> The cultural issue is the distrust of expert advice from people qualified to answer and instead going and asking unqualified sources for the information that you want.
I'm not convinced that lack of trust in experts is a significant factor. People don't go to WebMD because they don't trust the doctors. They do it because they're worried and want to get some information now. Computers, as you note, can give you answers - fast and for free. Meanwhile, asking a doctor requires you to schedule it in advance, making it days or weeks before you get to talk to them. It's a huge hassle, it might cost a lot of money, and then when you finally get to talk to them... you might not get any useful answer at all.
In my experience, doctors these days are increasingly reluctant to actually state anything. They'll give you a treatment plant, prescribe some medication, but at no point they'll actually say what their diagnosis is. Is it X? Is it Y? Is it even bacterial, or viral, or what? They won't say. They'll keep deflecting when asked directly. The entry they put in your medical documentation won't say anything either.
So when doctors are actively avoiding giving people any information about their health, and only ever give steps to follow, is it a surprise people prefer to look things up on-line, instead of making futile, time-consuming and expensive attempts at consulting the experts?
I'm not convinced that lack of trust in experts is a significant factor. People don't go to WebMD because they don't trust the doctors. They do it because they're worried and want to get some information now. Computers, as you note, can give you answers - fast and for free. Meanwhile, asking a doctor requires you to schedule it in advance, making it days or weeks before you get to talk to them. It's a huge hassle, it might cost a lot of money, and then when you finally get to talk to them... you might not get any useful answer at all.
In my experience, doctors these days are increasingly reluctant to actually state anything. They'll give you a treatment plant, prescribe some medication, but at no point they'll actually say what their diagnosis is. Is it X? Is it Y? Is it even bacterial, or viral, or what? They won't say. They'll keep deflecting when asked directly. The entry they put in your medical documentation won't say anything either.
So when doctors are actively avoiding giving people any information about their health, and only ever give steps to follow, is it a surprise people prefer to look things up on-line, instead of making futile, time-consuming and expensive attempts at consulting the experts?