Are You Suffering From Cyberchondria?
December 3rd, 2008 by Nubby
The term cyberchondria was coined back in 2000 in reference to people who jump to conclusions about their ailments when seeking out information online.
Microsoft researchers have just announced the results of their study on health-related web searches. People with health issues often use search engines to help them determine what they’re suffering from. Unfortunately, they tend to adopt a worst-case scenario. Eric Horvitz, a researcher at Microsoft says that many folks treat search engines as human experts when looking for answers. He claims that “people tend to look at just the first couple results. If they find ‘brain tumor’ or ‘A.L.S.,’ that’s their launching point.”
Usually, they just scan the first few search results and come away with the conclusion that their condition is much more serious than it really is. Naturally, this can cause anxiousness. With the assumption that they are really sick, subjects escalate their searches to seek out more information about the affliction.
According to the researchers, jumping to the worst case scenario is basic human behavior that has been backed up by decades of research. They hope to change this in the future with the development of search engines that can detect medical-related questions and offer sound advice in return.
Until then, if you’re sick, pay a visit to your doctor instead of a search engine.
Tags: cyberchondria, sickness
