PWeDe: Empowering Filipino Youths with Chronic Illness Through a Dedicated Online Platform
Abstract Guerra, A.C.R. (2017). PWeDe: Empowering Filipino Youths with Chronic Illness Through a Dedicated Online Platform, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication. This study analyzed the usage of online platforms such as social media and other Internet sites by five (5) chronically ill Filipino youths for the seeking of psychosocial support, in line with developing a prototype platform designed primarily for young Filipino audiences living with chronic illness. This platform was modeled after “The Mighty” (http://themighty.com), an online content aggregation platform built upon voices from within the disability and mental health community. Concepts in usability evaluation and Everett Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory were utilized to analyze the attitudes and perceptions of participant-respondents towards online platforms and “The Mighty,” which served as a guide for the execution of an actual working website. Keywords: chronic illness, Filipino, youths, online platforms, Internet media