Internet

What effect has the internet had on healthcare? Aleks Krotoski in this Sunday’s Observer writes a brilliant piece in the series Untangling the web

The web is having a profound effect on how we understand and how we do health.Last week, Bupa and the London School of Economics released the results of an international healthcare survey. More than 12,000 people across 12 different countries were asked about their attitudes towards ageing, chronic diseases and health and wellbeing. The report, Health Pulse 2010, made headlines around the world, not just because it coincided with people kickstarting the new year by logging on to fitness websites or checking their flu symptoms, but also because it fed our concerns about the web: it condemned online health information and us for believing in it.

Curious? Continue reading
Source:The Guardian

internet-surfing-1.jpgPeople who spend a lot of time browsing the net are more likely to show depressive symptoms, according to the first large-scale study of its kind in the West by University of Leeds psychologists.

Researchers found striking evidence that some users have developed a compulsive internet habit, whereby they replace real-life social interaction with online chat rooms and social networking sites. The results suggest that this type of addictive surfing can have a serious impact on mental health. [continue reading…]

internet-surfing-1.jpgBelief that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me,” has gone by the wayside in the 21st century. With the advent of text messaging, online chat groups and social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube, adolescent pranks can be elevated to hysteria and cruel remarks “blasted” to millions in mere seconds. Recently, a text message and MySpace bulletin warned California students that a shooting rampage would take place the next day on campus. The threat went “viral” as friends warned each other via text messages and email, resulting in two-thirds of the student body staying home from school the next day. Although the message was later determined to be a hoax, the fear and consequences were real. [continue reading…]