In all aspects of our media lives, we are bombarded with health issues; from the latest detox craze in women's magazines to the reality television show The Biggest Loser, and of course endorsement after endorsement for diet shakes, pills and vitamins. Except now the emphasis is on the individual. My health, my search, my Google.
Goodbye dodgy waiting room couches, screaming children spreading their germs with every uncovered sneeze and year old magazines. Now I can cradle my soup, tissue box at the ready and get my own diagnosis, all with the click of a mouse. But should I? Although the abundance of information has been said to ensure empowerment of the individual, one thing that is not always ensured is its accuracy (Lewis, 2006).
Although I'm definitely not a fan of doctors' surgeries or hospitals, like Jessica in her blog New Media Musings, I'm not convinced that Google has all the answers. So I'll pick a corner in the waiting room, armed with a good book and hand sanitiser at the ready, and I'll wait my turn.
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References:
Lewis, T. (2006). Seeking health information on the internet: lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria? Media, Culture & Society, volume 28, issue 4: 521-539.
Shutterstock. "Medical Icons On Computer" Accessed April 10, 2011. http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-60036143/stock-vector-medical-icons-on-computer-keyboard-buttons-original-illustration.html
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