A Pilot Study of Whether Social Media Group Promotes Mutual Aid, Instillation of Hope, Universality Among Its Participants
Veronika Kudina, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL (USA)
The 2020 miles in 2020 challenge is based on philosophy that was established by authors of Run The Edge. They created an exclusive Facebook group to encourage individuals to form social bonds and do their best to complete 2020 miles in 2020. This poster will showcase how the virtual exercise Facebook group was developed and the impact on members as they post their personal stories, interact with one another, and motivate each other to succeed.
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Presentation Description:
The 2020 miles in 2020 challenge was created by two authors: an Olympian and his University of Colorado track and cross-country teammate. They based their challenge on the philosophy they established as they wrote Run The Edge (Catalano & Goucher, 2012). They created an exclusive Facebook (FB) group for those who are completing the virtual run challenged. The FB group was developed in order to encourage members to form social bonds and do their best to complete 2020 miles in 2020.
Thus far, the group seems to be succeeding. Members post their personal stories and interact with one another while motivating each other to succeed. The learning objective of the proposed poster is to gain a better understanding of how virtual groups in social media can incorporate and reflect the goals of in-person group work. Through interviews conducted with the organizers and selected participants, the investigator will be able to assess the presence of some of Yalom's (2005) therapeutic factors including: mutual aid, instillation of hope, and promotion of universality. Interviews will be conducted virtually using phone or Skype and in-person where possible.
IRB approval is currently being pursued to ensure the proper consideration of social work and research ethics. At this time, there are no foreseen risks to the participants of this study. The poster will reflect the learning objective and explore the method behind virtual running, its creation, philosophy and how the virtual exercise group motivates those involved to go on the journey of self-improvement and self-discovery. As authors of Running the Edge state "there's a huge community of people who want to be involved who don't want to travel to be part of a race." Participants can participate in the race remotely (run virtually) and receive awards and set their own records without the anxiety of travelling.
The poster will show how the virtual exercise FB group was developed and how it impacts its members. Quotes from the Run The Edge book as well as interviews from both the organizers and participants will be incorporated.
References:
- Catalano, T., & Goucher, A. (2012). Running the edge: discovering the secrets to better running & a better life. Austin, TX: Greenleaf.
- Yalom, I. (2005). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. Fifth Edition. Basic Books.
View PNG of Poster / To learn more, download the Presentation Handout.
Thank you so much for your comments. When I started the project in January I didn't know how drastic the need for social connection will appear with the pandemic. Social media groups has always aimed to connect people and because of Covid-19 more and more people have searched for those types of groups during quarantine.
Veronika- This is an important topic because while our world does not always allow in-person groups, one can argue as you suggest that virtual groups can still provide group benefits of mutual support and feelings of universality. I am a major fan of track/running (I know who Goucher is), so it was great fun for me to review your poster content. I assume you are participating in the 2020 Challenge - good for you! Enjoyed your poster a lot!
Veronika-you are one of the hardest working students I have worked with. You hung in there through all our challenges with IRB and did not give up. I love your topic because it highlights the type of social support we can now receive through social media. Plus I think any topic about getting us up and moving is important for strengthening both the mind and the body.