Mediatization of medicine and health: dysfunctional aspects

In this article, based on the results of empirical research conducted by employees of the Faculty of Sociology, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Associate Professor T.V. Semina and graduate student A.A. Belov, the destructive influence of electronic and digital media on the health of Russian citizens is considered. In fact, we are talking about the “mediatization of medicine”, which is understood as “the process caused by the emergence of digital communication tools, as a result of which the masses have free access to medical information, and all issues related to human and social health are somehow mediated by electronic media”. The author emphasizes that quite often the media practices uncontrolled submission of quasi-medical information, signs of economic bias present in the media are expressed in the fact that the main source of income for the media is advertising, especially medicines and pharmaceuticals. At the same time, commercials advertising medicines on television are the most effective in influencing the audience. In 2019, T.V. Semina, Doctor of Sociology, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Sociology at Lomonosov Moscow State University, proved the destructive role of the media in the genesis of social conflict in the doctor–patient system. In April–July 2024, the author also undertook an empirical sociological study on the problems of constructing public health in the Russian Federation, in particular, the effectiveness of the impact of advertising materials placed in the media on the health-saving attitudes of Russians, he results of which are presented in the article. In general, the results of empirical studies conducted by T.V. Semina and confirmed by the author’s research convincingly prove the dysfunctionality of the media in relation to the health of Russian citizens, their negative impact on the consciousness of both healthy and sick people. The author emphasizes that it is not so difficult to protect health, but, unfortunately, many people do not even try to do this, guided by certain stereotypes imposed by the media. For example, that after a certain age, absolutely everyone has high blood pressure, overweight, hormonal and other disorders and should regularly take appropriate (widely advertised) medications or dietary supplements, the benefits of which have not been scientifically proven. Most importantly, the author notes, changes are needed in the development of self-preservation behavior among the population. The main task of the state is not only to develop an effective health care system, but also to promote a responsible attitude of citizens to their own health, which implies regular medical examinations, giving up bad habits, leading a healthy lifestyle involving “life on the move”, full sleep and cognitive activity.

1. Gafiatulina N.H. Zdorov’e molodyozhi rossijskogo obshchestva: sociologicheskij analiz neblagopriyatnyh tendencij [Health of the youth of Russian society: a sociological analysis of unfavorable trends] // Vestnik Instituta IAE. 2016. N 1. S. 140–143 (in Russian).

2. Koshkina A. Nepreklonnyj vozrast. Kak snizit’ skorost’ na putik starosti [Unyielding age. How to slow down the path to old age] // Profil’. 2020. N 4 (115) (in Russian).

3. Markova N.V., Ryutin S.G. Zdorov’e studencheskoj molodezhi: sovremennye tendencii [Health of student youth: current trends] // Sovremennye naukoemkie tekhnologii. 2020. N 3. URL: https://top-technologies.ru/ru/article/view?id=37961 (data obrashcheniya: 06.04.2023) (in Russian).

4. Osipova N.G. Teorii vliyaniya SMI [Theories of Media Influence] // Effektivnaya kommunikaciya: istoriya, teoriya, praktika: Slovar’ spravochnik / Otv. red. M.I. Panov. M., 2005 (in Russian).

5. Osipova N.G. Social’noe konstruirovanie zdorov’ya sovremennoj rossijskoj molodyozhi: osnovnye vektory otechestvennogo diskursa [Social construction of the health of modern Russian youth: the main vectors of domestic discourse] // Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriya 18. Sociologia i politiologia. 2023. N 4 (in Russian).

6. Osipova N.G. Sociologiya [Sociology]. M., 2024. S. 326–327 (in Russian). Rusanova N.E. Epidemiya neinfekcionnyh zabolevanij i zdorov'e naseleniya Rossii [Epidemic of Non-Communicable Diseases and Health of the Population of Russia] // Demograficheskij zhurnal. 2018. N 5. S. 2–4 (in Russian).

7. Seleznev E.F., Chajcev V.G. Mediko-farmacevticheskie, informacionno- obrazovatel’nye problemy bioetiki (okonchanie) [Medical, Pharmaceutical, Informational and Educational Problems of Bioethics (end)] // Ekonomicheskij vestnik farmacii. 2005. N 3. URL: https://www.lawmix.ru/med/2880 (data obrashcheniya: 23.07.2024) (in Russian).

8. Semina T.V. Destruktivnaya rol’ SMI v genezise social’nogo konflikta v sisteme “vrach–pacient” [The destructive role of the media in the genesis of social conflict in the “doctor-patient” system] // Solidarnost’ i konflikt v social’noj sisteme “vrach– pacient” v sovremennom rossijskom obshchestve: Diss. … dokt. sociol. nauk. M., 2019. S. 142–169 (in Russian).

9. Semina T.V. Medicina i obshchestvo: solidarnost’ i konflikt [Medicine and Society: Solidarity and Conflict]. M., 2020 (in Russian).

10. Shutova M.V., Rochevа Y.S. Digital media and new patient-clinic-doctor interaction patterns // Proceedings of the 2021 Communication Strategies in Digital Society Seminar (2021 ComSDS). 2021. April 14. P. 82–85.

11. Smeyuha V.V. Mediatizaciya obshchestva: problemy i posledstviya [Media- tization of society: problems and consequences] // Nauchnye Vedomosti. Seriya Gumanitarnye nauki. 2015. N 18 (215). Vyp. 27. S. 38–48 (in Russian).

12. Uchit’sya zhit’, a ne dozhivat’ [Learn to live, not live out] // Profil’. 2020. N 4 (115) (in Russian).