Bad Influence: How The Internet Hijacked Our Health by Deborah Cohen - Non Fiction - Hardback
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Title:
Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health by Deborah Cohen
Condition: BRAND NEW
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9780861549887
Overview:
Bad Influence uncovers how the online world has reshaped our understanding of health, and how fast the internet can turn medical claims into marketable promises. In a moment when many face long waits for care and fewer in-person consultations, wellness influencers, apps, and devices have stepped into the breach, offering cures, guarantees, and shortcuts. Dr Deborah Cohen—a respected broadcaster and medic‑trained journalist—pulls back the curtain on this marketplace of health information, revealing how trends become truth through algorithmic nudges and carefully crafted narratives. Through well-researched case studies—from high‑profile weight‑loss endorsements to AI‑driven symptom checkers and the proliferation of wearable tech—Bad Influence shows how marketing, not medicine, often shapes decision‑making. Yet this is not a scare story; it’s a practical, evidence‑based guide to thinking critically about what we read online. Readers are equipped with clear, actionable steps to verify sources, consult clinicians, and weigh benefits against harms, making complex science approachable for everyone who uses the internet for health guidance. A timely, essential read for anyone navigating the digital health landscape.
What Makes This Book Stand Out:
Deborah Cohen’s dual lens as award‑winning broadcaster and investigative health journalist gives Bad Influence rare authority. The book blends rigorous, source‑driven reporting with accessible medical explanation, turning dense data into a compelling narrative. Cohen pulls from doctors, researchers, industry insiders, and patient stories to reveal how wellness marketing, social media, and AI reshape risk perception and treatment choices. She dissects the marketing techniques behind ‘preventative’ screenings, influencer endorsements, and wearable tech, showing where claims outpace evidence and why readers should approach hype with healthy skepticism. The result is a practical manual for discerning legitimate medical guidance from online marketing, delivered with empathy and clarity. This is the kind of guide that empowers readers to protect their health, make smarter purchases, and reclaim agency in a world saturated with click‑driven wellness messaging.
Who This Book Is Perfect For:
If you’ve ever googled a symptom, followed a “miracle” weight‑loss trend, or bought a gadget that promised perfect health, this book is for you. It’s ideal for general readers seeking reliable, evidence‑based guidance in a crowded online space; parents evaluating children’s health apps; students and professionals in medicine, journalism, or public health who want frameworks for evaluating information; and teachers or librarians who want to foster media literacy around health claims. It also makes a thoughtful gift for anyone who wants to understand why online health content can feel persuasive yet misleading, and how to navigate it with confidence.
Key Highlights:
- Unearths how online health claims are marketed and amplified.
- Offers practical, evidence‑based methods to evaluate information.
- Explains the influence of social media, apps, and AI on health decisions.
- Includes real‑world case studies from weight management to wearables.
- Balances investigative reporting with accessible science for non‑experts.
- Provides steps to protect your health in a digital age and avoid costly missteps.
- Written by a trusted journalist with medical insight, delivering clarity and authority.
- Timely and highly relevant for BookTok readers, parents, students, and clinicians alike.
About the Author:
Dr Deborah Cohen is an award‑winning broadcaster, journalist, and editor with a strong medical‑policy lens. She has served as Science Editor for ITV News and Health Correspondent for BBC Newsnight, and she established the investigations unit at BMJ, bringing rigorous scrutiny to health stories that affect millions. Her blend of medical knowledge and investigative reporting informs Bad Influence with credibility, balance, and a clear eye for how information travels—from lab to laptop to living room. Readers benefit from a writer who understands both the science and the storytelling needed to translate complex evidence into practical guidance. This background makes Bad Influence not only compelling reading but a trusted companion for anyone seeking to navigate online health information with discernment.
Why You’ll Love This Book:
This book doesn’t just reveal what’s going wrong in online health culture—it arms you with tools to participate smarter in the conversation. You’ll learn concrete ways to assess medical claims, compare guidelines with peer‑reviewed research, and decide when to seek professional advice. It’s written in a lively, accessible voice that engages without patronizing, making a timely topic approachable for curious readers, concerned parents, and health professionals alike. If you want to protect your health, your wallet, and your peace of mind in an era of rapid online information, Bad Influence is the essential guide you’ll turn to again and again.
Please Note: The individual books included in this listing will be dispatched as per the original UK ISBN and UK edition cover image shown in the image.
