By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
    September 10, 2025
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Heroism in Harm’s Way
    February 21, 2015
    5 Things Every Trainee GP Should Know
    August 27, 2019
    Top 5 Facts About CPPA Accreditation
    April 9, 2015
    Latest News
    Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
    September 9, 2025
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Here’s Why Teens And Young Adults Are Healthcare Digital Natives
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Here’s Why Teens And Young Adults Are Healthcare Digital Natives
eHealthMarketingTechnology

Here’s Why Teens And Young Adults Are Healthcare Digital Natives

Jonathan Catley
Jonathan Catley
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

 

Contents
  • How a Digital Generation Interacts with Healthcare
  • Preparing for the Demographic Shift

Just like older adults, teens and young adults are searching for health information online — but their online behavior is a departure from previous generations.

The average American spends 24 hours per week online, but American teens comfortably beat that average, consuming digital media for a full nine hours a day. Today’s young people socialize, listen to music, and watch TV online — it only stands to reason that they would search for health information online, too.

While it’s well-known that millions of people regularly seek out information online, a new study from Hopelab surveying more than 1300 teens and young adults aged 14 to 22 is the first to reveal granular detail about young people’s health-related digital behavior. Like adults, these young people are seeking out health information online, but how and why they use digital health technology represents a departure from older generations.

More Read

negative online doctor reviews
How Should a Doctor Respond to Online Reviews?
Top 4 Traits Every Healthcare Provider Should Have
How Your Hospital Should Be Preparing for VR Healthcare
Mobile Technology Becoming a Digital Health Concierge
A Medical Device Recall of an EHR-like Product

How a Digital Generation Interacts with Healthcare

87% of teens and young adults surveyed say that they’ve gone online to find healthcare information, which isn’t very disparate from the national average of 80%. However, teens tend to seek health information using a wider variety of digital resources than older adults. While adults are more likely to head directly to a search engine, teens may begin their healthcare search by looking up a social media hashtag.

64% of teens have also used mobile applications related to health, most commonly for fitness, sleep, meditation, and medication reminders. Additionally, 61% have read, listened to, or watched other people’s health stories online, often in the form of blog posts, podcasts, YouTube videos, or TED talks. 39% have connected with other people with health conditions similar to their own using social media groups or online forums.

Overall, young people’s online behavior is indicative of their digital fluency: they’re comfortable using a large number of digital channels to seek out health information, demonstrating that they will soon represent the most digital patient base yet. While 77% of American adults now own smartphones, 94% of those aged 18 to 29 do. As more and more of these digital natives reach the age at which they begin making their own healthcare decisions, it’s never been more important to update digital platforms and strategies to address that major demographic shift.

Preparing for the Demographic Shift

Currently, most healthcare providers are far from being ready for the digital shift, as healthcare providers have been falling short of even older adults’ digital expectations. 62% of patients report that they can’t accomplish what they want to on most mobile digital health platforms, while around 40% of respondents cited irrelevant opinions and wasted time as key problematic areas. Despite that, 49% of businesses do not have a clearly-defined digital marketing strategy.

To reach and appeal to these young digital natives, healthcare providers will need to provide a seamless digital experience. These patients expect their healthcare experiences to mirror their experiences on popular social media and e-commerce platforms, but many healthcare providers simply aren’t there yet. Healthcare providers need to invest in their digital user experience and marketing strategy now to see the payoff later.

This may require polling patients on their expectations and experiences, and then building your website and marketing strategy based on that feedback. Addressing potential issues and rolling out digital initiatives can set your practice up for long-term success.

TAGGED:digital transformationhealthcare datahealthcare marketinghealthcare searchesteensyoung people
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share
By Jonathan Catley
Follow:
Jonathan Catley is the Director of Sales and Marketing at MD Connect, Inc., a boutique digital marketing agency specializing in the healthcare industry. He writes about digital transformation for medical practices, hospitals, medical device companies, and clinical trials.

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

CardiologyRemote DiagnosticsTechnology

How Big Data Can Be Used To Prevent Fatal Heart Attack

February 16, 2018
BusinessMarketingTechnology

3 Quick Ways To Market Your Medical Practice

June 17, 2019
medical devices
Technology

Post Market Surveillance for Medical Devices: Essential or Overreaching?

May 11, 2023
Technology

How Mobile Technologies Are Changing the Face of Medicine

November 10, 2015
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?