What Is Cyberchondria? Hailey Bieber Spotlights Common Condition
Hailey Bieber hasn’t had the easiest relationship with the internet’s bright and hyper-critical spotlight — going so far as to say, in a 2023 GQ interview, that the online community that had hounded her for years “will be the last to know” when she became pregnant. Now, of course, Bieber is pregnant, expecting her first child with her pop star husband of six years, and her outlook on the internet has shifted again. This time, it’s to something perhaps more relatable to the non-famous among us, as the 27-year-old mom-to-be deals with an issue known as cyberchondria.
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“The Internet is a scary place for a pregnant woman,” Bieber said in a recent interview with W. “You see so many stories — traumatic birth stories, traumatic experiences — and I know that that’s very real. But I don’t want to scare myself.”
What Bieber is referring to, the magazine explains, is cyberchondria. And while that might sound like a trendy, made-up TikTok term, it refers to a problem you’ve almost certainly experienced at some point. Cyberchondria — which has actually been in use since at least 2010 — is what we call it when “repeated Internet searches” for medical information leads to “excessive concerns about physical health,” according to one study. You know when you’re having a stomachache, you start idly Googling to figure out why, and half an hour later you’re riddled with anxiety and 95 percent sure you have a serious intestinal terminal condition? Yeah, that’s cyberchondria.
The issue with cyberchondria is that it’s usually driven by the desire to relieve health anxiety — to finally get to the bottom of a nagging concern or find some peace of mind that whatever weird symptom you’re having can be solved with ice, ibuprofen, or some rest. But when you go down that Google rabbit hole, the opposite happens. “This search is driven by a need to alleviate health anxiety, which however increases with persisting search, and then spirals out of control,” wrote Vladan Starcevic, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Sydney, in a 2023 article on cyberchondria in World Psychiatry. “Studies have confirmed strong relationships between cyberchondria and health anxiety, problematic Internet use, and symptoms of obsessive‐compulsive disorder.”
In Bieber’s case, it sounds like the cyberchondria was focused on concerns around her pregnancy, which is even more likely to trigger anxiety; not only are you worried about your health for your own sake, but you also have a little one on the way who’s totally dependent on you staying healthy. And it’s true that when you’re worried about some mysterious health symptom, Google is most likely to serve up the scariest possible causes and outcomes, including, as Bieber said, “traumatic birth stories, traumatic experiences.”
It probably didn’t help that Bieber experienced intense morning sickness throughout her first trimester. “I don’t know why they call it that because it lasts all day long,” Bieber quipped to the outlet. “We need to change the name.” She’s feeling better now, in part thanks to strength-training exercises and lots of protein, including “eggs, chicken, and steak,” Bieber said.
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When it comes to cyberchondria, the fix isn’t so straightforward. According to Starcevic, preventing cyberchondria comes down to improving “online health information literacy,” including clarifying “what the Internet can and cannot do.” He explains, “It is important to debunk unrealistic expectations, [such as the idea] that the Internet can provide definitive explanations for all health‐related queries… having more information does not equate to also having … a diagnosis.”
He notes that being able to deal with uncertainty can also help prevent cyberchondria. Because so much of the health information we find online is “ambiguous and can be confusing,” searching for clarity around health issue can lead to more scary questions than reassuring answers, and when we search further in an effort to soothe that growing uncertainty, it leads to “a vicious cycle of reassurance seeking.” Starcevic suggests that if searching online for health information isn’t working and is only causing anxiety and distress, “the strategy needs to change and relevant health information should be obtained from an alternative source, including one’s physician.” In other words — if you find yourself delving a little too far down the rabbit hole and starting to spiral, stop the cycle ASAP and call your doctor instead.
Another tip: rely on reputable sources instead of forums or accounts of personal experiences. While those stories can be valuable, Starcevic says, they’re “not necessarily applicable to others,” meaning that you shouldn’t assume your stomach pain is a sign of an ulcer just because that’s what it was for someone on the internet. If your symptoms seem to align with someone else’s, note their diagnosis and ask your doctor about it but resist the urge to assume you have the same problem.
Easier said than done, we know. If you’re having trouble getting a handle on your health anxiety and cyberchondria, Starcevic notes that therapy can also help. Don’t dismiss it if you’re genuinely struggling with this — sure, many of us might be deal with cyberchondria here and there, but that doesn’t mean it’s something you just have to live with. “Cyberchondria is increasingly regarded as a public health problem,” Starcevic writes, and even stars like Bieber are struggling.
You don’t need any extra stress in your life, especially if you (like Bieber) are expecting. Just like with other mental health issues, it’s important to take cyberchondria seriously and reach out for help when you need it.
Before you go, check out these mental health apps that can help:
