#Crunchy: The Construction of Scientific and Medical Expertise and Knowledge in the Crunchy Community on TikTok

The Covid-19 pandemic brought many truths into sharp focus. One of these truths is the unstable foundations of scientific knowledge and expertise. Like anything else, they are social constructs. What defines scientific knowledge and expertise changes for different groups and people. This paper explores how the "crunchy" community on TikTok define and construct their expertise and knowledge on health and science. These creators, since they are outside the realm of traditional scientific authority, are faced with the challenge of convincing people of their beliefs. Through their content, crunchy creators build their own hybrid expertise, combining the language of science and their own personal experiences as living examples of the merits of their lifestyle.