Google wants to know if you're depressed. What could go wrong? [TheGuardian.com]

Samantha Sangenito 8/28/174:00 AM

Healthcare in the US may be ridiculously expensive but, hey, at least there’s Doctor Google. Diagnosing yourself via Google is quick, free and often extremely alarming. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve discovered that what I suspected might be a hangover is actually a very rare terminal illness. According to my various Google diagnoses I should be dead several times over by now, leading me to suspect that I may be a medical miracle.

I’m not the only one self-diagnosing via search. Around 72% of Americans look up health information online, according to a 2013 Pew study. And last year, Google reported that about 1% of the site’s searches relate to medical symptoms.

[For more of this story, written by Arwa Mahdawi, go to https://www.theguardian.com/co...l-depression-privacy]

Add Comment

Comments (0)

<ul id="{%=id%}ButtonGroup" class="button-group h-popup-buttons even-button-group even-1">
    <li id="{%=id%}Okay_buttonContainer"><a id="{%=id%}Okay" href="javascript:void(0);" class="button success no-margin-bottom h-alert-modal-ok-button" role="button">OK</a><script type="text/javascript">
        (function() {
            function {%=id%}Okay_click(event, data) {
            {%=id%}Popup.hide();
        }
        
                $('#{%=id%}Okay').on('click', {%=id%}Okay_click);
        })();
    </script></li></ul><a href="javascript:void(0);" class="close-reveal-modal" aria-label="Close Modal">&#215;</a><div class="last-modal-focus focus-utility-element" tabindex="0"></div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
        (function() {
            {%=id%}Popup = new SS.Popup.ModalPopup('{%=id%}');
        })();
    </script>

Skip to main content

Add Comment

Membership Required

Remove From Your Block List

Manage Follow Preferences

Block

Please wait...