Zhang Zizhong, Huang Qing
College of Media and International Culture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China.
International Communication Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China.
Digit Health. 2025 Jul 20;11:20552076251360882. doi: 10.1177/20552076251360882. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.
This study explores how smartphones are depicted in the illness narratives of patients with mental health issues, focusing on the roles smartphones play and their affordances within online depression communities.
We analyzed discussions from an online depression group with over 60,000 members using Semantic Network Analysis (SNA) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA).
The study identified three key roles of smartphones-as information brokers, communication tools, and emotional valves-which correspond to affordances of visibility, connectivity, and persistence. These affordances both facilitate and constrain behaviors in illness narratives, revealing a double-edged sword effect where smartphones provide essential support and emotional relief but also exacerbate negative experiences such as anxiety and rumination.
The findings bridge affordance theory and online narrative studies, deepening the understanding of media technologies' interplay with mental health. This study offers insights into how smartphone affordances shape lived experiences, contributing to the development of digital narrative therapy.
本研究探讨心理健康问题患者的疾病叙事中智能手机是如何被描述的，重点关注智能手机在在线抑郁社区中所扮演的角色及其功能特性。
我们使用语义网络分析（SNA）和批判性话语分析（CDA），对一个拥有超过60000名成员的在线抑郁群组中的讨论进行了分析。
该研究确定了智能手机的三个关键角色——信息中介、沟通工具和情绪宣泄口，它们分别对应着可见性、连接性和持续性的功能特性。这些功能特性在疾病叙事中既促进又限制行为，揭示了一种双刃剑效应，即智能手机提供了必要的支持和情绪缓解，但也加剧了焦虑和沉思等负面体验。
研究结果将功能特性理论与在线叙事研究联系起来，加深了对媒体技术与心理健康相互作用的理解。本研究为智能手机功能特性如何塑造生活体验提供了见解，有助于数字叙事疗法的发展。
