Can social networking sites help people make wise health decisions? A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research says it depends on people's willingness to take action on the information they gain from the sites.
Researchers found many benefits to using online communities for health advice. A three-stage process of reflecting, refining, and exploring is the key to effective use of the online sites, they say. According to study authors Rama K. Jayanti (Cleveland State University) and Jagdip Singh (Case Western Reserve University):
"We found that the community can collectively enable learning for individual members who often fail and falter on their own." By sharing their experiences, participants enlarge their repertoire of actions that affect their health. "Together these characteristics transformed helpless individuals into empowered patients who effortlessly changed physicians, switched medications, and modified diets."
However, the value of online community depends on how individuals choose to act on the information. "Productive inquiry alone is not sufficient to empower individuals," the authors write. "Community inquiry broadens the action choices available to its members. Action, however, is an individual choice."