sociologicalimagination.org | Original Article | by Lisa Sugiura
Despite being written in an era that pre-dated many of the digital technologies that have become important to society today, the implications of the sociological imagination (Mills, 1959), recognised in the simplest form here as the capacity to move from one social perspective to another, are still salient for understanding digital social phenomena. The World Wide Web has rapidly transformed the world in the 20+ years it has been in existence, though it is not just the technology that has altered how society operates, but the social context, actors and online social actions which have also shaped the technology and its use in return. Hence a sociological understanding can help us to shed light on these new and emerging online behaviours and interactions. Sociology is particularly relevant as it becomes increasingly clear that the Web is not just one entity but many – created at various points of exchange between humans and digital technologies. Norms and motives shift and adapt to the various virtual spaces, contexts and environments. Different behaviours and practices are enabled by the opportunities provided in this ‘brave new world’. In this brief article I will explore how these general characteristics of the Web manifest themselves in what is a fast growing and controversial application of this technology – namely the practice of purchasing medicine online.
Health behaviour and the Web
Health related information has been reported as one of the main reasons individuals access the Web (Eysenbach, 2001). In addition Fox (2007) referred to the 2006 Online Health Search, a US survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which showed that “prescription or over-the-counter drugs” was the fifth most widely searched health topic on the Web (Fox, 2007). The most recent study conducted by the Pew Project in September 2012, found that 72% of Internet users they surveyed, say they looked online for health information within the past year. As well as providing knowledge, the Web is also a retail opportunity which allows the buying of medicinal products online. Even if obtaining medicine was not the original intention when visiting the Web, it provides the setting for advertising – including direct marketing such as pop ups. These may enable opportunist impulse buying whereby people do not realise that they are indulging in anything untoward. The issue is further complicated where the medicine is regulated and specified as prescription only. Read More...
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