by Gloria Mak, Howl Staff
Social media is constantly defining and redefining our experiences of social realities. Some may look upon this negatively by pointing out the fact that we have become slaves to the medium in our constant obsessive attempts to feel positively regarded by our network.
Yet, it is a container of invaluable information. Social media is a powerhouse that pumps out an infinite number of online communities dedicated to niche topics; it produces streams of news that people can pick and choose from; and it wants us to like it, talk about it, give it your opinion, and be best friends with it.
One very interesting way that social media shapes our view of the world is how it can disperse ideas of what is healthy and it can inform on symptoms and remedies. Many people find a regular routine in looking up their symptoms online and diagnosing themselves instead of booking an appointment at the clinic. Others who have chronic problems may turn to online communities for help and support. There are even some that have campaigned for organ donations.
Take Ottawa’s Helene Campbell who used various social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and her own website to draw people’s attention in order to find a donor quickly. Her campaign was successful and she received not only an organ donation, but also the support of celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Justin Bieber who made her cause even more popular. Upon waking up after her transplant surgery, Campbell announces that “ [she has] come to see that through social media the generosity of the human spirit shines through”.
This heart-warming story shows how the medical playing field has changed. There are some implications that we must consider for the future: it could mean that the medical cause with the best campaign will get the most attention and therefore the most funding.
This is already noticeable with breast cancer campaigns where was once a social movement and now it has become commodified for profit. There are also other disorders like thyroid disease that is even more common than breast cancer but whose campaign is less attractive than that of breast cancer’s and thus is not a familiar topic for most.
Julia Belluz is a Toronto-based journalist ‘s who is speaking at the upcoming presentation from the Hancock Lecture series titled “Who Lives and Who Dies: Will social media decide?” at Hart House on October 31st. Her lecture will be dealing with this specific topic. If you are interested, please find more information at : http://www.uofttix.ca/view.php?id=921 .
Tickets are free for students upon presentation of T-Cards at the door.
Source:
http://wwhowl.com/2012/10/how-social-media-is-affecting-the-medical-front-who-has-the-better-campaign/