Communicating knowledge and embodied experiences of personal menstrual cup use through YouTube

Background: Despite being a normal part of life for many, menstruation is often stigmatized resulting in reduced knowledge of reusable products such as menstrual cups. YouTube videos can raise awareness of menstrual cups and challenge stigma, but little is known about the content creators or what content is communicated in the videos. Aim: Firstly, to examine vlogger characteristics and the content of videos sharing personal experiences of cup use. Secondly, to evaluate the potential of these videos as a way of communicating about menstrual health. Methods: A content analysis of the 100 most popular menstrual cup videos on YouTube followed by a qualitative thematic analysis of 50 videos containing personal experiences. Results: The content of the videos was captured in four themes: embodied knowledge; technology enabled intimacies; persuasive narratives and a collective sense of community. Discussion: Vloggers communicated knowledge and embodied experiences of personal cup use. This represents a step towards destigmatizing menstruation and menstruants’ bodies, but issues around the complexities of vloggers’ motivations and the situatedness of vloggers remain. Conclusions: Given the paucity of information on menstruation and reusable menstrual products, YouTube videos provide a potentially valuable resource for health communication and education especially for younger menstruants

How YouTube Health Vloggers Influence Viewer Compliance: The Interplay between Vlogger Characteristics, Parasocial Interaction, and Viewer Characteristics

Drawing on the notion of parasocial interaction (PSI) theory (Horton and Wohl, 1956), this dissertation provides a framework to demonstrate how YouTube health vloggers can influence viewer compliance intention toward a prescribed health behavior (i.e., weight-loss diet to lose weight). Initially, drawing on the discounting principles of attribution theory (Kelly, 1973), physical attractiveness stereotype (Eagly et al., 1991), and the black sheep effect (Marques and Yzerbyt, 1988), the interaction effects of three vlogger characteristics on viewer PSI experience were conceptualized and examined (Study 1). Then by using a scenario-based experiment, viewer PSI experience with the vlogger was manipulated (high vs. low) and drawing on social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954), PSI’s effect on the core dependent variable of this research, compliance intention was tested. In the process, this research also accounted for the mediating role of viewer readiness (role clarity, ability, and motivation), the moderating and the mediated moderating role of viewer health consciousness through viewer readiness in the PSI—compliance intention relationship. Overall, results indicated the dominance of vloggers’ credibility over the other two vlogger characteristics—physical attractiveness and ethnic similarity in engendering PSI experience with the viewers. While no main or interaction effects of vloggers’ physical attractiveness and ethnic similarity were found in generating viewers’ PSI experience with vloggers. The positive influence of PSI on compliance intention was found both as a direct effect and also through the mediating role of viewer readiness. While viewer health consciousness is found to have no moderating influence in the PSI—compliance relationship both in the direct effect and also in the indirect effect mediated through viewer readiness. The findings and their implications are discussed

Communicating knowledge and embodied experiences of personal menstrual cup use through YouTube

Background: Despite being a normal part of life for many, menstruation is often stigmatized resulting in reduced knowledge of reusable products such as menstrual cups. YouTube videos can raise awareness of menstrual cups and challenge stigma, but little is known about the content creators or what content is communicated in the videos. Aim: Firstly, to examine vlogger characteristics and the content of videos sharing personal experiences of cup use. Secondly, to evaluate the potential of these videos as a way of communicating about menstrual health. Methods: A content analysis of the 100 most popular menstrual cup videos on YouTube followed by a qualitative thematic analysis of 50 videos containing personal experiences.Results:The content of the videos was captured in four themes: embodied knowledge; technology enabled intimacies; persuasive narratives and a collective sense of community. Discussion: Vloggers communicated knowledge and embodied experiences of personal cup use. This represents a step towards destigmatizing menstruation and menstruants’ bodies, but issues around the complexities of vloggers’ motivations and the situatedness of vloggers remain. Conclusions: Given the paucity of information on menstruation and reusable menstrual products, YouTube videos provide a potentially valuable resource for health communication and education especially for younger menstruants

Exploring the experiences of people vlogging about severe mental illness on YouTube: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Background: Evidence suggests that, compared to the general population, individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) are more likely to engage in online social networking and share personal experiences through blogging. However, little is known about the impact of creating and publicly sharing mental health videos (vlogging) on individuals with self-identified SMIs. Aims: The present study aims to investigate the experiences of individuals with self-identified SMIs who vlog about their SMI on YouTube. Methods: YouTube was systematically searched using four key search items (“schizophrenia”, “bipolar disorder”, “major depressive disorder” and “schizoaffective disorder”). After manually screening approximately 50 channels, a set of 30 videos by individuals with self-identified SMIs discussing their experience of vlogging was selected and transcribed verbatim. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was employed for the analysis of the data. Results: The analysis produced three global themes: Minimising Isolation; Vlogging as Therapy; and Fighting stigma. Limitations: The data collected was limited as regards depth of content by the inability to ask follow-up questions. Conclusions: The findings suggest that engaging in the act of vlogging about mental illness may benefit and encourage recovery in individuals with SMIs by providing them with peer support, enhancing self-efficacy, and reducing self-stigma. Future research should employ interviews to produce more robust data for analysis

Seeing is Engaging: Vlogs as a Tool for Patient Engagement

Video blogs (‘vlogs’ – pronounced as one syllable) are a popular platform for conveying know-how online and can be used as a tool for patient engagement. It can be challenging to engage patients in their own care, and the unique attributes of vlogs overcome some of the barriers to engagement such as high treatment burden and a lack of the sense of community. While some clinicians may distrust social media and question its place in patient care, we present The Frey Life, one example of a patient vlog, to show how the platform models and fosters engagement, and provides the patient perspective. We discuss potential concerns regarding health vlogs, and suggest implications for physicians, researchers, and medical institutions regarding how to use patient vlogs as a resource

Effects of vlogger race on perceived credibility, self-efficacy and behavioral intentions towards weight loss

Abstract Spokesperson race and expertise have exhibited an impact on audiences. This study examines the effect of race congruency between vlogger and audience in regards to weight loss. Using social psychology and communication theories, including Elaboration Likelihood Model, spokesperson effects, the Theory of Planned Behavior, social cognitive theory, and self-efficacy theory, the current study features independently produced vlogs (video blogs) discussing weight loss strategies. The race and expertise of the vloggers in the videos were manipulated to test the effects on perceived message and source credibility, self-efficacy towards exercising and dieting, and behavioral intentions towards exercising and dieting. Results reveal that, although race congruency demonstrates limited effect on the outcome variables, it interacts with participant race, ethnic identity, and vlogger expertise to predict perceived message credibility, self-efficacy towards exercising and dieting, and behavioral intentions towards exercising and dieting. Asian American participants report greater perceived message credibility and behavioral intentions towards exercising and dieting after watching an Asian American vlogger compared to a White American vlogger. Asian American participants with low ethnic identity report greater self-efficacy towards exercising and dieting after watching an Asian American vlogger compared to a White American vlogger, while White American participants with low ethnic identity report greater self-efficacy towards exercising after watching an Asian American vlogger compared to a White American vlogger. Furthermore, perceived message credibility mediates the effect of the interaction of race congruency and participant race on participant’s behavioral intentions towards exercising and dieting. This study provides insights for understanding spokesperson effect and designing health campaigns in the interactive media environment

Modeling Health Video Consumption Behaviors on Social Media: Activities, Challenges, and Characteristics

Many people now watch health videos, such as diet, exercise, mental health, COVID-19, and chronic disease videos, on social media. Most existing studies focused on video creators, leaving the motivations and practices of viewers underexplored. We interviewed 18 participants, surveyed 121 respondents, and derived a model characterizing consumers' video consumption practices on social media. The practices include five main activities: deciding to watch videos driven by various motivations, accessing videos on social media through a socio-technical ecosystem, watching videos to meet informational, emotional, and entertainment needs, evaluating the credibility and interestingness of videos, and using videos to achieve health goals. The five activities do not necessarily proceed in a linear fashion; rather, their arrangement is situational, depending on individuals' motivations and their social and technological environments. We further identified challenges that consumers face while consuming health videos on social media and discussed design implications and directions for future research.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW 24

Designing Videos with and for Adults with ADHD for an Online Intervention: Participatory Design Study and Thematic Analysis of Evaluation

Background: Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) represent a heterogeneous group with both strengths and difficulties associated with the diagnosis. An online intervention attuned to their needs may improve their everyday functioning. When designing online interventions, it is important to adapt the therapeutic content to the values and needs of the target group. Objective: This paper describes and evaluates a participatory process used to produce content for an online intervention for adults with ADHD by producing video vignettes clarifying core training principles grounded in the participants' everyday experiences. Methods: We report on the qualitative data from 2 research phases: the design and evaluation of video vignettes for an online intervention. In the first phase, 12 adults with ADHD, 2 clinicians, and 2 research assistants participated in the production of video vignettes for the online intervention. In the second phase, participants (n=109) gave feedback on the videos as part of a clinical trial of the intervention. A subgroup (n=7) was interviewed in-depth regarding their experiences with the videos. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: In the first phase, the participants with ADHD contributed with experiences from challenging everyday situations. In the process, we navigated between therapeutic principles and the participants' experiential perspectives to create content relevant and consistent with the target group's values and experiences. In the second phase, we identified 3 themes related to the participants' experiences and interpretation of the video vignettes: (1) recognition of ADHD-related challenges, (2) connection with the characters and the situations, and (3) video protagonists as companions and role models for change. Conclusions: A participatory design process for designing online mental health interventions can be used to probe and balance between the therapeutic principles defined by clinicians and the participants’ experiences with mental health issues in the production of therapeutic content. In our study, the inclusion of video vignettes in an online intervention enabled a contextualized and relevant presentation of everyday experiences and psychosocial factors in the life of an adult with ADHD.publishedVersio

In the name of status:Adolescent harmful social behavior as strategic self-regulation

Adolescent harmful social behavior is behavior that benefits the person that exhibits it but could harm (the interest of) another. The traditional perspective on adolescent harmful social behavior is that it is what happens when something goes wrong in the developmental process, classifying such behaviors as a self-regulation failure. Yet, theories drawing from evolution theory underscore the adaptiveness of harmful social behavior and argue that such behavior is enacted as a means to gain important resources for survival and reproduction; gaining a position of power This dissertation aims to examine whether adolescent harmful social behavior can indeed be strategic self-regulation, and formulated two questions: Can adolescent harmful social behavior be seen as strategic attempts to obtain social status? And how can we incorporate this status-pursuit perspective more into current interventions that aim to reduce harmful social behavior? To answer these questions, I conducted a meta-review, a meta-analysis, two experimental studies, and an individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA). Meta-review findings of this dissertation underscore that when engaging in particular behavior leads to the acquisition of important peer-status-related goals, harmful social behavior may also develop from adequate self-regulation. Empirical findings indicate that the prospect of status affordances can motivate adolescents to engage in harmful social behavior and that descriptive and injunctive peer norms can convey such status prospects effectively. IPDMA findings illustrate that we can reach more adolescent cooperation and collectivism than we are currently promoting via interventions. In this dissertation, I argue we can do this in two ways. One, teach adolescents how they can achieve status by behaving prosocially. And two, change peer norms that reward harmful social behavior with popularity

"My Invisalign experience":Content, metrics and comment sentiment analysis of the most popular patient testimonials on YouTube

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate the popularity, content of Invisalign patient testimonials on YouTube, as well as the sentiment of the related comments. METHODS: Using the term "Invisalign experience," the top 100 results on YouTube by view count were screened for English spoken patient videos that attracted comments. Video information (time since video upload, sponsorship), engagement metrics (comments, likes, dislikes, subscriptions), and views were collected. Videos were rated for information completeness (ICS), and comments were classified by origin and content. The emotional loading of the comments was measured using automated sentiment analysis. RESULTS: The 40 reviewed testimonials scored an average ICS of 3.78 (SD 0.97). ICS, time since upload, and video duration did not appear to significantly influence the number of views, subscriptions, likes, dislikes, and comments. There was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.03) between mean positive (2.01, SD 0.95) and negative sentiment scores (- 1.90, SD 1.14). Commenter's status and overall comment on video were significantly associated with positive sentiment scores. There was a significant association between sponsorship, commenter's status, overall comment on video, focus of concern, perceived Invisalign's disadvantages, and increased negative sentiment scores. CONCLUSIONS: Engagement of audience and views of the most popular Invisalign patient testimonials were not significantly influenced by completeness of information, video duration, and lifespan. The sentiment of viewers' comments about Invisalign treatment was significantly more positive and was significantly associated with their status, content, and sponsorship of videos. Orthodontic trends on YouTube need to be cautiously monitored for planning interventions that improve patients' knowledge about orthodontics