Internet and Social Media Use After Traumatic Brain Injury

‘I kind of figured it out’: the views and experiences of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in using social media—self‐determination for participation and inclusion online

“…The finding that one participant considered that her social media defences made her 'a meaner person' suggests the possibility of an association between the development of cyber-resilience (ASIC 2015, Jenaro et al 2018) and the impact of social media on personality development (Suler 2004). In this study, the proportion of adults with TBI who reported they had been bullied online (31%) is relatively high (Sensis 2017, Pew Research Center 2017, adding weight to the suggestion that people with TBI may be more vulnerable to cyberbullying and online scams (Baker-Sparr et al 2018, Brunner et al 2015, Jenaro et al 2018. While participants with TBI who had experienced negative interactions online continued to use social media, some were cautious about what they posted and with whom they interacted; and valued having control over their online personae.…”

“…Cognitive impairments have previously been proposed as barriers to use of social media, associated with its poor universal access and the continual demands associated with constantly evolving social media sites (Baker-Sparr et al 2018, Brunner et al 2015. In this study, challenges to using social media were not necessarily barriers to use per se but were nonetheless part of the terrain to be navigated.…”

“…People with traumatic brain injury (TBI) use social media to exchange information, converse and share their experiences of life after TBI (Brunner et al 2018). While the social perceptions of communication and social interaction online are evolving and expanding (Baker-Sparr et al 2018), social media use is associated with a number of risks, including the risk on mental health of internet addiction (Oberst et al 2017), and risks related to exposure to or engagement in cyber-victimization (e.g., stalking, cyberbullying, trolling, scams, identity theft) (Jenaro et al 2018).…”

“…However, with population level studies lacking (Brunner et al 2015) it is not known how many people with TBI use social media or for what purpose. Reportedly, they use a wide variety of platforms (Baker-Sparr et al 2018, Brunner et al 2018. Therefore, it is important to understand how people with TBI can be included in social media networks, particularly given their reduced opportunity for social interaction following TBI (Brunner et al 2017(Brunner et al , 2018.…”

“…While information on social media is abundant, it is also ephemeral and hard to find, increasing demands on the user's memory, sorting, curation and organizational skills. Also, a person's cognitive impairments after TBI may alter the ways that they learn to manage both Views of people with TBI who use social media 223 the challenges of finding and keeping track of information sources, and how to use and adjust to the frequent changes in social media platforms (Baker-Sparr et al 2018, Brunner et al 2017.…”