the doctor really I to see you now?

ID THE CONFIDENCE GAP

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The 2025 Self-Care Census exposes a curious confidence gap across the generations, with younger adults far more likely to seek a GP appointment for a self-treatable condition than the 55-65s.

For instance, almost one in 10 (9%) of those aged 18-24 tried to get a doctor's appointment for a blocked nose, compared to just 3% of older adults. Younger adults were also three times more likely to try to see a GP for hayfever and other allergies than the 55-65s.

One factor for this generational divide is likely to be the trust younger adults place in social media, with four out of five of those aged 18-24 considering it a trusted source. Yet many of these platforms are awash with misinformation, a phenomenon experts have dubbed an "infodemic".

A paper published last year reported: "The lack of measures to verify accuracy and authenticity has given rise to fringe opinions, disinformation, and misinformation."

And it warned: "Recent research indicates that fake information spreads faster than facts on social media platforms, despite their potential for health education."

THE RISE OF CYBERCHONDRIA