Digital Media and Participatory Cultures of Health and Illness

This book explores how the complex scenario of platforms, practices, and content in the contemporary digital landscape is shaping participatory cultures of health and illness. It navigates contemporary forms of participation that develop through mundane digital practices, such as tweeting about pandemic news or keeping track of daily runs with Fitbit or Strava. It offers theoretical and methodological insights from empirical research of health-related digital practices that span from digital health advocacy to illness-focused social media uses.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 162 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The intricate interplay of platforms, practices, and content within the contemporary digital landscape is intricately shaping the participatory cultures of health and illness. The widespread adoption of digital and social media platforms has profound implications for the creation, exchange, and dissemination of health information, prompting critical inquiries into health peer support, power dynamics, trust, privacy, and knowledge. To address these pressing concerns, this book delves into contemporary forms of participation that emerge through everyday digital practices, such as tweeting about the latest pandemic news or utilizing fitness tracking apps like Fitbit or Strava to monitor our daily runs. By exploring both radical activist endeavors and more ordinary forms of participation, this book aims to shed light on the gradual shifts in our understanding and experiences of health and illness. Drawing upon digital media studies and the sociology of health and illness, this book provides theoretical and methodological insights drawn from a decade of empirical research encompassing diverse health-related digital practices, ranging from digital health advocacy to illness-focused social media usage. Accessible and engaging, this book appeals to scholars and students interested in digital media, digital activism, health advocacy, and digital health, offering valuable perspectives and insights into the evolving landscape of participatory cultures in the digital age.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032169583