Online Social Support Research
Online social support for those suffering from a serious illness, can be a means to replace traditional face-to-face support groups and communities. The purpose of this journal entry is to explain how I would offer advice to a friend who may be suffering from a serious health condition, on the advantages and pitfalls of joining an online support group. As social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming a part of an everyday connection with family and friends, computer-mediated social support can be valuable in helping patients to cope with an illness, and deal with a variety of health disorders in a low-cost way (Parker, 2008). One such website which provides cancer support to 2,500 members in the form of a chatroom is the Macmillan’s Cancer Support website (Health Social Networks: Support groups, 2008).
The Macmillan’s Cancer Support group is made up of nurses in the U.K., who are dedicated to helping patients through their treatments, help advice and train other cancer support specialists, perform fundraising activities in support of better cancer care, and maintaining an online chat room of support for people and families experiencing cancer (We are MacMillan, 2015). Web chats can …show more content…
provide people with an ample assortment of information and resources on a vast array of health concerns, and provide a platform for people who unable to attend traditional support systems due to their geographical location (Parker, 2015). On-line support can also be vital for those who may lack supportive relationships with family and friends, while also providing a platform for family and friends to meet together when they also may be divided by geographical location. This was the case for myself when I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2009.
In 2009, I was employed as a travel nurse and was on a 6 month contract with a hospital in another state. I had no family or friends in the area in which I was staying, and was in dire need of support following my cancer diagnosis. It was through Myspace that I found a group of people who was battling the same cancer that I had, and we bonded and formed a support system for one another. We eventually all met in Chicago, Ill., for a national volunteer training seminar for the Melanoma Research Foundation, Miles for Melanoma fund raising events. Through the foundation we had a plethora of resources which we learned about in all 50 states, related to malignant melanoma, and have maintained our relationships throughout the years, and unfortunately have said our goodbyes to those who succumbed to the disease.
The relationships I developed were and still are vital to my overall health and well-being in staying cancer free, and helping others cope and battle the disease. The group helped me cope with stress, fear, uncertainty, and the group members continually provided me with positive support and information from treatments to local resources. However, it is important to note that there also can be downsides to online support, which can be useful when choosing a support group. Support sites may have reduced control over member’s behaviors, and some may use anonymous names to take advantage of that reduced control to make negative comments (Tanis, 2012). Anonymous online communities may also pose the risk of cyberstalking, and one needs to be careful about sharing too much personal information with strangers (Tanis, 2012). And because the internet is a mass collector of data, one may be faced with spam, or those who enter the group to promote their products only (Parker, 2008). Being aware that there may be those who participate in deceptive practices, and making sure that the chat format, or support website has moderators to oversee members behaviors, and reading their rules of use is vital when deciding upon which online support group will produce the most positive benefits.
Conclusion
Online support for those suffering from a severe illness may be a person’s only connection to others who can understand what they are going through and be supportive during such a difficult time, for various reasons.
While online support can be a very positive experience for some, it may result in a poor experience as well. It is important to be aware of the downfalls which come along with divulging personal information online to a group of virtual anonymous strangers, which makes it very important to ask questions of the web sites operators, or read their policies, before making a decision to join such a group. When giving advice to a friend seeking support, be sure to inform them of the advantages and disadvantages of online support
systems.
The Macmillan’s Cancer Support group is made up of nurses in the U.K., who are dedicated to helping patients through their treatments, help advice and train other cancer support specialists, perform fundraising activities in support of better cancer care, and maintaining an online chat room of support for people and families experiencing cancer (We are MacMillan, 2015). Web chats can …show more content…
provide people with an ample assortment of information and resources on a vast array of health concerns, and provide a platform for people who unable to attend traditional support systems due to their geographical location (Parker, 2015). On-line support can also be vital for those who may lack supportive relationships with family and friends, while also providing a platform for family and friends to meet together when they also may be divided by geographical location. This was the case for myself when I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2009.
In 2009, I was employed as a travel nurse and was on a 6 month contract with a hospital in another state. I had no family or friends in the area in which I was staying, and was in dire need of support following my cancer diagnosis. It was through Myspace that I found a group of people who was battling the same cancer that I had, and we bonded and formed a support system for one another. We eventually all met in Chicago, Ill., for a national volunteer training seminar for the Melanoma Research Foundation, Miles for Melanoma fund raising events. Through the foundation we had a plethora of resources which we learned about in all 50 states, related to malignant melanoma, and have maintained our relationships throughout the years, and unfortunately have said our goodbyes to those who succumbed to the disease.
The relationships I developed were and still are vital to my overall health and well-being in staying cancer free, and helping others cope and battle the disease. The group helped me cope with stress, fear, uncertainty, and the group members continually provided me with positive support and information from treatments to local resources. However, it is important to note that there also can be downsides to online support, which can be useful when choosing a support group. Support sites may have reduced control over member’s behaviors, and some may use anonymous names to take advantage of that reduced control to make negative comments (Tanis, 2012). Anonymous online communities may also pose the risk of cyberstalking, and one needs to be careful about sharing too much personal information with strangers (Tanis, 2012). And because the internet is a mass collector of data, one may be faced with spam, or those who enter the group to promote their products only (Parker, 2008). Being aware that there may be those who participate in deceptive practices, and making sure that the chat format, or support website has moderators to oversee members behaviors, and reading their rules of use is vital when deciding upon which online support group will produce the most positive benefits.
Conclusion
Online support for those suffering from a severe illness may be a person’s only connection to others who can understand what they are going through and be supportive during such a difficult time, for various reasons.
While online support can be a very positive experience for some, it may result in a poor experience as well. It is important to be aware of the downfalls which come along with divulging personal information online to a group of virtual anonymous strangers, which makes it very important to ask questions of the web sites operators, or read their policies, before making a decision to join such a group. When giving advice to a friend seeking support, be sure to inform them of the advantages and disadvantages of online support
systems.