Hale article examines vlogging as cancer coping mechanism
A new article by doctoral student Brent Hale in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking explores vlogging as a coping strategy and source of community of support for cancer patients.
“Vlogging Cancer: Predictors of Social Support in YouTube Cancer Vlogs,” by Hale; Amy Gonzales, assistant professor at University of California at Santa Barbara and former Media School assistant professor; and Marie Richardson, University of California at Los Angeles graduate student, analyzes 69 YouTube vlogs and 869 associated comments. It finds that narrative features that position the cancer patient as protagonist, such as providing an explanation of the diagnosis experience, were associated with receiving emphatic support; whereas, moralizing pleas for audience checkups decreased the likelihood of receiving emphatic support.
The authors suggest that the findings contribute to a body of research that could lead to doctors recommending patients vlog in clinical settings.
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