1. Imagine that your grandmother has suffered from asthma all her life and within the past year was diagnosed with type II diabetes. She has been quite depressed as she must now be extremely careful with her diet, administer insulin shots to herself before each meal, and take two types of oral medication. She hates sticking herself to take her sugar level two or three times a day and has found it difficult to watch her diet and keep her blood sugar level within normal ranges. Would you suggest she join a social network for people with diabetes? Why or why not?

2. Do research and try to find social networks that are designed for people who suffer from alcohol, drug, or gambling addiction. Are there additional potential ethical issues for social networking sites targeted at those suffering from an addiction? Write a brief paragraph or two summarizing your findings.

3. What issues might arise trying to discuss with your primary care physician an experimental treatment or drug you discovered on a social network? How might you be able to broach this topic without upsetting your physician?

For people living with chronic health conditions (one that is persistent and long lasting, such as arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, cancer, or HIV/AIDS), social networking can play an important role. A 2010 national telephone survey of 3,001 adults found that 23 percent of Inter-net users living with a chronic health condition have gone online to find others with similar health conditions and to share experiences and seek information. Indeed, there are a number of patient networking sites that enable users to connect directly to one another based on medical condition, including Alliance Health Networks, Cure Together, Diabetic Connect, Disaboom, Face to Face Health, Health Central, Inspire, and Patients Like Me. Some chronic conditions sufferers have even taken the initiative to start their own social networking sites focused on their condition by using social network creation services, such as Ning. Some patients use social networking to discover no-nonsense tips about coping with their dis-ease or disability that physicians and their family cannot provide simply because they have not lived with it (for example, which restaurants and movie theaters have the best wheelchair access). Others network to become better informed about their condition and long-term prognosis, learn about alternative or experimental drugs and treatments, or discuss medical costs and insurance. Certainly doctors, nurses, and other health professionals should continue to be the primary source of health information, but social networks can be a useful source of information as well. Many patients network as a means to deal with the anxiety, depression, and stress that frequently accompany chronic conditions. For example, Sean Fogerty, a 50-year-old with multiple sclerosis who is recovering from brain cancer, spends over an hour most nights chatting online with other patients. Sean says social networking has“literally saved my life, just to be able to connect with other people.” Social networking sites targeted at those suffering from chronic health conditions do raise some potential ethical concerns. Obviously people must be cautious about sharing too much private health information and personal data online, especially among a group of often anonymous users. There is also a risk that members of the group may unwittingly share erroneous or out-of-date information on which others may act. In addition, if the general tone of the network site is overly pessimistic about the chronic condition, participants can experience an even deeper depression over their situation. Thus although such social networking sites have the potential to help sufferers with chronic health conditions, they must be used with care.