Subculture centered public health communication: A social media strategy
Social media use by health practitioners helps articulate a subculture centered approach to public health communication. This article explores public health practitioners' communication strategies with one subculture: young (18 to 29 year old) men who have sex with men (MSM) Interviews with staff at a public health clinic reveal the use of a variety of social media systems to engage potential MSM clients (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Grindr, and Google+ Public health communicators' social media use reflected the esthetic, behavioral, and media preferences of a high risk target group and the ethical risks associated with publicly viewable communication. Social media became a platform for integrated multi channel communication that comprised both top down (i.e. institution centric) and bottom up (i.e. subculture centric) communication flows that work together in a complementary fashion. Ultimately, subculture centered social media use in this setting helps minimize cultural barriers between members of a public health subculture and the institutions that provide critical care.
New Media Soc.