From “neurospicy” to HealthTok: reframing the healthcare conversation for Gen Z

If you want a hilarious – or despairing – lesson in how ill-informed media can distort complex subjects, watch Cunk on Earth or Cunk on Life. In these sharply executed parodies, the clueless but confident Philomena Cunk (brilliantly portrayed by Diane Morgan) maintains a completely straight face while asking the most absurd or misinformed questions of world-renowned experts. Presenting wildly inaccurate “facts” with full confidence, Cunk is not afraid to argue with the academics, often referring them to something she saw on YouTube that definitively proves her case.

It’s funny because it’s uncomfortably familiar. For healthcare professionals, it mirrors the challenge of debunking misinformation patients find online – often delivered with the same misplaced confidence.

HealthTok: where Gen Z scrolls for wellness

In Australia, 1 in 6 people – and a staggering 36% of Gen Z – report seeking health advice via social media instead of seeing a GP. Women are twice as likely as men to do so.

TikTok has become a digital health hub, dubbed HealthTok. Gen Z users are curating their wellness journeys through short-form videos covering everything from mental health to gut health. Fifty-six per cent of Gen Z say TikTok is a go-to source for health information, and 1 in 3 say it is their primary source.

Australia is at the forefront of this shift. Around 79% of millennials and Gen Z Australians have followed TikTok or social media-driven health advice – more than in many comparable countries.

When digital trends carry real risk

While peer-led content offers community and accessibility, it can be dangerously misleading. Studies show that just 2.1% of nutrition-related TikTok videos are accurate, while more than 83% of mental health content is misleading.

One in 11 Gen Zs report having experienced health issues after following TikTok advice – including dangerous behaviours like staring at the sun.

Research from La Trobe University found that 53% of TikTok videos about birth control discouraged hormonal contraception. Only 10 per cent were made by certified health professionals, while 30% came from “hormonal health coaches” with no formal credentials. This risks distorting reproductive decisions and increasing unplanned pregnancies.

The issue is compounded when two-thirds of young Australians now trust social platforms more than established medical sources – even in the face of rising stress, anxiety, and low help-seeking rates for mental health.

From memes to meaning: where identity meets health

But Gen Z’s healthcare behaviours aren’t just about where they get information. It’s also about how they express identity and seek connection. They aren’t just rejecting traditional medical gatekeepers – they’re rewriting the language of health entirely.

Take neurospicy, for example.

Embracing “neurospicy”: language as empowerment

Fifty-three per cent of Gen Z identify as neurodiverse – and many now embrace the playful label “neurospicy”.

Coined online in the early 2020s, neurospicy reframes neurodivergence – including ADHD, autism and dyslexia – not as medical disorders but as flavourful, vibrant identities. The term was created by and for neurodivergent communities as an alternative to pathologising labels like “mild autism”.

The Women’s Mental Health Podcast describes neurospicy as a way to “strike a chord of shared understanding without the heavy cloak of clinical terms”. Its metaphor of a richly spiced brain evokes depth, intensity and variety – not deficiency.

It’s not a clinical term, and some critics warn against trivialising real struggles. But many in the community celebrate it as liberating and identity-affirming. Like many Gen Z movements, neurospicy uses humour, empathy and relatability to make health more human.

Language matters – and so does who shapes it

As Diabetes Australia wrote in 2016:

“The way language is used – both verbal and written – reflects and shapes our thoughts, beliefs and behaviours… Words do more than reflect people’s reality: they create reality.”

That insight is even more relevant today, as digital natives forge a new health narrative based on values of inclusion, relatability and co-created meaning.

What this means for healthcare entrepreneurs

So, if you’re a healthcare entrepreneur, what should you do in light of these trends?

Speak the language of your audience

Terms like neurospicy matter because they come from within communities, not imposed upon them. Healthcare campaigns can take note: respectful, inclusive language builds trust and speaks to lived experience – not just clinical authority.

Beware, though, that you will be judged by your actions as well as your words. Don’t claim to be a neuroaffirming practice unless this flows through every aspect of your service delivery.

Join, don’t ignore, the HealthTok movement

TikTok isn’t going away. Health professionals can use it to deliver bite-sized, evidence-backed videos that debunk misinformation while engaging with popular trends.

Just look at Dr Mike on YouTube. He’s done an excellent job of debunking medical myths, fad diets and dangerous TikTok trends.

Collaborate with trusted creators

TikToks made by certified professionals get more engagement than those by unqualified influencers. Strategic partnerships with creators can help amplify accurate health messaging in formats Gen Z already trusts.

Design healthcare journeys with Gen Z in mind

McKinsey reports that Gen Z is both digitally savvy and more likely than older groups to switch providers. Only 42% trust doctors by default – and 38% place trust in social media. Engage them early for mental health, reproductive care and preventive services to build lifelong relationships.

Teach critical media literacy

Finally, there’s an opportunity to go beyond content creation. Equip Gen Z with tools to critically assess health information online. Teach them to verify sources, question trends and cross-check advice. That’s a sorely needed skill these days.

The takeaway: meet Gen Z in their world

Neurospicy and HealthTok aren’t passing fads – they’re signals of a deeper shift. Gen Z is reshaping health conversations, claiming ownership over language, identity and information.

For healthcare innovators in Australia, the message is clear: to lead the future of care, you must first listen – and then create, communicate and educate in the spaces where Gen Z already lives.

In their language. On their terms. With evidence, empathy and trust.