Knowledge@Wharton: “What have you shared on social media today? Did you comment on last night’s election results; mention that you’re going to the gym later; sympathize with a friend who’s been in the hospital; describe your meal at a favorite burger joint, or display pictures of your daughter’s jazz dance recital? And what do those post reveal about your health and your risk for serious medical conditions? That last question may seem odd, but not to the researchers at the Penn Social Media & Health Innovation Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. Director Raina Merchant and her team are investigating how people’s social media language on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Yelp can be used to assess and their health and predict diseases. The conditions they are looking at are some of the main culprits for premature death and disability (not to mention skyrocketing health care costs) in America, including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, chronic lung problems, depression and drug abuse…”