Internet Successfully Replacing Need for Doctors? The advent of self-diagnosing.

    The internet seems to have everything one can ever care to know. It has everything from recipes to the latest gossip about popular celebrities. The vast knowledge the internet provides is at the fingertips to satisfy all the knowledge desires. One specific knowledge that many seem to be searching out is the medical knowledge. A lot of the younger generation have started to seek out medical advice over the internet instead of seeing doctors. With the advent of websites like WebMD and Mayo Clinic, it is very easy for some people to be tempted to just look at them to get medical advice. Why pay an expensive bill to see a doctor when resources like these can give you the answer for free? The symptoms lists and descriptions are all laid out for searchers to see and try to self diagnose. The ease of these websites to use make them seem much simpler than asking  doctor. There is also a perception that they are able to keep their ailments more private and not risk embarrassment by visiting a doctor's office. Sadly, this usage of the internet is ill-advised. Without true medical training, it is very easy to misdiagnose things using the internet. When searching one of these sites, it is possible to find many ailments with the same symptoms. Substituting doctor's visits with internet searches is very risky and could result in ailments getting worse or even death. We should all try to remember that these types of websites are intended for educational purposes only and are not intended to be substitutes for professional help. There is a reason these professionals spend so much time and school. We should stop trying to replace real medical help just to save some money.