Physicians and biomedical scientists are increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs of a disturbing wave of social media harassment, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open that raises questions about what more social media platforms and health care organizations can do to protect the professionals who save lives and advocate fiercely on their patients’ behalf.
For the study, “Physician and Biomedical Scientist Harassment on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” researchers surveyed over 350 physicians and scientists who were recruited on Twitter—now called “X”—about online harassment. About two-thirds reported harassment on social media. There was typically more than one trigger of harassment for each respondent, with nearly 90% reporting harassment on the basis of their advocacy.
“I have over 30 threats to rape, kill or assault me posted to Twitter, Reddit” and other websites, one respondent commented. “I have lost count of the number of law-enforcement reports I have made, but the accounts that make the most direct threats are almost always anonymous.”
Another commented: “The harassment is out of control and social media platforms don’t seem to care, and don’t ... protect us in any way.”
Of the physicians and scientists who reported any online harassment, these shares reported harassment based on:
- Gender: 45%.
- Race or ethnicity: 27%.
- Sexual orientation: 13%.
- Disability: 6%.
More than 80% of Black respondents also reported harassment based on race or ethnicity, compared with 69% of Hispanic physicians and scientists, 52% of Asian respondents and 15% of white people.
Meanwhile, 64% reported harassment related to comments about the COVID-19 pandemic while 31% reported being sexually harassed and 18% said their private information was shared—a practice known as doxxing.
“This is a problem that’s getting worse at a time when physicians and scientists should be able to be using social media even more to promote accurate public health information,” said corresponding author Regina Royan, MD, MPH, an emergency physician at the University of Michigan. “Many physician organizations and folks like the surgeon general are calling for physicians to be more active at combatting misinformation on social media because this is the way that many people are consuming health information.
“And what we’ve found frustrating is that when physicians and scientists are entering this space to do those things—which we feel is part of our role as physicians—we’re met with online harassment and there aren’t many existing protections in that space,” Dr. Royan added.
While this analysis does not specifically map out solutions, here are some tips for addressing online harassment.
Recognize harassment is out there
“It’s important to know that harassment is out there and that this does happen. Some of the most successful people I’ve seen on social media address it head on or are fully aware of what they’re getting into and even make light of it,” said co-author AMA member Vineet Arora, MD, MD, dean for medical education at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.
“We should be honest, because harassment on social media is mentally taxing and can be turned into physical threats in front of your home too,” Dr. Arora said. “What we’re trying to do is shed light on the harm and highlight resources.”
Put protective policies in place
“One of the big things we can do is advocate for our organizations to have harassment policies in place,” Dr. Royan said. That is particularly important “when harassment escalates to things like physical harassment, stalking and professional doxxing.”
“It would behoove a lot of organizations to have policies in place so they’re not on the back foot when this happens because we’ve heard from several colleagues who have experienced it,” she added. “Our organizations need to have policies and protections in place to protect their physicians and scientists.”
The AMA has policy on medical and public health misinformation online, bullying in medicine, and violence against physicians and medical facilities.
Join forces with others
“It might help to be part of a community or part of a team who is doing this together so that if you need to take a break, you take a break. If you need to be part of the team, you can be part of the team,” Dr. Arora said. “There’s been examples of social media teams who post together—that way you’re not isolated.”
“The other thing is if you’re harassed, you need to tell somebody about it. Tell your employer. Tell the people you work with so that you’re not suffering in silence,” she said. “There’s life on the other side. … You’re not alone and there are resources.”
