In the era of the development of the Internet and the availability of a vast amount of information we are often easier to learn something in a search engine, not to refer to a specialist. Sometimes it is justified, but not if it concerns our health. Because often the consequences of the wrong treatment can be worse than the disease. Recently this process became interested in Google, which will report “where necessary” of those who self-medicates through the search engine.
In this case, “where necessary” is medical centers. If you are worried about your safety, it is not necessary, as all that in mind Google is officially and legally. The fact that Google trends and tweets with geolocation is public information, open to everyone. And doctors have long analyzing it. For example, experts of the center for control and prevention of diseases of the USA have shown an Association between outbreaks of syphilis and online activity of people in these areas.
The history of the queries to Google search some key words like “STD” (sexually transmitted diseases — diseases, sexually transmitted diseases) and “Find Sex” (here, it seems to us, translation is not required) are directly linked to the increase in the number of reported syphilis cases in the same area in the next few weeks. Other research has shown a strong correlation between outbreaks of syphilis and tweets about syphilis in Twitter account.
Moreover, the experts compared the findings from the data obtained with the real rate of syphilis for 4 years. When this was revealed a direct link between people’s behaviour online and their sexual health. So maybe in the future we will have to watch what we ask search engines. In order not to unwittingly become a participant in the experiment.
Google will “knock” on those who self-medicates
Vladimir Kuznetsov