This week our readings discussed the different realms of health and welfare, both personally, and socially. The readings discussed many aspects of health, from forming partnerships and relationships between countries, and religions, to the use of the internet for a personal health resource by patients around the world. The article that I most enjoyed was “Generation RX”. In this article is conducted a study to find out how much the youth of the world use the internet for health related searches and information use. Some of the facts I found pretty surprising, for example, 69% of those who go online use it for the retrieval of health information. I find that very hard to believe, I don’t think that I have ever used the internet for any kind of health related search, except when it was required by a class for a research project or something of the sort. Another surprising example is that only 47% of people use the internet for weight loss information. I would have thought with weight loss and fitness being a part of everyday life for most Americans that it would be one of the most popular search topics on the internet among those inclined for healthy lifestyles. But I was wrong; apparently 84% of those who search the internet use it to find out about sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and AIDS. This leads me to believe, against my own beliefs, that America is more sexually active, or concerned with STD’s and AIDS, than they are about their own weight or personal image. Surprising huh? It also seems according the results of this study that more and more people are taking the information they are discovering online for granted and believing everything they read, which should not be the case. People should be overly cautious about what they read on the internet, especially when it comes to health. The study found that those who retrieved information about health online talked with friends more about it than any other source, not even doctors to confirm their findings. I think this could lead to misinformation on a major scale, with friends believing anything they hear from other friends, this could have a snowball effect and lead to false information and potentially threaten the health of millions. Even you yourself could be one of those millions.
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I have used the Internet to find information for a specific health issue that was used to create an website as a class project. I seek information not only for class, but for myself and others. I think it's important to be cautious about information that you find on the Internet and consult your doctor about your findings because like you said the information could be false and sharing the information to others could do harm to them.I wouldn't want anything to happen to anyone. I was also surprised there was an high percentage of young people who look up information about pregnancy, AIDS and other STDS. I figured that many young people such as age 15 or 16 did this because they whether look the information up than discussing it with parents, doctors, or health education teachers. Also with teen pregnancy rising, may of them may want seek the info. about the consequences of being pregnant.
The internet use has certainly evolved in its typical use to more complicated. I agree with you on the "Generation Rx" article and it findings on the different number of people who go online for health related issues. People who go online want answers and desperately too and trust me would believe anything they see on the internet without actually verifying for sources and credibility. Although it is a very convenient and easy way of getting what you really want without actually feeling shy and wasted. So if there is a way of contacting your physician and getting reliable information then, there should be no stoping that.
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