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”hej jag e typ deprimerad” : En etnografisk studie om ungdomars interaktion kring psykisk ohälsa på internet

Petersson, Amanda LU (2015) SOPA63 20151
School of Social Work
Abstract
Author: Amanda Petersson
Title: “Hi I’m kind of depressed” - An Ethnographic Study of Adolescents’ Interaction Concerning Mental Illness on the Internet [Translated title]
Supervisor: Gabriella Scaramuzzino
Assessor: Torbjörn Hjort

The aim of this study has been to examine how adolescents interact concerning mental illness on the Internet. I have spent time on one of the largest Internet forums that ado- lescents use in Sweden and looked at the comments that were published in 2014. An ethnographic method has allowed me to see the interaction from the adolescents’ point of view and through hidden observations I have been able to observe the interaction without the potential impact of my presence. My intention has been to reach a... (More)
Author: Amanda Petersson
Title: “Hi I’m kind of depressed” - An Ethnographic Study of Adolescents’ Interaction Concerning Mental Illness on the Internet [Translated title]
Supervisor: Gabriella Scaramuzzino
Assessor: Torbjörn Hjort

The aim of this study has been to examine how adolescents interact concerning mental illness on the Internet. I have spent time on one of the largest Internet forums that ado- lescents use in Sweden and looked at the comments that were published in 2014. An ethnographic method has allowed me to see the interaction from the adolescents’ point of view and through hidden observations I have been able to observe the interaction without the potential impact of my presence. My intention has been to reach a further understanding of the interaction. I have in my analysis I have used both Goffmans’s theory (1963/2011) on stigma and Cohen’s (1985) theory on communities in which he describes them as symbolically constructed. This study shows that adolescents choose the Internet to interact and discuss around their mental health problems because it al- lows them to avoid stigmatization. Through interaction concerning diagnosis, medica- tion and suicide the adolescent’s form a sense of community. One conclusion is that adolescents tend to use the Internet forum for self-help. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Petersson, Amanda LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOPA63 20151
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Adolescents, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Internet, Community, Interaction, Identity
language
Swedish
id
7363005
date added to LUP
2015-06-17 09:20:17
date last changed
2015-06-18 14:04:28
@misc{7363005,
  abstract     = {{Author: Amanda Petersson
Title: “Hi I’m kind of depressed” - An Ethnographic Study of Adolescents’ Interaction Concerning Mental Illness on the Internet [Translated title]
Supervisor: Gabriella Scaramuzzino
Assessor: Torbjörn Hjort

The aim of this study has been to examine how adolescents interact concerning mental illness on the Internet. I have spent time on one of the largest Internet forums that ado- lescents use in Sweden and looked at the comments that were published in 2014. An ethnographic method has allowed me to see the interaction from the adolescents’ point of view and through hidden observations I have been able to observe the interaction without the potential impact of my presence. My intention has been to reach a further understanding of the interaction. I have in my analysis I have used both Goffmans’s theory (1963/2011) on stigma and Cohen’s (1985) theory on communities in which he describes them as symbolically constructed. This study shows that adolescents choose the Internet to interact and discuss around their mental health problems because it al- lows them to avoid stigmatization. Through interaction concerning diagnosis, medica- tion and suicide the adolescent’s form a sense of community. One conclusion is that adolescents tend to use the Internet forum for self-help.}},
  author       = {{Petersson, Amanda}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{”hej jag e typ deprimerad” : En etnografisk studie om ungdomars interaktion kring psykisk ohälsa på internet}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}