Houston..we have a problem with relationships. HELP.

Results/Summary:

We coded support messages from http://www.problem-relationships.com/. All messages offered ‘Informational Support’, but since these bloggers seek help/advice, this wasn’t a surprise. Most people feel compelled to share their stories to prevent others from experiencing their same problems. The site is anonymous, costless, and had no verbal bashing so there was no fear of full disclosure. However, no messages offered ‘Tangible Assistance’ (i.e. no-one was willing to offer physical help), which can be explained by the fact that these posts discussed emotional or psychological problems (not diseases or disabilities which are more life-threatening). A decreased truth bias is also apparent, exacerbated by the lack of nonverbal cues, communication with strangers, unexpected F2F meeting, and the uncertainty present due to the open and unsecured access granted to members, which can explain why most members don’t wish to get more involved. ‘Esteem Support’ was the second highest provided (90%) ­. As a support network people wish to help, but not everyone has the social skills and sensitivity to compliment and validate, which explains why it is not present 100%. Some might not like the circumstances surrounding the posted problem, but wish to provide information to help them anyways, focusing more on the solution. The messages with most esteem were usually between people that blogged each other repeatedly. ‘Network Support’ was the second least provided (5%) due to similar reasons to ‘Tangible Assit.’, but in addition, people would have to disclose personal information such as locations or others’ names, breaking the safety of anonymity. ‘Emotional Support’ was the 3rd highest (45%). Those that replied to each other frequently displayed more emotion. Strangers stayed more informative, simple, and concise. Interestingly people of faith expressed more emotions wishing others “love & light” or “prayers.” Finally ‘Humor’ was at 10%. Some humor was evident, but because the topics were of emotional nature and were discussed between strangers, people did not feel comfortable to be playful.
Compare/Contrast:

My results differ from Braithwaites’ partially since Emotional Support was in third place. Perhaps people felt less compelled to, due to a decreased truth bias and the relative lower degree of seriousness of the topics (compared to serious illness or disability). People in this network had a less common identity with weak ties, and instead of relating to each other on equal levels, they had a more mentor/pupil relationship. The other types of support were provided in the same ranking as in Braithwaite’s network, especially since this one also facilitated mobility, communication, and socialization. Many of these people seek help, and can’t find it in the physical world. Some may even suffer from abuse/trauma and don’t have the means/skills to ask for help directly, so they find refuge in this online network.
Theories discussed in class:

The theory of Walther et al. further explains why online groups are attractive. Online inquirers appreciate that they can receive others’ expertise without fearing confrontation and with anonymity. For example, a man confessed he had a small penis, and a woman admitted being on the brink of having an affair; both came to the site seeking answers because they feared asking people personally and even though millions can read their confession, their identity is concealed. This expert-sharing and anonymity further explains why Information and Esteem were most present. Third, interaction management (because of its editability and asynchronicity) attracts people. Finally, the 24/7 access provides flexibility to one’s schedule and a chance for people across the globe to help. Traditional psychology as stated by Wallace would argue that a greater number of people would decrease helping behavior, but is that really the case online? It may be true in tangible and network assistance, but the high levels of information, esteem, and emotional support show that numbers do increase help online.