Social Media and the news can instantly diagnose you with what can possibly be wrong it you.
Storified by Yenifer29 ·
Tue, Feb 16 2016 04:44:01
If you are not feeling well, I bet that the first thing you do is google your symptoms, and in a matter of seconds, you will get a long list of what you possibly have. Not many people go to their doctors anymore to get better, they try to deal with it at home. This has become a problem because many people arent getting treated the right way. For example, Dr; Oz will diagnose you in a matter of 60 minutes with 5 things that can possibly be wrong with you if you have any of those symptoms. Even though there are regulations that keep him from doing so, anyone watching the show will convince themselves that something is terribly wrong with them.
The moment I have a symptom, I go on Web MD to see what is my diagnosis. Usually I google "when to see doctor" and usually I conclude that I am just being paranoid and its not that serious. On the other hand, some become hypochondriacs. Every single possible disease that they come across,, they place them selves in that category. The media has a strong influence on most when it comes to their health, whether its telling you how to deal with an illness or how to prevent an illness, but many people take that information in and try to incorporate it into their lifestyle.
Another media influence when it comes to health conditions would be the news outlets such as CNN and FOX news. When EBOLA was "breaking news" everyone was advised to check themselves for a fever, or anyone around them. Hospitals would quarantine anyone they believed had EBOLA, planes where being evacuated if someone sneezed. They gave the public anxiety about anyone simply having a common cold, everyone looked suspicious. Parents were advised to keep their kids from school if they had any of the possible symptoms. Not only was it something to worry about when simply just going out to the store, but it was on the news around the clock, you could not get away from EBOLA.
Also, twitter as a social media is a huge influence of "healthy living" Scrolling down your timeline there is all these graphs on daily works outs,how to work out, how to eat, what to eat. All you see on twitter is these "tea tox" drinks that make you healthier, and advertisemen on these shakes. Also there is this "hair, skin, nails" pills that make your keratin healthier, you hair longer, your nails stronger and many people buy into it.
Comercials, advertising all these miracle supplements that are suppose to make your illness better, anything from diabetes, to depression, they advertise it all. Along witht those advertisements, the have all these life threatning syptoms that might come along with taking these supplements. These are an efficient way for these medecine companys to get people to buy their products, to better their health.
This article has a diffrent view on media, and how it affects health in young people. According to this article, exposure to media can lead to substance abuse, sexual abuse, and eating patters. Media is a strong influencer on youth. Especially social media, where young people communicate with others their age, and engage in open conversations. Media also sexualizes to sell, which influences youth to try sexual activity at a young age, even if they havent been properly educated in it.
Media can also have an impact on ones mental health. According to this article, many people are addicted to social media. This can take a negative affect on mental health because if one is far from any social media for to long, they becomen anxious. Also researchers say that when someone is on social media too much such as facebook, they become less confident because they are contantly comparing them selves to others and their achivements.
Social media: how does it affect our mental health and well-being?In 1971, the first email was delivered. More than 40 years on, social media has taken the world by storm. Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are now used by 1 in 4 people worldwide. Such activity may seem harmless, but some researchers suggest social media may affect our mental health and well-being.
Sleeping habbits can be impacted by media also. It is known to disrupt ones sleep cycle because exposure to bright light from a screen late at night may rewire the brain to think it is day time, therefore not letting one sleep. long term use of social media devices causes short sleep patterns, diruptive sleeppatterns. This results in mood swings, and bad concentration.
Social Media and Sleep: Is There a Problem?SEATTLE -- Teens and young adults who are heavy users of social media are more likely to have sleep habits that go against all recommendations, but whether there is a causal connection -- and in which direction -- has yet to be established, according to several studies reported here.