O3271: Steroid Surge: Exploring the Discussion Around Steroid Use on the Popular Kids App Tik Tok

Background: Anabolic steroids (AS) are substances that provide physical advantages to individuals who are looking to build muscle and improve strength. Tik Tok is a social media app containing over 1.5 billion users. Tik Tok’s algorithm personalizes the content it shows users based on what it thinks they want to see. On the app, many users are discussing their experience with AS use positively, showing their bodies while using steroids (Figure 1). Considering the dangerous number of content creators (CC) who are advertising their AS use and the ease with which anyone can buy AS illegally online, it is imperative that we examine the content and messaging of these videos to know what information these teens are absorbing.

Methods: A web scraper collected the top 403 videos found under three hashtags: #trentok, #geartok, #anabolic. The following data was collected about CC and their posts: 1) view count; 2) career; 3) age; 4) gender; 5) advice on AS use; 6) steroids mentioned; 7) discussing AS risks; 8) opinions on AS.

Results: 150 videos (20,383,594 views) met inclusion criteria. 0% of videos about AS were made by medical professionals, 75% (n=112) by fitness professionals and competitors (FCP), 21% (n=31) by laypersons, and 5% (n=7) were unknown. 3% (n=4) of CC were 0-18 years old, 79% (n=119) were 19-35, 14% (n=21) were 36 or older, and 4% (n=6) were unknown. 81% (n=121) of CC were males, 15% (n=22) were females, and 4% (n=7) were unknown. 30% of CC (n=45) provided advice on how to take steroids. All steroid advice came from FCP, with 40% (n=45) of FCP giving advice on how to take steroids while 0% (n=0) of laypersons did so. See Figure 2 for information about which steroids were mentioned. 86% (n=129) of CC avoided discussing the risks of AS. More specifically, 83% (n=93) of FCP did not discuss risks while 97% (n=30) of laypersons also did not. 97% (n=146) of CC expressed positive opinions about AS while 3% (n=4) were negative.

Conclusion: Many of the videos about AS show seemingly impossible muscle growth. For teens who may be struggling with their self image, AS may appear to be an easy route to achieving a desired physique. With videos on the app presenting AS in a positive light, teens are not properly being informed of the dangers of AS. Moving forward, it is important for clinicians to give patients the full picture about the harms of AS abuse especially when noting rapid body changes. Additionally, clinicians must combat the spread of misinformation online by producing their own videos that depict the truth about AS.