abstract
- © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Individuals set health goals all the time, but sometimes their intentions are not translated into actions. Even when authors like posit that individuals have the resources and skills needed to achieve the desired behavior, there are occasions when the individual seeks for support among from friends and relatives. Such support can come from several sources, one of them being specific self-help groups, which are known to be part of a social movement that seeks to promote a social change by allowing individuals to improve their lifestyles and achieve physical and emotional well-being. The purpose of this study is to shed light on the role social networking sites (SNS) play in providing individuals with a virtual community where they can meet with others in a non-judgmental environment to share goals and challenges and together find tools and support to translate good intentions into specific actions and as well as accomplish health-related goals. A Netnography of four SNS was conducted to understand how individuals get motivation and are motivated by SNS peers to consume a healthy diet and engage in physical activity in order to achieve their healthy goals. The Findings reveal that SNS offer individuals a virtual community where they can find encouragement, get answers to specific health-related questions, and a place to share their success stories, which in turn can motivate others to achieve similar goals. Thus, the quest for health and well-being can be easily embraced with the aid of digital media to reach millions of people who share similar goals and seek answers to their health-related concerns.