‘You got this!’: A critical discourse analysis of toxic positivity as a discursive construct on Facebook

Poucke, Margo Lecompte-Van

doi:10.1016/j.acorp.2022.100015

Cited by 15 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…In fact, some research highlights the fact that cancer caregivers felt “consoled” by social support from family, friends, and neighbors after the death of the cancer patient 31 . Despite the similarities to prior research conducted in the context of the misalignment of social support, cancer, and caregiving, 20,28,30 it is unknown how and under what circumstances supplications, prevailing, and or consolations could negatively impact YACC's mental health, and therefore this would be a potential area for future research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Toxic positivity can also manifest as social support misalignment—when an individual requests or expects one kind of support and is offered another type 18,19 . While SM allows for the rapid dissemination of information with others, SM may provide users with a false sense of anonymity or with increased distance between users which can lead to miscommunication or misinterpretation 20 . Thus, as YACC utilize SM with greater frequency than older caregivers and are often utilizing SM to elicit social support, they may have a greater risk of experiencing the misalignment of social support and its negative outcomes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Misalignment of social support in the social media posts of young adult cancer caregivers

Bybee,

Waters,

Smith

et al. 2024

Cancer Reports

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BackgroundCompared with older cancer caregivers, young adult cancer caregivers (YACC) experience greater stress and depression during the first 6 months of caregiving. Social support can buffer the negative psychological effects associated with cancer caregiving. However, the misalignment of social support is associated with increased distress and worse emotional well‐being. As YACC are more likely to utilize social media (SM) to seek social support compared with older cancer caregivers, they may be at greater risk of experiencing the misalignment of social support and related negative outcomes.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify ways that SM posts containing support for YACC's were potentially misaligned with the social support desired by YACC.MethodsIn this secondary analysis, cancer‐related SM posts (N = 760) from 34 YACC's SM accounts were extracted for 6 months following the day of cancer diagnosis and imported into NVivo qualitative analysis software. Open coding of posts from four YACC identified a pattern of SM posts containing responses that may misalign with social support requests, and could be perceived as dismissive of YACC's emotions. Similar posts were grouped together, forming categories which were used to create a codebook and applied in coding all posts from the remaining 30 YACC.ResultsContent analysis identified three categories of social support misalignment originating from YACC's SM posts: supplications (n = 251, 33%), prevailing (n = 7, 10.1%), and consolations (n = 16, 2.1%). Supplications involved prayer or trust in god, prevailing posts compared dealing with cancer to a fight and suggested that the person would overcome cancer, and consolations used quotes, song lyrics, and or general reassurances in SM posts.ConclusionsFindings suggest that when YACC use SM during cancer experiences, they may interpret SM posts as social support or as misalignment of social support requests, which in turn can lead to either improved quality of life or additional distress (respectively). This study adds to the body of knowledge regarding how YACC use social media for social support and may inform future interventions designed to match YACC's desired support with support offered.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Misalignment of social support in the social media posts of young adult cancer caregivers

Bybee,

Waters,

Smith

et al. 2024

Cancer Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Harrington (2021), for instance, describes “toxic masculinity” as an outcome of the perpetuation and legitimization of gender stereotypes and hierarchies. Lecompte-Van Poucke (2022) similarly examines “toxic positivity,” whereby the discourse of relentless positivity can be oppressive due to power relations and the obligation to always feel good. These discourses often present an exaggerated perspective and impose a sense of conformity on others, creating an expectation that they too must share the same feelings to fit in, thereby perpetuating symbolic violence.…”

Section: Toxicity Effects Of Violent Discourses On Conversationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Platformization of Violence: Toward a Concept of Discursive Toxicity on Social Media

Recuero

2024

Social Media + Society

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Discourse has long been recognized as a source of symbolic violence, perpetuating power relations and reinforcing existing social hierarchies. With the rise of social media platforms, the influence of discourse on society has gained renewed attention. These platforms, while enabling social interactions, also serve as catalysts for violent behaviors, reinforcing and legitimizing forms of oppression and symbolic violence, particularly the violence of language. While the concept of toxicity is frequently used to describe this phenomenon, its meaning and connection to language often remain unexplored. This article aims to address this gap by examining the significance of toxicity in discourse and how the infrastructure of social media platforms facilitates the emergence of toxic discourses. It argues that while toxicity and violence are related, they are distinct phenomena. Toxicity, as a dimension of symbolic violence, contaminates debates and discourses, and is enabled by the characteristics of platformization in online interactions. Thus, toxicity is an effect of platforms mediating social interactions.

