Social media is an important factor for raising awareness about certain illnesses, said Dr. İsmail Ateş, who works in the cardiology department of a private hospital. He says people rush to have a checkup when they see a celebrity fall ill, and physicians are able to detect the illness sooner.He says that social media plays a significant role in encouraging people to consult doctors. Ateş continued: "People are able accessing news faster than ever. When they see a celebrity falling ill, people begin making appointments to have a checkup. Since these cases raise awareness about illness, the number of people who are diagnosed early are on the rise." Ateş said in the past, many patients were only diagnosed in the final stages of their illnesses."People used to be afraid of visiting doctors or hospitals. They are able to recover with simple treatments and precautions since they undergo regular checkups thanks to social media." He stressed that average life expectancy has increased in Turkey, as well as the rest of the world, and claims that this is mostly because people are aware of the importance of early diagnosis.