Curating Hope: The Aspirational Self and Social Engagement in Early-Onset Cancer Communities on Social Media

Abstract

Early-onset cancer patients, survivors and caregivers have unique needs in comparison to their older counterparts. As a result, they often turn to social media to find others with similar experiences. This study employs hermeneutic phenomenology to understand the unique needs of early-onset cancer patients and caregivers as they engage with communities related to their illness across different social media platforms. Drawing from such theories as uses and gratifications, context collapse, and aspirational self-presentation, this study shows how people engaging with social media communities related to early-onset cancer employ “affordances-in-practice,” choosing what to post based both on the technical affordances of each platform, and on the audience they imagine to be on each platform. We find that in addition to seeking information and social support, participants in early-onset cancer communities use social media to seek hope. This finding suggests a nuanced reconsideration of the existing dichotomy between online authenticity and the aspirational self on social media platforms like Instagram.