# Hyperdiagnosis: Nosophobia and the Rise of Health Anxiety among Medical Students in the Age of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence

## TL;DR

Medical students are increasingly experiencing health anxiety due to social media and AI tools, even when they are not sick.

## Contribution

This paper highlights how digital tools and social media are contributing to nosophobia and health anxiety among medical students.

## Key findings

- Hyperdiagnosis is emerging due to social media and AI health information.
- Medical students are particularly vulnerable to developing nosophobia.
- Digital symptom-checking and disease content exposure worsen health anxiety.

## Abstract

Widespread availability of health-related information via social media and artificial intelligence tools is contributing to an emerging pattern of hyperdiagnosis. Individuals, particularly medical students, develop heightened health anxiety and excessive fear of illness despite the absence of clinical disease. Nosophobia, which is a part of Medical Student Syndrome, is worsened by digital symptom-checking and constant exposure to disease content on social media.