A strong pet hate of mine is waiting at the doctors. On average I believe my doctor is always running about 15 minutes behind. So naturally, I was thrilled when I got my iPhone; a substitute for flicking through the outdated magazines.
An alternative to this physical task of ‘go-and-visit-the-doctor’ is the self-diagnosis option. People are now self-managing their health, some replacing their GP with the internet. As Lewis (2006, 522) discusses, health advice is evident across many media platforms including newspapers, television and particularly the internet which emphasises an individualised, ‘DIY subject’ on health.
For exercise ideas, tips on preventing illness and awareness of symptoms and simple remedies to relieve mild colds, I agree – why not use the internet? But where should we draw the line?
In my opinion, if you are considering purchasing medicine online, you have gone too far. In fact, I would draw the line at using the internet to solely treat a runny nose. Like Elisha discusses in her blog, not all medical information online is reliable. For the mildest of illnesses I believe it is important to seek professional medical advice you know you can trust – remember what happened on The Simpsons to Homer and Bart when Lisa gave them an online diagnosis for ‘leprosy’? I rest my case!
References
CBS Interactive inc. “Little Big Mom”. Accessed April 11, 2011. http://www.tv.com/the-simpsons/little-big-mom/episode/1521/summary.html
Lewis, T. 2006. “Seeking health information on the internet: lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria?”. Media, Culture & Society 28 (4): 521-539.
ShareTV. n.d. “The Simpsons – character guide”. Image. Accessed April 11, 2011 http://sharetv.org/shows/the_simpsons/cast/bart_simpson/quotes/pg-5
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