Episode Summary Welcome to The Dr. Brian’s Health Show, a weekly podcast where Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler uses his decades of experience in medicine and ability as an expert researcher to provide a light-hearted approach and share health trends popular on TikTok. In this episode, Dr. Brian provides his analysis on today’s topic: Confessions of a Social Media Influencer. What inspired Dr. Brian to write INFLUENCED ? How can a rush of dopamine impact your judgment or decision-making skills? What can happen when a successful doctor goes viral on TikTok? Find out in today’s episode! If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love it if you leave the show a Rating & Review at RateThisPodcast.com/NoCap Key Takeaways 01:12 – Dr. Brian makes an exciting announcement about his upcoming book at https://www.influencedsocialmedia.com and introduces today’s topic: Confessions of a Social Media Influencer 02:02 – Dr. Brian takes a moment to thank the other influencers who helped make his book possible, including Dr. Tony Youn, Dr. Fayez Ajib, and many more 03:07 – The inspiration to write, INFLUENCED 04:11 – Three confessions of a TikTok influencer 05:15 – Dr. Brian’s journey to becoming an influencer 08:53 – TikTok Purgatory and Dr. Brian’s first viral video 10:52 – A dopamine rush unlike any other 12:54 – One Million Followers and ‘Learned Helplessness’ 16:03 – Dr. Brian provides a quick recap of today’s episode and provides sage advice on social media and the impact it can have on all of our lives Tweetable Quotes “I came up with three reasons for testing my chops on TikTok. It might be a good way to dispel misinformation being spread. I could gain a more comprehensive perspective as part of my research for the book. And, as I will explain in full subsequent chapters, I thought it showed some promise of providing me with fun and a pleasurable dopamine rush.” (05:40) (Dr. Brian) “There were also occasions when I misstepped and accidentally violated the TikTok community guidelines. Here’s an invaluable hint for every TikTok influencer wannabe. Never post a video of eye surgery on TikTok Live. If you do not heed my advice, welcome to TikTok purgatory.” (08:53) (Dr. Brian) “I cannot do justice to describing the elated feeling that enveloped me on my drive home. I had earned my share of accomplishments throughout my career as a medical professional and surgeon, but had never felt anything like this before. The dopamine swarming in my brain made me feel higher than a coffee addict breaking into a Starbucks coffee shop in the envelope of darkness to swipe all the espresso beans and manically knock back one shot after the other.” (10:52) (Dr. Brian) “Once the viral videos resumed, I approached being an Influencer from an entirely different perspective, one that was grounded and healthy. I had to control my dopamine balance and always put my family first. They are far more important to me than my millions of followers.” (15:42) (Dr. Brian) “So there you have it. My confession. I am a recovered TikTok-aholic. Being an influencer has the potential to be addictive and destructive. Mine is a cautionary tale. But at least I can say I safely made it to the other side with my sanity and family intact.” (16:03) (Dr. Brian) Resources Mentioned NCHS Links Mentioned NCHS Footer Powered by FullCast