“I need to compartmentalize myself”: Appropriation of Instagram for chronic illness management

Recent studies have suggested and explored the rapid increase of social media appropriation globally by users in across different usage contexts. In line with this phenomenon, there has been a surge in the number of chronically ill adults who leverage social media tools as part of their illness management practice. This paper applies an interpretive case study with a mixed method approach to investigate the processes and influences on appropriation of Instagram social media tool by chronically ill adults living with fibromyalgia. Our results highlight the processes of Instagram appropriation which include: Creating a separate account to compartmentalize fibromyalgia from “normal life”; borderless appropriation of multiple social media tools and; adaptive usage patterns to convey support on Instagram. Among a range of influences, information support exchanges to better manage living with fibromyalgia; emotional support exchanges and validation; monetary/financial benefits: reaching a wider, targeted audience; accessibility and ease of use of Instagram were found to be positively influence appropriation of Instagram by chronically ill adults.

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