...But Google said it was a tumour!?

No, the lump on your head and frequent headaches do not mean you should quit your job, tell your boss and mother-in-law that you hate them and take up base jumping, because wait for it... Shock horror - a Google symptom search is by not ALWAYS (if ever) on the money! If this is a revelation to you, then you should probably reassess your relationship with Google. 

Check again Doc, Google says I really should I be dead by now!
(https://thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/do-you-ever-feel-that-web-md-is-out-to-get-you/; accessed April 11, 2011)

Of course, one can be forgiven for taking advantage of the convenient and embarrassment/ cost free diagnosis from time to time, if not simply for amusements sake. But as Jess raised in her 'Just Google It' entry, when it comes to concerns of the health variety, Google is not the place to look for conclusive answers.


Despite having the buzzword, 'cyberchondria' pinned on us 'younger' folk, Lewis (2006) credits the demographic as being better educated and affluent with the current population. Which provokes the thought - are we so immersed in health horror stories, or know too much about things we really know nothing about, to differentiate between a legit and an outrageous DIY diagnosis? Are we becoming victims of the endless expanses of knowledge we have available to us? 

(Insert Arnold Swarchenegger voice) IT IS NART A TUMOR!
(http://srslyliz.com/page/113/; accessed April 11, 2011)

In short, your health is not something that should be left in the hands of the online community. There is no way of telling that the random advisor you reach has any form of accreditations, so when they tell you that your spleen is going to rupture before you finish reading the sentence, laugh it off. And if it is of real concern, consult a real doctor! Use that brain of yours!




REFERENCES


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

We Want You, But the Culturally Acceptable Version Please.

When asked to consider myself as a brand, and what sort of image my online profile conveys, my mind jumped to the blindingly obvious; ones were my physical image, yes i'm a notorious un-tagger, especially if a photo is posted that doesn't portray the right impression of me - i.e 10 cocktails later and not behaving particularly ladylike... Then there is the music choices I put up (or rather didn't put up... No I don't still love the Backsteet Boys...), the family connections I confirm, the interests I profess, the language I use... All of these things portray a watered down, censored version of me. To be honest, there are few people in my 'friends' list who know the real me. But what about the rest? What do people infer from what you share online?

Life - The Ultimate Game Just Keeps Getting Thicker...
(Gallery, http://www.thechad.com.au/gallery/v/User_Album/qwerty/reality+suxzors.jpg.html, accessed  April 4, 2011)

As Deuze (2011) suggests, our lives are beginning to be lived in media, rather than with it. And for the most part, this notion is true. We are so caught up in our online presence that we spend numerous minutes/ hours out of our days posting new things on Facebook, commenting here and there; that we don't even realise we are doing it. As soon as I caved and joined the iPhone yuppy crew- I had never spent so much time on my Facebook page. It wasn't until a week later that said iPhone ended up going for a little swim, that I realised that without constant access to my Facebook world, I felt as though I was missing a limb. 


Baudrillard (1981/1994) said it perfectly - we only experience prepared realities. Everything that we immerse ourselves in, consciously or not, has been carefully crafted and blends in so seamlessly, we are unwitting consumers and creators. Sarah's New Media Blog references new media as an ocean, and it couldn't be more on the money. Her eloquent metaphor describes how immersive and deep our involvement in 'hyperreality' really is. And if one is blasé and unaware of their involvement, it becomes rather easy to begin to drown...




[REFERENCES]


Baudrillard, J. 1981/1994. "Simulacra and simulation." Cited in Leong, S. KCB206 Week 5 Lecture. Accessed April 4, 2011.


Dueze, M. 2011. “Media Life”. Media, Culture & Society 33(1): 137 -148.