misinformation

Your Curiosity is Powerful

You don’t have to scroll too far or search too long to find something that makes you go hmmmmm?? Confusing and misleading information is easy to find and when it comes to our health this can not only be puzzling but damaging. So damaging in fact, that in 2024, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the Surgeon General of the United States, labeled misinformation related to health as a threat saying, “Health misinformation is a serious threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, harm people’s health, and undermine public health efforts.”

a cloud of misinformation

The next question you may be asking yourself is how? How do I know if the information I seek is true, honest, or reliable? One tip can help you navigate this and dig deeper into what you are looking at. Ready for it?

Be Curious! It can be that simple.

Pausing and being curious about the source of information, who the author is, or where the source is from can help you determine if the information you are reading is real.

Another way to be curious is to click away from the story and explore.  This can reveal the source of what you are reading, the age of the information, the mission of the organization providing the information, or the author’s credibility.

While you are exploring, be curious beyond the headline. Sometimes a headline can be outrageous. This may be done to get attention or so people will click on the link. This is known as clickbait and is done with the intention of getting you to click on it and doesn’t always provide the whole story. Reading beyond the headline provides more information and can help determine the credibility of what you are looking at.

Lastly, be curious enough to ask questions outside of the internet. If you have health-related questions checking with your provider may be safe and useful to your health. Consider who the experts are that you know or have access to and reach out to them for advice beyond the Internet. When you are considering who you can reach out to for accurate and timely information, don’t forget about your local extension offices. They can provide research-based information on agriculture, gardening, pests, youth development, parenting, food safety, budgeting, and more.

Navigating the amount of information we encounter in a day can be overwhelming and confusing, but exploring your natural curiosity can help. I love the reminder from President Lincoln, “The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you never know if they are genuine.” Good luck and happy browsing!

Written By:

Alisha Barton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Miami County, barton.345@osu.edu

Reviewed By:

 Zoie Clay, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension, Lawrence County, clay.256@osu.edu

 

 

When the Internet Becomes Your Doctor

Stand up if when you feel an ache you instantly describe your concerns to google. Ok, I will stand up and likely jump first!

We’ve all been there. We feel unwell or a loved one does so we deicide to lean into the internet for some information . Maybe someone we know, love, or ourselves received a recent diagnosis so we decide to learn a little more about the condition. Maybe the health portal gave you a blood work result that came back a little elevated so you researched what this meant. I can only speak for myself when I say, this usually feels like a good idea at first. However for many, this feeling is sometimes followed with feelings of anxiety.

According to a recent article by the University of California about 80% of Americans have used the internet to self-diagnose health issues. With this number in mind, it is easy to no longer feel like you might be the only one relying on the internet for medical advice. However, utilizing search engines to provide us with medical information can leave us stressed and in some cases with misinformation.

This overreliance on the internet for medical-related information has been found to spark feelings of anxiety when it comes to health issues. In fact, the health-related anxiety associated with internet searches has earned itself a name of its own “Cyberchondria”. Cyberchondria means the fear of illness that is worsened by online searching. The internet is readily available and the information is accessible from anywhere however, this does not mean it is accurate. Additionally, increased access to this information has even sparked confusion around medical diagnosis.

hands typing on a keyboard

So what do we need to keep in mind?

  • Websites could use unreliable sources to gather their information
  • Websites can pay to be listed a top “hit” despite reliability of information
  • Health information can summarized or simplified
  • Information used could not be from by medical professionals
  • Could share scientific or unscientific instead of clinical information
  • Information could be shared by “influencers” versus a medical professional

So how can we protect ourselves from feeling the affect of Cyberchondria? Call your doctor with concerns. Consider this, health is individual and diagnosis are complicated. How one condition affects one person may not be how it affects you. As stated, the internet generalizes health information, bringing together the best and worst of the condition or symptoms. Combat Cyberchondria by working to change habits. Try considering how you plan to use the information you find before placing your search. For example, if something comes back slightly elevated in your blood work, call your medical professional. Why? Often times, blood work is a snapshot in time of what your blood looks like at that very minute. Often diagnosis involve several rounds of blood work spread apart over a period of time. So ask yourself in this case would the internet search serve you well or cause unnecessary anxiety? Changing and adjusting habits can be challenging if you are asking a trusted person for support can help you reach your goal of stopping online searches. Ask them if you can check in with them when the urge or concern arises. Set goals to help get you there.

Health-related anxiety can be put at ease by setting boundaries with the internet and being sure to have regular wellness checks with your primary care provider. When in doubt call your provider to share with them your concerns and questions surrounding new diagnosis, results, or symptoms.

Written by: Holly Bandy, OSU Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences

Reviewed by: Katie Schlagheck, OSU Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ottawa & Sandusky Counties

References:

Anderson, L. (2021, October 8). Sick of googling symptoms and getting bad information? here’s a second opinion. University of California. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/sick-googling-symptoms-and-getting-bad-information-heres-second-opinion

Lane, P. (2023, December 2). The problem with “dr. google.” Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/am-i-dying/202312/the-problem-with-dr-google#:~:text=Key%20points,important%20for%20health%2Danxious%20patients.

Perkins, S. J. (2020, February 24). Get the facts on cyberchondria. Summa Health. https://www.summahealth.org/flourish/entries/2020/02/get-the-facts-on-cyberchondria

Stop the Spread of Misinformation

Where do you turn when you have a question related to your health? Do you talk to family members or friends whose opinions you respect? Call your primary care provider? Search for answers on the internet or on social media? Every day we encounter information that may impact our health in various ways, both when we are seeking it as well as when we are not. It is important to know how to evaluate the information for validity, as unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation in our world today.

fake news

Valid information is correct, factual information that is based on research. Misinformation is information that is false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence at the time. While misinformation is sometimes spread intentionally to serve a malicious purpose, that is seldom the case. Disinformation is a type of misinformation that is intentionally false and intended to mislead or deceive. We may not always fully understand why someone creates or shares harmful information, whether it is intentional or not. However, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, it is important to know that many people who share misinformation are not trying to misinform; instead, they may be raising a concern, striving to make sense of conflicting information, or seeking answers to honest questions.

If you ever encounter health-related information from a person, website, newspaper, TV station or social media account that you are not sure about, use the below Health Information Checklist from the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General to decide what to do with it.

Health Misinformation checklist from surgeongeneral.gov/healthmisinformation
Click to enlarge, or access in pdf form at SurgeonGeneral.gov/HealthMisinformation

In addition, you can investigate the credibility of the information by checking its source (both the author and/or organization responsible for the information), the date it was published, the quantity and quality of evidence cited, and whether it is in agreement with information from other reputable sources. Also consider whether the source of the information is biased. Does it provide information based on a single point of view or preference rather than presenting all the facts? Does the author or source earn money for sharing certain information? Ask yourself “Does this source have a reason to offer one point of view over another?”

Do your part today to identify and stop the spread of misinformation. Think twice about the information you see, hear and share. If you’re not sure, don’t share! According to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy “We all have the power to shape our information environment… one that empowers us to build a healthier, kinder, and more connected world.”

Written by Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Franklin County

Reviewed by Melissa J. Rupp, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension Fulton County

Sources:

Gebel, M. (2021). Misinformation vs. disinformation: What to know about each form of false information, and how to spot them online. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/misinformation-vs-disinformation

National Institute on Drug Abuse (2021). Is this legit? Accessing valid and reliable health information. https://teens.drugabuse.gov/teachers/lessonplans/legit-accessing-valid-and-reliable-health-information

Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, Department of Health and Human Services (2021). A Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/health-misinformation-toolkit-english.pdf