Beneficial participation: Lurking vs. posting in Online Support Groups

This chapter aims to shed insight on how and why young adults use texting informed by a uses and gratifications theoretical approach to help health practitioners understand what will make their text messaging programs more resonant and appealing to this audience. In addition, for communication researchers and others engaged in audience research, it demonstrates the value of Q-methodology to investigate the uses and gratifications of communications technologies. From the perspective as both public health practitioners and researchers, text messaging otherwise known as Short Message Service (SMS) offers a potentially powerful means of outreach that meets people where they are. The Security texter clearly is an excellent target for an emergency text messaging program. Phrases like "information to stay safe in an emergency" will appeal to this type of texter. The study also demonstrated the value of applying an innovative method to the long-standing communications tradition of uses and gratifications.