In the study, in which the cyberchondria level differed according to the daily internet connection time of the generations, the cyberchondria level was found to be the highest in those who connected less than 1 hour. It was determined that as the daily internet usage time increased, the level of cyberchondria decreased, but the level of cyberchondria remained at a moderate level in general.
Less than 1 hour (128 people; .4): High-Level Cyberchondric, score: 101.64
1-3 hours (396 people; 38.3%): Intermediate Cyberchondric, score: 98.60
4-6 hours (305 people; 29.5%): Intermediate Cyberchondric, score: 95.20
More than 7 hours (128 people; .4): Intermediate Cyberchondria, score: 94.92
Constantly connected (78 people; 7.5%): Intermediate Cyberchondria, score: 84.84
The level of cyberchondria was found to be significantly lower in those who said “I am constantly connected to the Internet” compared to those who used it for less than 1 hour. In other words, it was determined that those who use the internet constantly have a lower disease research disease level than those who use the least (less than 1 hour).
The health literacy level of those who are less connected to the internet is also low
Although the level of health literacy did not differ according to the daily internet connection time of the generations, it was found that those who said they were connected for less than 1 hour were at “Insufficient health literacy level” and “Problematic/Limited health literacy level” in other connection times. The health literacy level of those who said they were connected to the Internet for less than 1 hour per day was found to be significantly lower than all other connection times.
Cyberchondria is high in social media users
The cyberchondria level of those who use social media was found to be higher. It was determined that the cyberchondria level of those who “use” social media (X=96.99) is higher than those who do not use it (X=83.25). While 96.3% of the participants stated that they used social media, it was revealed that only 38 (3.7%) did not use it. Those who use social media more than 7 hours a day (8.2%) are found to be highly cyberchondria, while those who use less are moderate.
High level of cyberchondria in Facebook users
When evaluated on a per-application basis, the cyberchondria levels of Facebook users were found to be higher, and their health literacy levels were found to be insufficient. When the participants were asked about the social media application they use the most; It was determined that 82.3% of them used Integral, 9.1% of Facebook, 4.4% of Twitter, and 4.2% of YouTube. The cyberchondria level of the group using Facebook was found to be at a high level, while those using other social media applications were found to be at a moderate level.
On the other hand, the level of health literacy of 4.4%, who stated that they use Facebook the most, was found to be insufficient. Other social media users were found to have a problematic/limited level of health literacy. The health literacy level of 82.3% of users who use the Integral application, which is mostly preferred by young people, was found to be at the limit. It turned out that the health literacy level of the youth is almost at an insufficient level.
