Online-Discourses About Pregnancy: Privacy as a ‘Price’ for Informational and Social Support?

• In Event: Online Social Support and Health

Abstract

This study focuses on the need for informational and social support in online discourses among pregnant women. In these sensitive contexts being shaped by various feelings of uncertainty, the disclosure of private details reveals as a crucial factor. A content analysis of 1,032 posts from 620 different members of an online community was conducted. Compared to social support, the demand or provision of informational support clearly dominated the discourse. Overall, users were rather cautious in providing private information in their posts. Higher levels of self-disclosure were only observed regarding informational support. On the person-bounded level the revelation of private information was evident, but those who engaged in supportive interaction emerged to be more restrictive. Hence, we assume that self-disclosure might be useful for issue-related advice, even though it is not necessary for social support in general. Implications for further research and practice are discussed.

Authors

• Elena Link, University of Music, Drama and Media (Department of Journalism and Communication Research)

• Eva Baumann, University of Bielefeld

• Hannah H. Frueh, UNIVERSITY OF FREIBURG