More
young people get health information from the Internet than use
it to download music, play games, or check sports scores, a new
survey which is the first to look in depth at how young people
use the Internet for health purposes finds.
"Young people aren't just going online to download the latest
song from the Red Hot Chili Peppers or look for information on
George Clooney's latest movie," said Vicky Rideout, the vice
president of Kaiser Family Foundation and director of the program.
"They're also looking for information on health issues that
are really important to them."
The foundation polled 1,209 Americans aged 15 to 24 between Sept.
24 and Oct. 31. It found three out of four young people who use
the Internet have searched for health and medical information.
In fact, the only activities that more young people reported participating
in were emailing, school research, and finding news and entertainment
information.
Online Sex Ed
Nearly half of the young people surveyed use the Internet to
access information on sexual health - not surprising, considering
that a vast majority listed sexual health issues such as pregnancy,
AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases as being "very
important." Drug abuse and sexual assault were also considered
"very important" topics by roughly three out of four
surveyed.
Experts agree that the confidentiality and convenience that the
Internet provides makes it a likely choice for young people who
might be too embarrassed to discuss sexual issues with their parents
or doctors.
Quality Information?
The survey also found that young people seem to be quite savvy
when it comes to discerning quality health information. While
almost all said Web information is useful, many reported being
skeptical about the quality of information.
Dr. Gretchen Berland, a professor of medicine at Yale University,
recommends a few strategies that can help young users avoid bad
information on the Internet:
Don't rely on just one source.
Try using government and medical association sites.
Look for references.
Be skeptical of sites that try to sell you something.
If you have questions, take them to someone you trust.
(Agencies)
Updated: 2001-12-13 01:00