How Facebook, Twitter and SMS bring health promotion forward

The tiny room, in which the possibilities of new media in health promotion were discussed, was bursting at the seams. The interest of conference participants to use tools like Web 2.0, SMS, Facebook and Twitter for information procuration and campaign work was impressing.

In health promotion, the expectations of new media are generally high. Never before had financing of a project been so easy, explained Judy Gold from the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, Australia. “The only question from local health authorities was: ,Can you not double the target audience?’‘’ Gold’s project ‘Facespace’ examined whether social platforms like Facebook are suited for sex education.

‘’Facebook is a great place to address young people,’’ explained the Australian social researcher. ‘’But one thing is clear: Anyone who wants to be noticed must use entertaining messages!’’ The starting position for the five-month pilot project was clear: The articles must be so funny and original that they are passed on from friend to friend on Facebook.

The scientists decided to create five fictitious users at the age of their target audience, who exchange photos and videos on Facebook and should chat about their daily life – like in life of real Facebook users. The five friends were impersonated by actors. The big challenge in the implementation of the concept, said Judy Gold, had been that Facebook entries had to be short but informative. “It was quite hard to place messages about sexual education.” She concluded that Facebook is suited for the contact with teenagers and young adults, but it takes a lot of effort and creativity to keep up the interest over a longer period of time.

Suzanne Suggs and her team analyzed the possibilities of an SMS dialogue to deter teenagers from excessive alcohol consumption. In the small town Medford, near Boston, where the experiment took place, alcohol consumption is disproportionately high compared to a national average. ‘’The city clearly has a problem’’, said Suggs. ‘’And the teenagers are strongly in favour of a change.’’

The project was boldly called ‘I’m allergic to stupid decisions’ and collaborated with teenagers from the start. It was that very fact, which proved to be the key element of success, Suggs explained. The idea was that teenagers, who feel compelled to drink alcohol through their social surroundings, get support via SMS on how to decline drinks. So, the adolescents get suggestions on their mobile phone for reasons to decline alcohol. For example: ‘’I have a test tomorrow.’’ Or: ‘’I have to pick up my sister afterwards.’’ These excuses were developed by peers who took part in the project.

The experiment founds such a large echo that Medford applied it in its youth work and may soon extend it to the entire state of Massachusetts. One condition for success, explained Suggs, is a broad propagation of the offering amongst the youths – through T-shirts with info about the SMS contact info or movies on Youtube.

Sexual education:   
www.youtube.com/thefacespaceproject
www.facebook.com thefacespaceproject

Alcohol prevention:    
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqkAYgtwubY