Digitally mediated social networking practices: A focus on connectedness and disconnectedness

Light, Ben

Abstract

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◄ ITI 2013 Table of Contents
doi: 10.2498/iti.2013.0586

Cancer Patient Blogs: How Patients, Clinicians, and Researchers Learn from Rich Narratives of Illness
Lisa Gualtieri, Fiona Y. Akhtar

Abstract
Blogs written by cancer patients can offer deep insights to other patients about what to expect in the course of illness and treatment, can provide information to oncologists and other clinicians about patient experiences outside of appointments, and can increase researcher awareness of treatment effects and alternatives. While many forms of social media and online communities are used by patients, blogs are unique in that they provide a narrative of many aspects of disease and treatment, offering a comprehensive view of the disease experience delivered in installments, often from diagnosis through life as a survivor. However, the impact of patient blogs has been modest thus far because patient blogs are spread across the internet and, with no central repository of patient blogs, opportunities for analysis are limited. Given the life-altering and potentially devastating impact of cancer on people’s lives, we seek to develop a tool that will analyze tens of thousands of patient-authored blogs to improve cancer patient care.

Keywords
blogs, narratives, social media, patients, clinicians, reserachers

Full text is available at IEEE Xplore digital library.

doi: 10.2498/iti.2013.0587

Digitally Mediated Social Networking Practices: A Focus on Connectedness and Disconnectedness
Ben Light

Abstract
Research into digitally mediated networks is important as these are becoming increasingly intertwined with other aspects of our everyday lives as we invest as much effort in the relationships developed there as elsewhere. Over the past few years we have witnessed the rise of digital media usage (at least in the developed world) as exemplified by such Web 2.0 enabled networks as Facebook, YouTube and the like. It appears that Wittel’s (2001) hypothesis that ‘network sociality’ will become ever more important has come to fruition. Socialization for many has become deeply embedded in technology and is characterised by an assimilation of work and play (Wittel 2001). As Judith Donath states: “information that was once local is becoming global. The dramas of high school friends, blind date traumas, and mundane job irritations, once hot gossip only to be the immediate circle of the people involved, are now published for worldwide consumption on blogs and network sites.” (Donath 2007).

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: Information Technology Interfaces ITI 2013
• Start Date: Jun 24, 2013
• End Date: Jun 27, 2013
• Publication Date: 2013
• Deposit Date: Jul 27, 2024
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.2498/iti.2013.0587