February 4, 2026
If you’re seeing this article via social media, odds are you won’t read beyond the headline. Research led by Penn State bears this out: a review of 35 million news links circulated on Facebook found that more than 75% were shared without the “sharer” clicking, let alone reading, the content. As a culture that’s perpetually attached to our smartphones and screens, countless platforms, people and content are available to us 24/7. It’s not surprising to acknowledge what multiple studies have concluded: the human attention span has constricted to about eight seconds, on par with that of a goldfish.
Today’s information landscape — what we’re consuming and where — has undergone a rapid and profound transformation. As more people flock to social media, it is increasingly being cast as a reliable source of news. Pew Research’s Social Media News Fact Sheet notes that 38% of U.S. adults say they regularly get news on Facebook and 35% say the same about YouTube. As a result, new communities, platforms and voices are rising to the forefront—from Reddit to Substack to “newsfluencers,” journalist-adjacent personalities who wield incredible influence over what their followers believe to be true.
The ease and adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has also led to a steady escalation of information gathering led by AI-powered search, like Google’s AI summaries. This signals a potential reduction in direct engagement with original content sources. With a glut of information that can’t always be reliably sourced, communication has hit a crossroads, and winning the “attention economy” has never been more challenging, especially in healthcare.
If everyone is talking, how can healthcare companies ensure that anyone is even listening and, more importantly, acting on life-changing and lifesaving information?
To realize the future of health — one fueled by medical and scientific innovation — how can we break through within this infodemic? For healthcare communicators, understanding the new landscape is not optional; it’s essential. And learning to navigate through an approach that considers the 3 Cs — consumption habits, credibility thresholds and catalyst potential — is critical to building engagement that improves health outcomes.
Consumption Challenges in the “Algorithmic Age”
Traditional media channels, while still holding some trust (especially local news), are no longer the primary sources of information for many. Now, digital channels are part of the consumer news diet, especially among younger adults. Pew notes that about half of U.S. adults (53%) say they get news from social media. Women are more likely to regularly get news from Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, while men are more likely to get news from YouTube, X and Reddit. For younger people, platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and X are the most common platforms for news. Niche communities like Reddit, hailed as a “social media dark horse” by MM+M, are on the rise, offering a space that “thrives on depth, trust and community.” Adding to the content swirl, YouTube recently reported that over 1 billion people view and listen to podcasts on its channel monthly.
While YouTube tends to feature longer-form content, YouTube Shorts — similar to Instagram Reels or TikTok — are also gaining traction. In Q1 2025, YouTube Shorts viewing was up 20% year over year. As people continue to seek information in personalized, digital spaces, the algorithms that guide those spaces decide what content people will see based on their preferences and behaviors. While algorithms can create individualized experiences, they can also reinforce potential biases, creating personally curated echo chambers. This makes it even more difficult to break through. For healthcare communicators, it’s critical to cultivate a deep understanding of where target audiences are truly spending their time and actively consuming content, moving beyond conventional news outlets to embrace these emerging digital ecosystems.
Credibility Is Dynamic and Audience-Specific
The concept of “credibility” has also evolved significantly. What one audience finds credible, another may not, and this can be heavily influenced by algorithmic filtering and individual preferences. While traditional journalistic ethics remain important, the rise of “newsfluencers,” who leverage platforms like newsletters, podcasts and social media to shape narratives, means that credibility can also be gained through perceived expertise and personal connection. Healthcare communicators are challenged to assess credibility not just by the outlet’s reputation, but by how a specific target audience perceives the source. Understanding this dynamic requires a nuanced knowledge of audience psychology and media habits.
Catalyzing Action: The Right Place, the Right Message
Beyond reaching audiences where they consume information and establishing credibility, the true measure of impact in healthcare communications is driving tangible action. Whether that action is a patient talking to their doctor, a healthcare professional adopting a new practice or an individual seeking more information, communications must be designed with a clear behavioral objective in mind. This means strategically selecting channels that not only deliver the message but also facilitate the desired next step. To accomplish this, communicators must leverage data on historical engagement, predicted performance and audience behavior within specific channels to optimize measurable outcomes.
In the attention economy, relevance reigns. Considering that the vast majority of people are not reading beyond headlines on social, it’s essential to make sure headlines are compelling and induce curiosity.
To truly resonate and drive engagement, it’s even more important to make sure communications are personal, relevant to the audience’s specific needs and inherently shareable. The goal is to not only capture attention but also encourage further exploration and share outs within an individual’s trusted networks.
Integrated Media Strategies, Supported by Data and Expertise
Effective healthcare communications in this landscape demands a truly integrated approach that goes beyond combining earned, paid and social media. Instead, it’s about strategically aligning these efforts based on deep audience insights. Leveraging data and analytical tools to better understand consumption patterns, assess channel credibility from the audience’s perspective and predict catalyst potential (the likelihood of driving action) is paramount. This requires deep, up-to-the-minute healthcare communications expertise that includes knowledge of evolving platforms and their nuances and a collaborative, data driven approach.
Winning the Attention Economy
In order to thrive, healthcare innovation needs engagement — stakeholders need to be able to understand it, access it and feel the importance of medical and scientific breakthroughs in their lives. When they do, that’s the sweet spot where healthcare companies and brands can reach their full potential to realize the future of health.
To learn more, reach out to mediaimpact@gcihealth.com