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2026 Festival

Home>Calendar of events>Bad Influence: How the internet hijacked our health

Bad Influence: How the internet hijacked our health Deborah Cohen and Simon Gilbody

Talk
This event has now finished.
  • Date and time: Monday 8 June 2026, 6.15pm to 7.15pm
  • Location: In-person only
    Ron Cooke Hub, Campus East, University of York (Map)
  • Admission: Free admission, booking required

Event details

You used to see a doctor. Now you go online.

Want to lose weight? Build muscle? Get pregnant? Advice is just a click away. With long waits for treatment and fewer face-to-face GP appointments, influencers have stepped into the breach. From doctors promoting untested therapies to celebrities selling solutions, these self-styled experts radiate wellness and guarantee results.

Broadcaster and journalist Deborah Cohen, author of Bad Influence, will explore the transformation of a healthcare system driven by online trends. Learn about the commodification of health in an age of anxiety and discover the truth behind Ozempic influencers, AI-powered diagnoses, ‘preventative’ screening and Instagram’s favourite wearable tech.

Join Deborah in conversation with Simon Gilbody of the University of York and the Hull York Medical School.

Book sales

You can buy copies of many of our speakers’ books from Fox Lane Books, a local independent bookseller and Festival partner. In some cases, author signed bookplates are available too. 

About the speaker

Dr Deborah Cohen is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist and editor, who has worked across mainstream and academic print, digital, TV and radio. Previously Science Editor for ITV News and Health Correspondent for BBC Newsnight, leading their COVID-19 coverage, she established the investigations unit at the BMJ, one of the world-leading medical and health policy journals. Deborah is the author of Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health (Oneworld Publications).

Simon Gilbody is a Professor of Psychological Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of York and the Hull York Medical School. Simon is a practicing NHS psychiatrist and cognitive behavioural therapist.  Unusually he is also a Professor of Epidemiology and is among the top 1% of most highly cited scientists in the world.  During the pandemic his team led the largest ever trial to tackle loneliness at scale.

Partners

University of York

Venue details

  • Wheelchair accessible