Week 8 - The role of ‘old’ media in individual health and well-being

The Lewis (2006) and Wyatt, Harris and Wathen (2008) readings this week took note of a shift towards the individual taking responsibility for their own health and well. This perceived power has been removed from government and doctors – resulting in issues of trust, safety and gate-keeping information.

The media is a message driven medium – those who have a message pay for the delivery in the hope of influencing the individual. But what role does ‘old’ media play in a world of individual responsibility for health and well-being?

Should it encourage people to use new media to research and seek treatment for various symptoms or illness? Or should it influence people to stick with the old doctor methods? And under whose instructions does this message come from anyway?

Old media is just one of many sources for information and remains the same – promoting a message for whoever pays. But there is enough genuine health information available online if people know how to find it.

I believe the media’s overall message should be a simple, balanced one – the individual is responsible for their own health and well-being, but part of that responsibility means seeking quality information and treatment from respected sources, including doctors.

Cheers,
Andrew

References

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.Available online http://mcs.sagepub.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/cgi/reprint/28/4/521 (Accessed April 19, 2010).

Wyatt, S., Harris, R. and Wathen, N. (2008). The Go-Betweens: Health, Technology and Info(r)mediation. In Mediating Health Information: The Go-Betweens in a Changing Socio-Technical Landscape. Sally Wyatt, Nadine Wathen and Roma Harris (eds), pp. 1-12. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Available online: http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/contentWrapper.jsp?content_id=_3070119_1&displayName=Week+9%3A+%E2%80%9CI+feel+better+already%E2%80%9D%3A+New+Media%2C+Health+%26+Well-Being&course_id=_60765_1&navItem=content&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.library.qut.edu.au%2F (Accessed April 19, 2010).