The short answer
Googling a symptom is usually an attempt to convert uncertainty into certainty as quickly as possible. Even when you know, rationally, that the search results skew toward worst-case scenarios, the pull toward searching is about resolving discomfort right now, not about making a well-reasoned decision.
Why knowing better doesn't stop it
This is a common and confusing part of the pattern: the knowledge that searching usually makes things worse coexists with the urge to search anyway. That's because the urge is driven by an immediate need to reduce anxiety, not by a rational cost-benefit analysis — the same reason knowing a habit is unhelpful rarely stops it on its own.
The repeat-checking layer
For many people, googling a symptom isn't a one-time event — it comes with repeatedly checking the body part in question, rereading the same search results, or searching slightly different phrasings of the same worry, looking for a result that finally feels conclusive.
Want to see this pattern in your own thinking, not just in the research?