boring
FoodTok is massive, and TikTok has produced countless viral recipes and food trends from the baked feta pasta to the green goddess salad. Just like mental health and health advice on the site, however, it’s important to take healthy eating advice with a grain of salt.
Still, it’s a place for average people to learn about new recipes and try them themselves.
One video from cooking and food profile Eva Koper, which has gathered nearly 3 million likes, encourages people to eat healthy by showing it doesn’t always have to be boring or unenjoyable.
10. Mental health conversations
Even as rates of mental illness, anxiety and depression have risen in recent years, creating a national mental health crisis among young people, one can safely say the conversation and awareness about mental health care has increased as well.
TikToker rozysmagicalworld highlights the importance of speaking up about mental health even if it’s just in your own close circle or family. “I may not be the password child” – aka the parents’ favorite child – “but I’m the one who taught my family about mental health,” she noted.
