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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Rebecca J. Cline, PhD and Virginia J. Noland, PhD, MPH. Department of Health Science Education, University of Florida, P.O. Box 118210, 5 FLG, Gainesville, FL 32611-8210, (352) 392-0583, rcline@hhp.ufl.edu
In public health, the Internet is lauded for providing widespread and cost-effective access to and dissemination of health information, with its potential for health promotion. Metaphorically termed "the information superhighway," public health professionals typically focus on the Internet's technological or structural features and its information dissemination capacity. Although among many analysts the Internet is known as "interactive health communication," it has been little scrutinized with regard to its health communication nature, and generally has not had the concepts and premises of health communication employed in analyzing its influences and functions. This presentation analyzes the Internet as a health communication system and examines the implications of shifting thinking from conceptualizing the Internet as an information dissemination mechanism to a health communication system. Examining the Internet as health communication illuminates its social influence role and "uncovers" the Internet's dysfunctional or "dark side," revealing a health communication system that is "amoral" and often more risk-promoting than health-promoting. This presentation (1) explains why Internet risk-promoting functions have been ignored, and (2) identifies and illustrates (with website examples) specific Internet risk-promotion functions. Websites promote risk when they: (1) create risk/health problems that otherwise do not exist (a constitutive function) (e.g., Internet addiction, Cybersex); (2) promote/facilitate existing risk/health problems (e.g., shopping addiction, gambling); (3) validate risk-promoting behavior (e.g., anorexia), (4) provide education and training for risk behavior (e.g., how to conduct biological warfare, amputate limbs, commit suicide), (5) provide access to people, products, and services with attendant risk-promoting functions (e.g., drugs, weapons, body-building supplements, sex partners).
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Communication Technology, Risk Behavior
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.