Week 6: I feel sick; To Google, or not to Google...

As any other child, I used to come crying to my parents with deep cuts, wounds or bruises after an active day in the park. But with my dads´ phobia related to anything with blood, he used to look at me and say: “you might have to amputate, Janicke.” With this, I naturally adopted his phobia for blood, stitches or anything related to a hospital. However, when it comes to our health, serious illnesses, diseases or symptoms we may have, we should definitely not solely turn to Google search and trust the information we find there. Even though the smell of the waiting rooms makes me feel nauseas, I’ve always gone to a doctor when I’ve suspected something being wrong with me.  However, with the rise of the web 2.0 and our opportunity to contribute with any information possible, it has become the “ultimate tool for individual self-management in relation to health” (Lewis 2006, 525). This has again led to “cyberchondria,  (t)he risks of online self-diagnosis” (Blake, 2010), which should be taken very seriously. 

On the other hand, I believe the Internet is an excellent source when it comes to gathering information about fitness exercises, nutrition or simple health questions.  Obviously we shouldn’t trust forums where people can be anonymous, but in today’s online society, there are a lot of educated people within the health and wellbeing sector that offer reliable information online. You just have to be critical and choose your sources carefully. 

Nevertheless, don’t assume Dr. Google can replace Dr. John´s knowledge under any circumstances. 

References: 

Blake, Spencer. "Cyberchondria: The Risks of Online Self-Diagnosis." Last modified    November 1, 2010. http://www.newschannel6now.com/Global/story.asp?S=13521183.

Dr. Google. http://fffff.at/dr-google/. 


Fackeldey, Jaqueline. "Dokter Google en de zorgconsument: Wie licht wie voor?". Image. Accessed April, 11. 2011. http://www.fackeldeyfinds.com/dokter-google-en-de-zorgconsument-wie-licht-wie-voor/. 

Lewis, T. (2006). Seeking health information on the internet: lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria? In Media, Culture & Society, volume 28, issue 4: 521-539.