Cyberchondria
Cyberchondria (pronounced: /ˌsaɪbərˈkɒndriə/) is a term that refers to the anxiety or distress experienced by individuals who excessively search for health-related information on the internet. The term is a blend of "cyber-", relating to computers or the internet, and "-chondria", from hypochondria.
Etymology
The term "Cyberchondria" is a neologism that emerged in the early 21st century. It is a portmanteau of "cyber", a prefix derived from "cybernetic" which refers to the science of communications and automatic control systems in both machines and living things, and "hypochondria", a condition where a person is excessively worried about having a serious illness, despite medical tests indicating otherwise.
Related Terms
- Health anxiety: An excessive preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness.
- Hypochondria: A condition characterized by a person's unwarranted fear that they have a serious disease.
- Internet addiction: A compulsive disorder that interferes with normal living and causes severe stress on family, friends, loved ones, and one's work environment.
- Medical student's disease: A condition frequently reported in medical students who perceive themselves to be experiencing the symptoms of a disease that they are studying.
See Also
References
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Cyberchondria
- Wikipedia's article - Cyberchondria
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