Abstract
In today’s age of online communication and social media, one factor to be explored is the way social networking sites (SNSs) are being employed to provide peer support to breastfeeding mothers. To date, there has been very little research specifically studying peer moderated, online support groups (OSGs) that provide breastfeeding support.
One of the most interesting developments in social media is the rapid and continuous proliferation of Facebook. What began as a way to connect students, now boasts 1.55 billion monthly users (Zuckerberg, 2015), or about one-sixth of the world's population . Facebook had around 1 million users by the end of its first year and today, around 9 million Australians use the site daily, including 7.3 million who log in via a mobile device. On a monthly basis, the number of Australian users increases to 12 million (Ross, 2014).
Traditionally, the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) has provided information, education and peer support for breastfeeding mothers via their Breastfeeding Helpline, email counselling, online forums (OSGs) and face-to-face at group meetings (Australian Breastfeeding Association, 2015). Given the current environment, the ABA and other breastfeeding support organisations need to consider the role of Facebook and other SNSs as they endeavour to support, educate and engage breastfeeding mothers well into the 21st century.
Employing an online ethnographic research approach (netnography) (Kozinets, 2010), the initial phase of data collection for this netnography was quantitative and comprised of three steps:
1) Follow 15 individual closed Facebook groups of the ABA. Screenshot and copy and paste all wall posts and comments for these 15 groups over a four-week period from 21/7/13 to 17/8/13. Preliminary analysis and development of a coding scheme.
2) Download all data for these 15 groups over the four-week period and code all data, including all wall posts and their comments, and other related information including date and time of posting.
3) Analyse the data to explore the important features of breastfeeding peer support on SNSs.
The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of mothers using closed Facebook groups attached to the ABA and how these mothers seek and share breastfeeding support and information. As the first Australian study of its type, it offers a ‘wide-angle’ view of a largely new area of investigation.
At the time of data collection, there were 1,846 group members among the 15 groups. The data was collected on a total of 779 wall posts with a total of 2,998 comments between them. The proposed presentation will take a more detailed look at the quantitative elements within the study. It will explore the findings about the characteristics and contents of queries, shares, comments, and comment responses illustrating the ways in which women not only gained access to support for their own breastfeeding experiences, but offered support to others.
Based on the observations throughout this study, it has become evident that the ABA are providing a meaningful and valuable service to their members by supporting the use of SNSs in the form of closed Facebook groups for breastfeeding support and information. The SNSs observed in this study are evidence that moderated OSGs can be successfully developed and facilitated using SNSs like Facebook. Furthermore, participation in such groups can be empowering for both new and more experienced mothers.
References:
Australian Breastfeeding Association. (2015). About the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Retrieved 8th June, 2015, from https://http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/aboutaba
Kozinets, R V. (2010). Netnography: Doing ethnographic research online. London: Sage.
Ross, M. (2014). Facebook turns 10: The world's largest social network in numbers. Retrieved 6th June, 2015, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-04/facebook-turns-10-the-social-network-in-numbers/5237128
Zuckerberg, M. (2015). Facebook Community Update. Retrieved 8 November 2015, 2015, from https://http://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102457987924291?fref=nf&pnref=story
One of the most interesting developments in social media is the rapid and continuous proliferation of Facebook. What began as a way to connect students, now boasts 1.55 billion monthly users (Zuckerberg, 2015), or about one-sixth of the world's population . Facebook had around 1 million users by the end of its first year and today, around 9 million Australians use the site daily, including 7.3 million who log in via a mobile device. On a monthly basis, the number of Australian users increases to 12 million (Ross, 2014).
Traditionally, the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) has provided information, education and peer support for breastfeeding mothers via their Breastfeeding Helpline, email counselling, online forums (OSGs) and face-to-face at group meetings (Australian Breastfeeding Association, 2015). Given the current environment, the ABA and other breastfeeding support organisations need to consider the role of Facebook and other SNSs as they endeavour to support, educate and engage breastfeeding mothers well into the 21st century.
Employing an online ethnographic research approach (netnography) (Kozinets, 2010), the initial phase of data collection for this netnography was quantitative and comprised of three steps:
1) Follow 15 individual closed Facebook groups of the ABA. Screenshot and copy and paste all wall posts and comments for these 15 groups over a four-week period from 21/7/13 to 17/8/13. Preliminary analysis and development of a coding scheme.
2) Download all data for these 15 groups over the four-week period and code all data, including all wall posts and their comments, and other related information including date and time of posting.
3) Analyse the data to explore the important features of breastfeeding peer support on SNSs.
The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of mothers using closed Facebook groups attached to the ABA and how these mothers seek and share breastfeeding support and information. As the first Australian study of its type, it offers a ‘wide-angle’ view of a largely new area of investigation.
At the time of data collection, there were 1,846 group members among the 15 groups. The data was collected on a total of 779 wall posts with a total of 2,998 comments between them. The proposed presentation will take a more detailed look at the quantitative elements within the study. It will explore the findings about the characteristics and contents of queries, shares, comments, and comment responses illustrating the ways in which women not only gained access to support for their own breastfeeding experiences, but offered support to others.
Based on the observations throughout this study, it has become evident that the ABA are providing a meaningful and valuable service to their members by supporting the use of SNSs in the form of closed Facebook groups for breastfeeding support and information. The SNSs observed in this study are evidence that moderated OSGs can be successfully developed and facilitated using SNSs like Facebook. Furthermore, participation in such groups can be empowering for both new and more experienced mothers.
References:
Australian Breastfeeding Association. (2015). About the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Retrieved 8th June, 2015, from https://http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/aboutaba
Kozinets, R V. (2010). Netnography: Doing ethnographic research online. London: Sage.
Ross, M. (2014). Facebook turns 10: The world's largest social network in numbers. Retrieved 6th June, 2015, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-04/facebook-turns-10-the-social-network-in-numbers/5237128
Zuckerberg, M. (2015). Facebook Community Update. Retrieved 8 November 2015, 2015, from https://http://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10102457987924291?fref=nf&pnref=story
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Type | Conference presentation |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Jan 2018 |