An Affordance Perspective on the Enabling and Disruptive Effects of Social Media Tools on Self-Management of Chronic Illness

This chapter examines the appropriation of social media tools by chronically ill adults to better understand and manage their illness using an affordance perspective. Despite the continued attention that information systems scholars have directed to studies on affordances and social media, there seems to be limited discussion on the negative, disruptive effects that social media could have on accomplishment of illness management goals. Accordingly, the authors argue that social media affordances could have both positive, enabling effects on illness management outcomes or negative, disruptive effects.