ALABAMA (WHNT) – One of the milestones that comes with turning 18 is the responsibility of managing your health.
As young adults transition to college and independence, they face a wave of new responsibilities, including managing their health.
According to experts at UAB Children’s Hospital, Gen Zer’s, from early teens to the age of 28 years, approach their health and wellness needs differently from other generations.
Experts say that they often turn to social media for information but that means they’re also often exposed to a lot of misinformation.
“When it comes to social media and health it has to taken very cautiously to understand our resources, to understand who we trust but it also does open doors that maybe were shut before and so students, young adults and teenagers come in with ever more complex questions about their health,” Dr. Zachary Bittinger of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center explained.
Doctors say that the approach by young adults to use social media for medical research opens the door for broader conversations that may include how to find a doctor, handle prescriptions, sexual health and how to spot hidden health risks.
“That involves a degree of honesty to know that they will make a decision regardless of our advice but we want them to understand the consequences,” Dr. Hope Arnold of UAB Medicine Pediatrics said.
Bittinger says parents should offer encouragement to help their teens and young adults to navigate the world of health care independence.
“Because your student or your child may be transitioning to college or into the workforce but they are still your child,” Bittinger said. Parents need to show them that they still care but you also respect their independence and you respect the space that they might require to navigate new situations on their on,” he said.
The post Your Wellbeing: Gen Z managing healthcare decisions appeared first on WHNT.