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“…"Toxic positivity" refers to discourse that exaggerates reasons to be happy, hopeful, excited, or other positive emotion. [77] An overly enthusiastic tone was more likely to be found by reviewers among workplace resources, which they felt, at times, failed to make realistic presentations of mental health hardships.…”

Section: A Need To Develop Bespoke Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind over Waves: Uncovering Mental Health Toolkit Gaps for Young Australian Surf Lifesavers through an Environmental Scan and Expert Survey

Stewart,

Fien,

Lawes

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Background: Surf lifesavers constitute a critical but overlooked component of Australia’s first respondent workforce. Surf lifesavers are volunteer first responders across Australian waterways, performing coastal rescues, and other high-risk activities. Personnel undertaking these activities can include young people, from age 13. The mental health impact of these activities, and of strategies to improve wellbeing, is not well understood, yet recent research has identified young surf lifesavers (aged 13–25) to be a cohort particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges associated with these tasks. Objective: With a view to mitigate the mental health impacts of exposure to trauma among young lifesavers, this study aims to assess existing mental health toolkits available online in Australia and New Zealand, in relation to their relevance to this group with the goal of guiding the creation of a helpful, engaging toolkit for this demographic. Methods: Using an environmental scan methodology, we examined 32 mental health toolkits available online which focus on improving wellbeing, either of young people, first responders, volunteers, sports club members, or paid professional workers. Expert assessments of these tools were undertaken from researcher, psychological, social work, Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA), and non-SLSA first respondent perspectives to ascertain their relevance for young lifesavers, in accordance with the duties they undertake. These assessments were conducted via an online Qualtrics survey distributed via email to a diverse but relevant convenience sample of experts. Toolkits were scored on their usefulness, relevance, appropriateness, and accessibility for the target audience as well as their efficacy in addressing trauma specific to SLSA duties, and general trauma. Reviewers also provided general comments on the strengths and weaknesses of toolkits. Results: Of the 32 toolkits analysed, 14 were designed for young people, three for first responders, and one for young people who were also first responders. Another 12 were for paid workers, one for unpaid workers, and three for sports club members. Toolkits were reviewed by 68 experts across several domains. Toolkits intended for first responders and young people scored highest across all variables, while qualitative feedback emphasised strategies for audience engagement and potential applications for the target audience. No existing toolkit directly targeted experiences associated with the general tasks involved in surf lifesaving. Conclusions: As awareness of psychosocial hazards increases globally, toolkits concerning mental health may be of interest to all young people as they navigate their lives both within and outside of SLSA. Although no resource has been targeted to this cohort specifically, elements of existing toolkits are specifically relevant. This environmental scan reveals gaps where bespoke mental health toolkits could focus, for instance on the impact of performing rescues and other high-risk situations, such as responding to suicides and self-harm, that arise in Australian waterways; as well as emphasising the value of the SLSA community as a potential protective factor mitigating trauma exposure.

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‘You got this!’: A critical discourse analysis of toxic positivity as a discursive construct on Facebook

Cited by 15 publications

References 15 publications

Misalignment of social support in the social media posts of young adult cancer caregivers

Misalignment of social support in the social media posts of young adult cancer caregivers

The Platformization of Violence: Toward a Concept of Discursive Toxicity on Social Media

Mind over Waves: Uncovering Mental Health Toolkit Gaps for Young Australian Surf Lifesavers through an Environmental Scan and Expert Survey

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