What to know
The emergence of electronic social media has diversified the ways people connect can connect and interact with each other forming "networks."
Conclusion and References
- Social networks are an important tool for understanding and mobilizing for health improvement.
- New research highlights the role that social networks in population health.
- Community-engaged health promotion and research emphasize the potential for social networks to support collective action for health improvement.
- Electronic social media has diversified the ways networks are formed and engaged.
- Networking, whether online or electronically, is different from creating, sustaining, and engaging a community
- Networking can even hinder collaboration instead of promoting it.
- The principles outlined in this primer should be applied to using social networks and all engagement efforts.
References
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