How has our understanding of antibiotics changed over time?
Through interviews across three generations, this section reveals how personal experiences, medical practice, and public knowledge have shaped antibiotic culture.
My grandma
Born in 1958 in a small village in Shandong.
Became a barefoot doctor at the age of 14 and an army doctor at the age of 18.
Doctor
Born in 1977 in a small village in Anhui.
Became a trained doctor in 1999.
Student
Born in 2008 in Beijing.
What do antibiotics mean?
When are antibiotics needed?
Who decides?
What feels like effective treatment to you?
Do you know anything about antibiotic resistance?
Grandma
Doctor
Student
“At that time, we didn’t really have the idea of antibiotics as a separate category. To us, antibiotics were anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-inflammatory drugs usually meant penicillin. Penicillin was the strongest medicine we had, so we tried not to use it unless the illness was serious because they were so limited.”
“Medically, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are not the same thing. But many patients still mix them up. If they have a fever, cough, redness, pain, or even allergic skin problems, they may think they need antibiotics to reduce inflammation.”
“I think anti-inflammatory drugs are for lowering inflammation, while antibiotics feel more serious and are used for more severe illness. I think antibiotic dosage also needs to be controlled.”
Grandma
Doctor
Student
“Medicines were very limited. The county hospital gave us medicine every few months according to the village population, so we had to be careful. If the symptoms were not serious enough, we would avoid using penicillin or other important medicines.”
“Antibiotics should be used when there is evidence of bacterial infection — for example, pus, clear bacterial symptoms, abnormal blood results, positive cultures, imaging evidence, or high-risk situations where short-term prevention is needed. But when I was young, antibiotics were scarce and we would only use them for very serious fevers.”
“I know antibiotics probably can’t treat colds, flu, or Covid, but I don’t really know what medicine should be used instead. I’m guessing that they are probably for more serious diseases or for after surgeries.”
Grandma
Doctor
Student
“In the village, people could not easily go to the county hospital. I was the barefoot doctor, so I kept the medicines and decided when they should be given. We mainly judged from symptoms because there were too many patients and not enough doctors.”
“Doctors still make clinical judgements, but antibiotic prescribing is now much more regulated. There are prescription records, hospital checks, pharmacy restrictions, and rules about which antibiotics can be used. After Covid, doctors also became stricter about judging whether antibiotics are really necessary.”
“I trust doctors the most in terms of deciding antibiotic use. But apart from doctors, I also trust my own judgement. RedNote can be useful because it is pretty informative, but I definitely wouldn’t trust random information from the internet.”
Grandma
Doctor
Student
“At our time, we always thought that injections worked faster and was more effective than oral medicine. However, supplies were limited, so we could not use injections casually. If there had been enough supplies, people would definitely have preferred injections.”
“Many people used IV drips for reassurance, and they often did not even know antibiotics were inside the drip. They felt that receiving an infusion meant they were being treated properly, which was a misconception. Doctors are all trained to be professional, their judgement might not be the most effective, but are definitely the most comprehensive in that given situation.”
“Although receiving medication seems the most effective, I don’t think I would ask for antibiotics for every small illness. If a doctor doesn’t give me anything and only say ‘drink water and rest,’ I might understand it logically, but emotionally it might feel like nothing is being done. I would still trust the doctor though.“
Grandma
Doctor
Student
“We had no idea what antibiotic resistance meant when I was a barefoot doctor. This was because people had to work in the field all day long so I had to conduct treatments really quickly. At the time, we couldn’t worry about future generations when we weren’t even able to take care of our own people.”
“At that time, we didn’t have the concept of antibiotic resistance. Because medicine was so limited and we used antibiotics very rarely, there wasn’t enough use for resistance to become something to concern people.”
“I’ve heard of antibiotic resistance and that antibiotics must be controlled. However, I’m not very sure how this works or what becomes resistant.”
4.2 What Do You Think?
What role do you play in the future of antibiotics?
Share your experiences and reflections, and join the conversation about responsible antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance.
When you hear “antibiotics”, what is the first thing that comes to mind? (Choose up to 3)
Fighting infections
Cold & Fever
Doctor / Hospital
Side effects / Risks
Medicine / Treatment
Injection / IV drip
Bacteria & Resistance
Childhood memories
Submit
What does “antibiotic use” mean to you?
Taking medicine when I feel sick
Following a doctor’s prescription
A way to recover faster
Something that should be used carefully
A shared responsibility for public health
Something I don’t know much about
Submit
Have your thoughts about antibiotics changed after exploring this website?
Yes, I understand antibiotics differently now.
A little, I learned something new.
Not really, my understanding stayed the same.
I am still unsure.
Submit
What do you think is the biggest reason people misuse antibiotics? (Multiple)
Lack of public knowledge
Doctors prescribing too easily
Patients expecting quick recovery
Antibiotics being seen as “strong medicine”
Easy access from pharmacies
Fear of illness getting worse
Lack of medical resources
Submit
Your answer
What is one thing you would tell others about antibiotics?