My practicum project is progressing nicely, as I learn more about the users of the site and forum BabyUnversity.com.
I have been learning much more about Grace, a moderator on the website. Grace is a mom with two young kids, about 4 and 6. Much like other users, her profile picture is a photo of one of her kids (at left).
This week, she was very concerned about Maree, a fellow user with Type 1 Diabetes who has family in New Zealand. Apparently, she has been in the hospital a lot recently. She also recommended egg drop soup as a wonderful cold/flu remedy. Her family has been sick recently.
Grace usually starts many of the threads that people discuss. They are often about parenting, but can range from anything like the Oscars to what people will be doing this summer.
Grace is very typical of the many active users on BabyU. Her age, family status and Internet use are all very similar to many other users.
I find it extremely interesting that the multitude of active users reference things they have found out on Facebook from other users. When talking about Maree's hospital status, others often used what she had said on Facebook as an indicator that she was doing ok. Certainly, for this age group, Facebook is a much more interactive site than it is for younger, college students. Personally, I am much more likely to go and see my friends as opposed to writing on their Facebook wall. Yet, this group seems especially closely knit because of the internet and Facebook. The connections that are forged on this site seem to extend to a much more personal level than your usual online relationship. For now, I can truly understand that social networking really does prove to actually force new social connections in a way that I though it really couldn't do.
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