A few weeks ago I was lying in bed on a Saturday morning and I scratched my head, it was sore, it was the second time this had happened. So because I had no where to be and my kids were all preoccupied, leaving me with a few minutes to myself, I decided to google “reasons for a sore scalp”. As you do!
I got 177 0000 results (in 49 seconds). There are 177 0000 potential reasons why my scalp was sore. Initially I suspected maybe something like dandruff or dry scalp but 177 0000, it surely must be something more serious! I start reading and by result 3, I have emailed our broker to make sure my will is up to date, checked David’s diary for the week to make sure he will be around for the funeral because OBVIOUSLY I HAVE BRAIN CANCER!!!!
DR GOOGLE SAYS SO!
Two minutes later there is some crisis downstairs that requires my immediate attention so I forget about my imminent death. I did, however, remember later to add some conditioner after I wash my hair and 3 weeks later I am happy to report my scalp is no longer sore AND I am still alive.
Dodged a bullet there I did! Or did I?
One of the major pitfalls of the internet is that it is free for everyone. Every single person in the world potentially has access to the internet. Every single person can potentially write an article on anything. Right now I can write an article on anything – I could write my own article on sore scalps, bring the search results to 177 0001. I don’t have any formal qualifications on hair care, medicine or anything other than the fact I had a sore head but my article is out there as fact. I can even create a very professional looking website creating the assumption I know what I am talking about and get my friends to write articles about things have experienced.
Obviously I knew there was nothing wrong with my head, logically I knew I never had brain cancer and generally I never take what I read online too seriously.
There is an increasing tendency for people to turn to Dr Google before turning to their doctor or even common sense and I personally find this extremely worrying, especially when it comes to dealing with medical issues in children.
I have just googled “My baby has a fever what should I do?”
There were 26 300 000 results (in 42 seconds).
Therein lies the first problem for me. When I take my kid to the Dr he doesn’t say “Your childs fever could be due to 26 300 000” things.
The second problem is that each of those articles has conflicting information. Fevers are normal, fevers are very serious, give ibuprofen, don’t give any meds, bath baby in a cool bath, put vinegar socks on. My doctor has never once said to me “I am writing a script for stopayne, try that, if it doesn’t work, try emapaped”
The third problem is there is no real way to check the credentials of the people who have written these article. Of course it says Dr Plod MD or Nurse Margie with 105 years experience but after four children I could call myself a parenting expert with 13 years hands on experience. I know my Drs certificate could be forged but it is easier for me to verify his validity.
The fourth problem is that there is generally more than one symptom. All of the symptoms have to be presented before a diagnosis is made, often those symptoms aren’t visible – like an elevated heart rate or high blood pressure.
The fifth problem is probably the biggest one – people TRUST DR GOOGLE! And when I say Dr Google I am also referring to the many baby forums and mommy groups out there who throw medical advice around like they are the latest Doogie Howser!
I google stuff all the time, there is nothing wrong with that but when my child gets sick or gets a strange rash or their eye swells up or they won’t stop vomiting, I generally prefer to take them to the Dr for a proper diagnosis.
The internet is a great resource with a wealth of credible advise. I have learnt many things from the internet and from the experience of other parents and I will continue to use it for most things (like how to plan the perfect princess party) but when dealing with medical issues, particularly those relating to my children, I prefer to use the old fashioned method and seek out professional advice.
Good old Dr Google. 🙂