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
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