Internet Forums Are Actually Good For You

[dgstorm]

Here's something fun and interesting you might get a kick out of... it turns out that what you are doing right this moment (engaging with the community of this internet forum) is actually quite good for you. At least, that's what a recent study concluded which was published in the Computers In Human Behavior.

Specifically, the study concluded that "Internet forums have a positive impact on life satisfaction and lead to increased involvement in communities outside the confines of the online world." Here's a quote with more of the details,

The study approached users on a range of interest, lifestyle and hobby forums. The study split users into two groups: stigmatized subjects (like mental health discussion), and non-stigma related forums (sports, cooking and the rest). They were then polled about their reasons for joining the forum, how they felt about it, their life satisfaction and offline engagement with "issues raised in the forum". Author lead Dr. Louise Pendry of the University of Exeter said that: "As well as finding answers, our study showed users often discover that forums are a source of great support, especially those seeking information about more stigmatizing conditions."

"Moreover, we found that users of both forum types who engaged more with other forum users showed a greater willingness to get involved in offline activities related to the forum, such as volunteering, donating or campaigning." Unlike social networks, that have arguably substituted in for forums for a lot of people, The study highlights that forums still often maintain a degree of anonymity, which adds the effect when discussing issues with a stigma -- something that real names and face pics typically demolish. ~ Engadget

Well then... you can now rest easy knowing that you are doing a good thing for yourself just by being a part of this amazing forum! But of course, our amazing members already knew that!!!

 

[PitCarver]