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Online Friends, Offline Loved Ones, and Full-Time Media: Young Adult “Mass Personal” Use of Communication Resources for Informational and Emotional Support

Online Friends, Offline Loved Ones, and Full-Time Media: Young Adult “Mass Personal” Use of... As Web 2.0 technologies proliferate, patient education is changing dramatically. Information about prevention and survivorship arrives from a mix of sources. The present manuscript describes a study to shed light on how young adults (YAs) affected by cancer manage the digital world. Our investigation was guided by a research question asking how young adults affected by cancer engage in communication work in an environment of mass personal communication. The sample for this research consisted of 500 posts comprising 50 complete threads from an online support community for young adults affected by cancer. Threads were purposively sampled in a multi-stage process. Researchers used constant comparison to define themes, examining text in increments. Individuals harnessed assets of various communication tools for the purposes of message preparation and credibility checking. YAs demonstrated the multi-channel way they move between channels for different purposes, driven by preparation for future interactions. The result is a process that allows co-creation of knowledge in a trusted community. Findings indicate that completing communication work through multiple channels in a deliberate and savvy way is normal for YAs, particularly for message preparation and credibility checking. The multidirectional nature of digital tools plays an important role for YAs, as interactive resources appear to be the first or second stop for information after key events in the cancer trajectory. Results from this study are important as guidance to help manage the volume and depth of information common to the cancer experience in the Web 2.0 world. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Cancer Education Springer Journals

Online Friends, Offline Loved Ones, and Full-Time Media: Young Adult “Mass Personal” Use of Communication Resources for Informational and Emotional Support

Journal of Cancer Education , Volume 29 (2) – Nov 15, 2013

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References (23)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 by Springer Science+Business Media New York
Subject
Biomedicine; Cancer Research; Pharmacology/Toxicology
ISSN
0885-8195
eISSN
1543-0154
DOI
10.1007/s13187-013-0579-5
pmid
24234166
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

As Web 2.0 technologies proliferate, patient education is changing dramatically. Information about prevention and survivorship arrives from a mix of sources. The present manuscript describes a study to shed light on how young adults (YAs) affected by cancer manage the digital world. Our investigation was guided by a research question asking how young adults affected by cancer engage in communication work in an environment of mass personal communication. The sample for this research consisted of 500 posts comprising 50 complete threads from an online support community for young adults affected by cancer. Threads were purposively sampled in a multi-stage process. Researchers used constant comparison to define themes, examining text in increments. Individuals harnessed assets of various communication tools for the purposes of message preparation and credibility checking. YAs demonstrated the multi-channel way they move between channels for different purposes, driven by preparation for future interactions. The result is a process that allows co-creation of knowledge in a trusted community. Findings indicate that completing communication work through multiple channels in a deliberate and savvy way is normal for YAs, particularly for message preparation and credibility checking. The multidirectional nature of digital tools plays an important role for YAs, as interactive resources appear to be the first or second stop for information after key events in the cancer trajectory. Results from this study are important as guidance to help manage the volume and depth of information common to the cancer experience in the Web 2.0 world.

Journal

Journal of Cancer EducationSpringer Journals

Published: Nov 15, 2013

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