Att våga dela med sig : Användning och delning av information om depression på YouTube

Sammanfattning: Social media is today used in Sweden by 88% of the population. On social media platforms discussions of mental health take place, which can be seen as problematic, because of the risk of misinformation being spread. On the other hand these discussions can create connection and provide strategies to individuals struggling. In this study information about depression, on the most used social media platform in Sweden, YouTube, will be explored further. The purpose of the study is to examine what YouTube creators from Sweden express about information sharing and information use, when talking about depression. This has been done by transcribing, thematising and analysing seven YouTube videos. To analyse the videos the theoretical concept cognitive authority has been used. The result of this study shows that information use is expressed in the videos by referring to different sources, presenting factual claims and discussing personal experience. The video creators also explain how information use effects them personally. Information sharing is expressed in the videos by discussing motives and obstacles to sharing information. A conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that prominent patterns can be identified in the videos. These patterns include that the creators mostly discuss their own experiences in their videos, but they also refer to health care professionals regularly. Another pattern identified is that most creators express wanting to share information to create awareness, but they also share information to help others and for the benefit of their own. Further, obstacles for sharing information are discussed in multiple videos, these obstacles are other people and the creators’ emotional reactions. Lastly the study shows that the creators can construct cognitive authorities by using information in a convincing way, by sharing experiences, presenting factual claims, and by referring to different sources. The creators can also construct cognitive authority by sharing information that seems honest and competent, by sharing personal information and explaining how they successfully overcame depression. The cognitive authority can also be constructed by developing personal trust with the viewers, by being personal and showing emotions.