Who's The Expert Now?

Like many others, the first place I go to when I have a health question, is the internet.

It is fast, quick, easy, and I don’t have to waste any time or money. As Lewis (2009) speaks about our generation being “cyberchondriacs,” this explains how whenever we worry about anything to do with our health, the first place we go to is the internet.
This can bring on issues such as a lack of communication and misinformation between us and others when it comes to our health. Literally, being a life threatening issue. It is not one of those topics you can easily ignore. As Social Networking- The New You blog speaks about this issue too, she highlights our reliance on our iPhones for health information Apps, which is just another new technology towards health information evolving.

Does this mean we can now too be ‘experts’ with information we have so easily found?

Could it be true that, gone are the days of working towards a 7 year degree to be able to speak about health information correctly, now all we need is a few key words typed into a search engine?

Dr. Jenifer Ashton explains that in the end, it is not what you know, but how you apply the information that is where the true art of medicine lies.




References
CBS, 2009. Doctors Online Medical Info. YouTube video, posted November 2.Accessed April 1, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxNGuodw7Ho

Lewis, T. 2006. Seeking health information on the internet: lifestyle choice or bad attack of cyberchondria? Media, Culture & Society, volume 28, issue 4: 521-539.

Social Networking- The New You, 2011. Is Your Iphone Your New Doctor? http://lucythomas33-socialmediathenewyou.blogspot.com/2011/04/is-your-iphone-your-new-doctor.html.

The Ultimate Blockout

Tuesday, as I waited at the lights to cross the road in the city, my iPod in my ears, phone in my hand, I realised how the other 15 or so people around me were all the same. We were all so disconnected to each other, listening to our own personal music, or busy on our phones, barely paying attention to our surroundings. Although we were all strangers, this made me understand how these days we can easily block out so much with technology. Erin explains in her blog how people are so connected to their mobile phone, which is essentially the same concept. Although mobile phones are more difficult to use when doing everyday aspects like shopping, unlike the iPod which can be left in unconsciously 24/7.
Aspects like the sound of traffic or people around you, was once acknowledged and accepted, now it is blocked out and ignored, isolating ourselves from the world, yet again. Deuze (2011) explains this in his reading how media is disappearing from our consciousness, and merging as a part of our life. In the image (to the right) it shows newborn babies with headphones already on, could this be the future?
Although this has been going on for a very long time already, sometimes it is important to soak up your surroundings and be involved in the world, rather than always disconnecting yourself so easily. We’ve become too heavily reliant on these technologies, which once were just luxuries, yet now have become permanent parts of our lives for many.


References



CubikMusik. 2010. “Cubik Musik in 2010,” 20 posts categorized "CubikMusik Info," January 16. Accessed April 3, 2011. http://cubikmusik.typepad.com/cubikmusik/cubikmusik_info/.

Deuze, M. 2011. Media Life. In Media, Culture & Society, Volume 33, issue 1, pp. 137-148.

Ryan, E. 2011. "Me and My Mobile Phone: Best Friends Forever!" Erin Ryan. Accessed April 4, 2011. http://erin-ryan.blogspot.com/2011/04/me-and-my-mobile-phone-best-friends.html

Betty on the Internet

You have a new friend request! Who’s added you on Facebook?
Well you have 1 mutual friend, Abdusah Sadahmale, another who added you a while ago, so you add them, why not!

But it’s these situations where you’ve allowed possibly anyone, a key into your whole world. Access to photos, information, friends, posts, interests, so many facts about you, accessed by a random that you don’t even realise, all by clicking “Allow”.
Security on the internet is a very loosely used term. With the amount of people using the internet increasing significantly each year, safety is becoming overlooked. As Rosie’s New Media Reflections blog speaks about safety on the internet, she highlights the risks of cyber bullying.

That also links to Hamelink (2006) questions “Can the choice of a fictive personality (“persona”) do harm to other users and how well should one protect one’s privacy?” It all comes down to your own choice; however tools like Facebook Places invade our privacy to a whole new level. We need to remember that the internet never forgets, so what’s put on it will last forever.

People forget the lack of security on the internet due to feeling comfortable in their surroundings when online, which can result in your privacy being invaded. If you are not aware and careful of this, it can result in a dangerous situation.




References
Hamelink, C. (2006). The Ethics of the Internet: Can we cope with Lies and Deceit on the Net? In Ideologies of the Internet, K. Sarikakis & Daya Thussu, pp. 115-130. New Jersey: Hampton Press.

Monty, C. “Is your privacy about to disappear forever?” Last modified February 21, 2009. http://www.blippitt.com/is-your-privacy-about-to-disappear-forever

Rosie’s New Media Reflection. 2011. “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but online taunts will haunt you.” 27 March 2011. Accessed 28th March 2011. http://rosiesnewmediareflections.blogspot.com/