Cyberchondria as One of the New Diseases of the Digital Age

With the developments in information and communication technologies, new diseases began to emerge. Some physical, psychological, and sociological problems may arise due to the structure of digital environments or spending too much time with devices that enable navigating in digital environments. It is possible to give examples of these problems, physical problems such as cardiovascular problems, musculoskeletal disorders, or psychological problems such as ego surfing, selfies, YouTube narcissism, FOMO, and JOMO. Another example of a psychological problem is cyberchondria.

Cyberchondria, which is one of the frequently encountered problems in our country, especially in recent years; it's about making health-related searches on the internet. In today's world, the internet environment is an important source of information. A lot of information with different perspectives from various fields can be easily accessed on the internet. In recent years, with the use of the internet as a source of information in the field of health, a psychological health problem called cyberchondria has emerged.

Cyberchondria; is an individual searching for any health problem he or she has on the internet or trying to cure himself by looking at the treatment methods on the internet for the said health problem. When individuals experience any negative health symptoms, they search for these symptoms on the internet. They diagnose themselves based on the results on the internet. Because of this diagnosis, they have an anxious, anxious mood. They may search the internet for related symptoms many times and increase their anxiety levels. For example; when an individual with a headache searches for the causes of headaches on the internet, results such as cancer and cerebral hemorrhage may appear. Because of these results, the individual thinks that he/she has a serious problem and can diagnose and go to the doctor. Even if the examinations performed under the control of the doctor do not reveal any negativity, the anxious mood may continue. People who engage in such acts are known as cyberchondria.

Developments in information and communication technologies offer great convenience to individuals in terms of accessing information. It provides awareness and awareness about a problem. However, misuse can also bring some negative effects.

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