Beyond hearing: Where the real-world and online support meet.

A random sample survey of an online self-help group for people with hearing loss was conducted. Two factors predicted active participation in the group: a lack of real-world social support and being comparatively effective (having less disability, coping more effectively, and using real-world professional services). More active participation in the group was associated with more benefits from the group and stronger reports of community orientation. The authors also found evidence that integration of online and real-world support (if it existed) benefited participants. That is, if supportive family and friends in the real world shared the online group with participants, participants reported above average benefits, whereas if supportive family and friends were uninvolved in the online group, participants reported below average benefits. One of the best parts of Beyond Hearing is talking to the few friends I have on the list who I know off list .... That opinion was offered to us by a member of an Internet support group for people with hearing loss. If the statement seems incongruous, it is probably because today’s dominant narrative about social support on the Internet focuses on its value when real-world support is unavailable (see Davison, Pennebaker, & Dickerson, 2000; Galegher, Sproull, & Kiesler, 1998; McKenna & Bargh, 1998; Mickelson, 1997). In this article, we draw on theory from the field of social network analysis to explore the role of Internet support versus real-world support. We use empirical evidence from a random sample survey and follow-up survey of an online discussion group for people with hearing loss. We show that although compensatory online support is associated with benefits in this group, leveraged online support—a mixing of real world and online support—is associated with even more benefits.