Online support groups during the COVID-19 pandemic: a necessity or an added calamity

behavior, communities, e-health

To the editor,

Are online support groups really necessary during this Coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic. With the increasing availability of digital services, these groups can now meet online. Chat rooms and now even video chat conferences can be used to hold meetings. Others may utilize open message boards, where members can go any time of the day to post questions, share stories and emotions and give advice to one another.¹ In a recent correspondence, the author concluded that the sustainability of an online group like the COVID-19 Survivors Philippines is necessary because it aids the suffering, most especially, the poor.² She also added that the formed online community plays a crucial part in public health during the COVID-19 pandemic because it capacitates the people from various sectors to collaborate and promote the common good, specifically in the area of public health.² There is no doubt that the role played by such online support groups is indeed a big help during crisis. In fact, this group is only one of the 88 support groups that I have researched on Facebook, which are all related to the catering of various kinds of services during the pandemic. Some of these support groups include PH Against COVID-19, Long Haulers Philippines, COVID-19 Awareness Philippines, COVID-19 Philippines Quarantine Support Group, COVID-19 Frontliners Philippines, Coronavirus Philippines and many others. However, let us not forget that despite their positive contributions, the online platform is also the perfect venue for the spread of negative information as well as inappropriate actions, which can also affect negatively and even worsen the difficult situation. Now, in times like this, the same author cited another article claiming that fraternal charity should abound to keep the spirit of fraternal charity alive online.³ Is this enough to address the problem of the possible negative effects of online groups?

In the case of an international emergency, such as a pandemic, the dissemination of factual and timely information is a crucial part of the collective response. Social media, or forms of electronic communication which facilitate dissemination and sharing of information, ideas, pictures and videos, can be a particularly apt tool for accomplishing this.⁴ While the sharing of experiences concerning the disease can be helpful, the same information is likely to cause increased levels of stress and anxiety. Repeatedly engaging with trauma-related media content for several hours daily shortly after collective trauma may prolong acute stress experiences. Mass media may become a conduit that spreads negative consequences of community trauma beyond directly affected communities.⁵ In a survey conducted among 1226 Gen Zs (those born between 1997 and 2015) across Asia Pacific regarding how COVID-19 has affected their mental well-being, the number of negative stories is cited by 61% as the main reason why social media has had a negative impact on their lives during the pandemic.⁶ Miscommunication can also be the problem since it can be difficult at times to convey the tone online. Some people tend to have significantly more misunderstandings when interacting online since they cannot hear each other’s tone of voice or see facial expressions. This can possibly be helped by the use of video conferencing, but lag and poor picture quality can still cause problems.¹ Fake news, identity theft, cyberbullying, making threats, hacking, fraud, harassing and stalking others online—these are other sample immoral behaviors or are even considered as crimes, which can be the result of inappropriate use of online support groups.

The unfortunate reality and I can firmly say that ‘fraternal charity’ is not always the constant response of some individuals who never run out of taking advantage of the situation to fool their neighbors at all costs. In times of the absence of this noble virtue, concrete ways must be religiously implemented. There must be a strict regulation of these social media sites by the administrator, such as a rigorous verification of personal details for those who want to join the group; a regular monitoring and approval of acceptable postings and, most of all, applying a maximum caution while sharing anything about the group online.