[New information technologies and health consumerism]

Area of Science:

• Sociology of consumption
• Health communication
• Bioeconomy studies

Context:

• Shifting consumerism concepts beyond traditional economic models.
• Emergence of new health practices, including cyberchondria.
• Increasing role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in self-care.

Purpose:

• Analyze the applicability of classical consumerism to contemporary health practices.
• Explore the commodification of self-care under health self-accountability.
• Understand the formation of new consumer identities influenced by technological advancements in healthcare.

Summary:

• The review extends consumerism theories to health, addressing challenges in applying economic perspectives to ICT-mediated self-care.
• It utilizes anthropological insights to analyze self-care commodification driven by health self-accountability.
• New consumer identities are shaped by technological changes impacting self-care and perceptions of health.

Impact:

• Health is increasingly viewed as vitality, commodified into artifacts within a bioeconomy.
• Self-perception and self-care are redefined by perceived risks and evolving human definitions.
• This research offers a framework for understanding consumer behavior in the evolving health landscape.