Social Media: The New Sex Ed April 2, 2010

Sexual education for kids and teens is quite the hot topic, especially when it comes to the information students receive in their schools. Debates over how best to prevent teen pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases rage on, yet rates in many states continue to rise. Due to the popularity of social media among teens and young adults, it makes sense that advocacy groups have turned to these sites to reach out to teens and provide accurate sexual health information.

New Media to Address Old Problems

ISIS, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using new media to provide sexual health information to young adults. The group has used several social media strategies to address rising STD and pregnancy rates among American teens. Though I have not used any of these services before writing this blog, I examined much of the material and found it highly educational and interesting.

• Planned Parenthood and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy both provide free podcasts covering relationship and sexual health topics, and the California Family Health Council has its own YouTube Channel featuring a variety of videos on common teen health and sex concerns. I found the videos informative and fun to watch. They feature real teens speaking like teens do, not older “experts” spouting off a bunch of facts. Below is a video about featuring a young male talking about the need to practice safe sex.

• The HookUp is a sexual health text messaging service created to address high gonorrhea rates among teens in San Francisco. Users can text “SexINFO” to a 5-digit number and find answers to common sexual questions. This can be key when timing is an issue to quickly address ineffective, forgotten, or broken birth control methods.

• Widgets and applications for cell phones are another innovative measure used to provide sexual health information. Facebook users can use the “Sexpert” application to test their sexual health knowledge and read relevant blogs and articles. AIDS.gov also provides several new media tools, such as social bookmarks, widgets and podcasts to spread HIV and AIDS awareness and direct users to HIV testing sites.

Though socially conservative parents may cringe at the thought of their children using the Internet to get information about sex, they have to get it somewhere. Judging from the United States’ high STD and pregnancy rates compared to other Westernized nations, it’s clear that the “safe sex” message is not getting through to our teens. I think using social media to reach the very people who use it most makes more sense than any other method, and I applaud these groups for putting ideology aside and making it easier for young adults to access the information they need.

Social Media’s Role in Healthcare March 28, 2010

When you’re feeling under the weather, what’s the first thing you do? Do you call up your doctor and schedule an appointment? Or, like millions of Americans, do you search your symptoms on the Internet first? The first thing I do whenever I notice an unusual symptom or feel sick is Google my symptoms. The last thing I want to do when I’m sick is call up the doctor and have to wait days or weeks for an appointment while continuing to suffer from whatever is bothering me.

Share symptoms, Connect with others

But besides using search engines to find more information about a disease or disorder, people are increasingly turning to social media to self-diagnose and find remedies. While it may seem odd to rely on strangers rather than your home doctor for medical information, it can be a great way to obtain quick information from people who have had similar experiences. We all know that the Internet provides us with a (false?) sense of privacy, and I would imagine that people find it a lot easier to pose a question as an anonymous stranger than have to admit their maladies to a doctor face-to-face.

Personally, I am often worried that I’m making too big of a deal about something that’s bothering me, so I prefer to try to find an answer from an online community. Apparently, I’m not alone. According to a 2009 Manhattan Research survey, 35% of U.S. adults used social media for health and medical purposes in 2009, up from 27% in 2008.

According to the survey, 80 million U.S. adults in 2009 also created or consumed health care content on:

• Blogs;
• Chat rooms;
• Message boards;
• Online communities;
• Online social networks; and
• Patient testimonials

Below is an interesting video highlighting the way the Internet has changed health care:

Rise of the E-Hospital

Hospitals are getting in on the social media action too. Over 400 have Facebook and Twitter pages, and over 200 have YouTube channels. The entire health care industry is adapting to care for the millions of “e-patients” who turn to the Internet over traditional treatment methods. According to an article on Free Republic, President Obama has pledged $50 billion dollars over the next 5 years to help hospitals digitalize their health records. Creating electronic health records will improve the quality and reduce the costs of health care for most Americans.

But this digital revolution comes at a price–privacy. There are obviously risks in sharing confidential health information over the Internet. But this is already what people are doing on social media sites. People may think they’re anonymous, but anything they search or type can be traced back to them. Social media is transforming everything, and the health care industry is no exception. Personally, I think it’s vital for the industry to adapt to the way people are using the Internet for health care today. Getting the best, most helpful information for patients is what’s important, and social media could be just what the doctor ordered.

Skip the Gym, Hop Online February 28, 2010

During the freezing, snowy winters here in Geneseo, NY, sometimes the last thing I want to do is bundle up and walk to the gym. But I also know that if I don’t exercise during the winter, I’ll regret it once bathing suit season rolls around. The great thing is, the internet makes it possible to exercise even without going to a gym. You can avoid all those membership fees, long lines, and smelly cardio rooms by working out in the comfort of your own home–or in my case, dorm room.

Watch and Learn

I’m terrible at trying to follow fitness routines in magazines, so videos work great for me because I can see exactly how to perform exercises properly. The first place I usually search is YouTube. There are tons of free fitness videos, including many from real personal trainers. You can easily find videos that require only basic equipment like hand weights. I love using these videos for exercises with weights because the weight room at my gym tends to be male-dominated and a little intimidating. Here’s a video I have found to be effective featuring a short, tough ab workout:

DailyBurn is another great resource for exercising without the gym. You can subscribe to exercise programs that are working for others or customize your own. The site also features a huge library of exercises with video instruction.

Find a Fitness Buddy

Once the weather gets warmer, you can still use the web for exercise–just move your routine outside. Sites like IntroPlay and FitLink allow users to meet up with people in their community in order to train together, organize sporting events, or find a workout buddy. I usually like working out on my own best, but these sites would be great for anyone seeking motivation or companionship while working on their fitness goals.

‘Spark’ a New Healthy Lifestyle February 13, 2010

Based on his diet and fitness book The Spark, author and CEO Chris Downie created SparkPeople.com, now the largest healthy lifestyle community online. With over five million members, the website provides tools, articles, and advice for people looking to lose weight, get in shape, and get healthy.

A Personal Touch

While it shares some similarities with CalorieCount.com and other online communities, it is unique in that Downie directly communicates with members daily, serving as SparkPeople’s “resident motivation expert.” He has written over 10,000 personal messages to users offering encouragement and congratulations on achieving their health goals. I find it very impressive that the CEO cares enough about the users of his company’s website to offer them personal support and feedback.

Devoted to Your Individual Needs

The website also has many other unique features for users looking to gain health and wellness. It is free to sign up, and each user is greeted with a homepage tailored specifically to their goals. The MyTools feature allows you to choose a meal plan to fit your needs, log your fitness activity and daily meals, and enter your weight and other body measurements to view your progress over time. There is also a “Recipe of the Day” feature with healthy recipes submitted by users, along with an “Exercise of the Day” supplemented by an instructional video for performing the activity. The site even has its own YouTube channel featuring how-to videos of people cooking and working out.

Get Healthy, Win Prizes

Though I have just started using the site, my favorite feature is the SparkPoints application, which allows users to earn points by entering their meals and activity, reading articles, posting on the message boards, writing or commenting on a blog, and performing many other activities on the site. This is a great way to motivate people because members can redeem points for prizes such as gift certificates and compete against other users for the most points.

Community Support

There is also a counter updated in real time showing the current amount of calories burned, pounds lost, cups of water drunk, and minutes spent exercising among all members of the site. It’s really cool to watch the counter update continuously as people work toward their health and fitness goals. This website seems like a great tool for losing weight because it makes eating healthy and exercising seem like a fun game instead of a chore. It’s definitely worth looking into whether you are interested in health and fitness or just want to compete and win prizes.