Grey’s Anatomy is the longest-running scripted primetime show currently airing on ABC. Even with this outstanding statistic I still am sad to admit that I have seen every episode and some more than once and because of this, I can say that it has definitely given me some misinformation. I started watching Grey’s Anatomy religiously in middle school with a group of my friends. I remember my friends and I always saying that we knew everything medical thing there was to know because we watched Grey’s Anatomy. For a while my friends and I were very confident that we could save someone’s life if it came down to it. It was upsetting to find out that the actors had no idea what they were talking about of even saying. While it is common knowledge that medical dramas are very inaccurate to how the actual medical system works, I still believed some things. It wasn’t until my older sister got into medical school did, I realize how unrealistic it was. After learning this it made me think about how Grey’s Anatomy is a great example of how media can spread misinformation to a plethora of people. In today’s article, I am going to delve into the harms of misinformation.
What is Misinformation?
Misinformation is described by the Oxford dictionary as “false or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive.” With the rise of technology, the spread of misinformation and “fake news” has spread tremendously. Many people don’t fact check when sharing something they saw online which contributes to the increase in the spread of misinformation. Although fictional shows do not count as misinformation the truth that many people take from it can be seen as misinformation.
Examples in Grey’s Anatomy.
Misinformation is clearly seen in the first episode of Grey’s Anatomy. The show starts with the main characters starting there their first day as surgical interns. I came to learn from a conversation with my sister that there is no such thing as a surgical intern. After medical students graduate, they immediately go into residency. This is an extreme example of misinformation because this is a fictional scripted show and shouldn’t be taken at face value, but it is a great example of how even fictional shows can manipulate our thoughts. The show itself even addresses this issue. It is known to many that there is a doctor-patient privilege when talking about doctors but there is also an attorney-client privilege when talking about lawyers. These are closely related and if you only know one it can be confusing. With attorney-client privilege, you can confess to a crime to your own lawyer and the lawyers cannot turn you in without your permission. However, the doctor-patient privilege does not include this. In this particular episode of Grey’s Anatomy, one of the patients revealed to the doctors that she committed a crime thinking that they could not turn her in. In the end, she got arrested. Another example of misinformation is Grey’s Anatomy is the roles of the doctors in the show. From what I have learned from the show doctors apparently do almost everything for their residents but in the real world that is simply not true. Surgeons usually will see the patient a few times before the surgery and then once or twice after the surgery, other than that the nurses do the rest. When I went to visit a family member in the hospital after a surgery, I was surprised to see the lack of doctors tending to him.
How can we stop it?
It is very important that we all do our part in stopping the spread of misinformation. The number one thing you can do is fact check. Before sharing something with someone online make sure that you find that the information is factually from a credible source. Then you can share it. If you cannot confirm or deny the information, it is best to not share or spread it. Fake checking can greatly dimmish the spread of misinformation. Another thing that is kind of obvious but do not intentionally create or spread misinformation.
Final Thoughts
From now on when I watch Grey’s Anatomy, I am going to be very cautious of the information that I gather from the show and be sure to question it during real life. Although Grey’s Anatomy isn’t meant for educational purposes, I think it shows how we as people need to be more aware of the media that we consume and make sure to question the information we see online. Fact checking is important to the continuation of education using online mediums. I however will still continue to watch Grey’s Anatomy until that show ends. What other kinds of lessons can we learn from television and film without knowing it?
Grey’s Anatomy is a big offender in medical misinformation. House is just as bad, as there was an episode called “Skin Deep” which also hurt the image of intersex people.
Grey’s Anatomy also bothers me because they talk about their patients problems in front of EVERYONE and that is not how it actually works!
My mom is a nurse and refuses to watch Grey’s Anatomy because of the medical information
Grey’s had me thinking I wanted to go to medical school for a couple years haha. Glad I realized it’s very wrong in what being a surgeon is actually like!
My aunt loves Greys Anatomy so much that I think she has considered going back to school just to get into medical school. (LOL)
As a die hard Grey’s fan, I have to admit I have come to realize how insanely inaccurate it really is.
my friend is obsessed with grey’ s anatomy never have watched one episode but reading this now I don’t think I want to watch it at all, at least I have an excuse for not watching it.
Grey’s Anatomy is one of my favorite shows! So it hurts to see you use it as an example of misinformation…