Health on Google in pandemic times

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i10.19087

Keywords:

Blogs; Platforms; Health; Algorithmic governmentality; Internet; Telemedicine; COVID-19; Pandemic.

Abstract

The pandemic of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) reflected on the need to adapt as a society to new habits. Social distancing accelerated the use of technologies and mediation of activities across platforms. The essay aims to investigate if the technological mediations regarding health have increased due to the social distancing and which movements in health issues Google is reportedly taking during the COVID-19 pandemic period. It starts from the narrative space of the Big Tech itself: the Google Blog. The company has been strengthening its connections with international organizations during the pandemic, making changes to offer telehealth, community mobility, and contact tracing. It has been answering to the increase on health demands with the improvement of its products and testing new ones, occupying spaces, and building power relations with its users. Even though it has not directly appeared in the texts of the Blog, there are important unfoldings that can take place from the interest of Google in telemedicine, health ads, and clinical diagnoses. While all announcements in the Blog indicate tendencies and possibilities, new studies will be needed, as soon as possible, to monitor and amplify the analysis and discussions on data privacy and digital safety in the health area (especially regarding the relation patient-professional), and on the platformization of diagnoses and health professionals.

Author Biographies

Liara Saldanha Brites, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Doutoranda em Educação. Mestra em Saúde Coletiva (UFRGS). Servidora da Secretaria de Saúde do Rio Grande do Sul.

Maura Jeisper Fernandes Vieira, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Mestranda em Educação (UFRGS). Pedagoga pelo Senac Tech.

Luiz Felipe Zago, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Pós-doutorando em Cultura Digital e Mídias Sociais Online (Escola de Enfermagem da UFRGS). Doutor e Mestre em Educação (UFRGS).

Cristianne Maria Famer Rocha , Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Doutora e Mestra em Educação (UFRGS). Professora da Escola de Enfermagem /UFRGS e Faculdade de Educação/UFRGS. Líder do Grupo de Estudos em Promoção da Saúde (Grupo de Pesquisa em Promoção da Saúde - GEPS).

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Published

14/08/2021

How to Cite

BRITES, L. S. .; VIEIRA, M. J. F. .; ZAGO, L. F.; ROCHA , C. M. F. . Health on Google in pandemic times. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 10, n. 10, p. e382101019087, 2021. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v10i10.19087. Disponível em: https://www.rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/19087. Acesso em: 19 apr. 2024.

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 10

Section

Health Sciences

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Copyright (c) 2021 Liara Saldanha Brites; Maura Jeisper Fernandes Vieira; Luiz Felipe Zago; Cristianne Maria Famer Rocha

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