Israeli Doctor Exposes Health Fake News: 'Most of What’s on Social Media Isn’t Real'
Police said an anesthesiologist whose license was suspended, Dr. Yochai Raviv, worked at several hospitals in Israel and became known for his Instagram and TikTok accounts, “Call the Anesthesiologist,” where he takes on videos of “health fake news” and offers his viewers real medical explanations, alongside humorous reactions to influencers who brazenly spread false information. In an interview with Walla, he explained where the idea for the videos came from, how widespread he believes fake news is on social media, and offered tips on how to identify videos with unreliable information.
Dr. Raviv, who is known for his social media page, “Call the Anesthesiologist” / Screenshot, Instagram, yochayraviv
How it all started
Dr. Raviv says his social media journey began in 2016 with a small YouTube channel he launched, where he provided professional content for health-care professionals, mainly medical interns and paramedics. It was a niche channel that reached about 5,000 followers at its peak.
During the Iron Swords War, Dr. Raviv was part of a team responsible for upgrading the medical corps doctrine. He received permission to share non-classified medical findings on social media, and those videos helped his pages gain momentum.
But the real breakthrough came with his response video to a clip by a social media influencer who claimed that ice cream is healthier than an apple. Raviv said he came across the video while on a night shift at the hospital and felt he “just had to respond.” At 2 a.m. he filmed a reply to the original video, and it spread quickly among people, reaching thousands of views.
According to Dr. Raviv, after that video he was exposed to “all the bullshit and fake stuff going around online,” and realized there was a major need to talk about basic things. He began filming himself responding to fake videos in the health field, but gradually understood that this was a much broader phenomenon, one that is also very common in the economic sphere, investments, stocks, real estate, and more.
How widespread is the phenomenon
Since then, Dr. Raviv has continued to publish videos confronting fake news on social media. He says users send him at least four or five videos every day that they want him to respond to. As time goes by, he says, he understands more and more how social media is a source of false information and disinformation.
He added that in his opinion, “most of the information on social media is fake, there is more fake than truth.” According to him, “even on pages of relatively well-known influencers, there are many inaccuracies, misinterpretations of studies, and overexcitement over results.”
How to tell whether the information is reliable
Asked how people can tell whether information on social media is based on facts or not, the anesthesiologist said one effective way to filter online content is to look up degrees and licenses. In his view, most fake-news creators are people without a license, permit, or official degree.
He stressed that this does not mean, unequivocally, that everyone with a degree tells the truth and everyone without one necessarily spreads fake news, but said it is an effective first filter.
Another tip Dr. Raviv shared is to try to understand what information the video is based on. He recommends not relying on videos in which the “proof of effectiveness” is based on a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation with a satisfied customer, which could be fake, and to prefer those that mention studies and scientific data.
The anesthesiologist’s third piece of advice is to be especially skeptical if the video ends with a coupon code. If the creator of the video has a financial interest, it is not certain that they are truly considering your health interest.
Proving fake is much harder than creating fake
Dr. Raviv is not acting alone. There are many professionals, including doctors, dietitians, fitness trainers, and economists, trying to deal with the phenomenon of fake news online. Each has their own Instagram page, but they help one another confront the growing problem.
According to Dr. Raviv, “proving fake is much harder than creating fake, so cooperation helps.” The experts share videos they have come across and try to publish as many real explanations as possible to the general public.
