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04-22-2015, 08:57 AM | #1 |
YT 6000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 6,238
| Online discussion forums good for well-being, study shows A new study has found that internet discussion forums have positive links to well-being and are even associated with increased community engagement offline, contrary to a common perception of them being outdated and prone to trolling. Research just published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior found that online forums have benefits for both individuals and wider society and are of greater importance than previously realised. Although seemingly eclipsed in the past decade by social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, forums are still regularly used by around 10% of online users in the UK and 20% in the US. The study's authors believe this value may stem in part from the fact that forums represent one of the few remaining spaces online that afford the user the potential for anonymous interaction. In the study, users were approached on a range of online discussion forums catering to a variety of interests, hobbies and lifestyles. Those recruited to the study were classified in two groups: those whose forum subject could be considered stigmatised (such as those dealing with mental health issues, postnatal depression or a particular parenting choice for example) or non-stigma-related forums (such as those for golfers, bodybuilders and environmental issues). They were asked a set of questions relating to their motivations for joining the discussion forum, the fulfilment of their expectations, their identification with other forum users, their satisfaction with life and their offline engagement with issues raised on the forum. Lead author Dr Louise Pendry of the University of Exeter said: "Our findings paint a more optimistic picture of old-style online discussion forums. Often we browse forums just hoping to find answers to our questions. In fact, as well as finding answers, our study showed users often discover that forums are a source of great support, especially those seeking information about more stigmatising conditions. Moreover, we found that users of both forum types who engaged more with other forum users showed a greater willingness to get involved in offline activities related to the forum, such as volunteering, donating or campaigning." Dr Jessica Salvatore of Sweet Briar College, USA, added: "What we are seeing here is that forum users who get more involved develop strong links with other users. They come to see themselves as more identified with other forum users. And then these more identified users see the greatest benefits, in terms of positive links with mental health and getting involved offline. In a nutshell, the more users put into the forum, the more they get back, and the pay-off for both users themselves and society at large can be significant." 'Individual and social benefits of online discussion forums' by L. Pendry and J.Salvatore is published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. Online discussion forums good for well-being, study shows |
Welcome Guest! | |
04-22-2015, 10:25 AM | #2 |
aka ♥SquishyFace♥ Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: n/a
Posts: 1,875
| Interesting, thank you! I am surprised by the conclusion. I'm sure this forum raises my blood pressure and anxiety levels just as often as it puts me into a state of Zen. just kidding (sorta) haha I am a moderator on an anxiety forum - they are VERY helpful for the management of various anxiety disorders in addition to meds and therapy. Last edited by SirTeddykins; 04-22-2015 at 10:27 AM. |
04-22-2015, 10:35 AM | #3 |
Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Maui, Hawaii
Posts: 7,740
| Yorkie Talk certainly has contributed to my well-being, and especially to the well-being of my pupsters who are so important in my life. It all depends on finding a forum that you can resonate with, and recognizing how to interact and enjoy the parts you like, and walk away from the rest.
__________________ SANDY, MOM TO TIKI , KAYLA , KARLEE , R.I.P. MEIKA |
04-22-2015, 11:09 AM | #4 |
♥ Love My Tibbe! ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: D/FW, Texas
Posts: 22,140
| I love it! For a short time, we can discuss and learn and have some fun, get good help, feel some heat - some appreciation, lots of support and it's all good for us if we keep it in perspective. I've thoroughly enjoyed my one and only online forum, Twitter can be instant news and fun at time. I'm kinda lost on FB. YorkieTalk has made me a more responsible dog-owner but I sometimes do take breaks as needed from being online at all. Still, I enjoy reading about dogs and talk, talk, talking.
__________________ Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |
04-22-2015, 11:10 AM | #5 | |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Brownstown MI USA
Posts: 18,650
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__________________ Max & Sasha's daddy | |
04-22-2015, 12:54 PM | #6 |
Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Chessington, Surrey, UK
Posts: 5,062
| I don't do facebook, and I don't do twitter.... What I DO is YT, and have done for some years now - purely and simply because of the members that I absolutely LOVE here. Not just because of the amazing advice...but because of the support, empathy, and genuine friendship that we all share. I will probably not meet most of the members on YT....but I truly feel, if I should, that we would just take up where we left off in our online discussions, and be the very best of friends There have been times (i.e. Andy's illnesses etc.) that I just don't know how I would have got through - without the love, support and absolute wonderfulness of (what I now class as) my fellow YT'er's. Thank you so, so much, everybody, for YorkieTalk - love you all to bits xxx
__________________ Sally x Last edited by Harrysmum; 04-22-2015 at 12:57 PM. |
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