Support groups offer support through the members interacting and sharing with each other moments of hope and moments of sorrow. The moments of sorrow require more work for the members. In these moments they must provide solace; “cybersolace, the interaction between and among individuals that is focused on offering solace using various technologies” (cite). This is important to ensure the act of writing is impactful and leads to empowerment. The empowerment a member gets from an online support group is the product members can walk away with; a general …show more content…
I myself have shared my fair share of negative posts, a year ago my brother was in the middle of a trail facing 8 years in prison. I thought I was unable to even stomach the idea of sitting on the hard wooden bench watching my brother plead guilty to multiple charges which will land him in prison. So, I leaned onto my fellow siblings, I shared my story and my concerns; and I was surrounded by support and love. Through a small square device, my cellphone I had hundreds of people just like me holding me up and comforting me in my back pocket as I walked into that courtroom. Bad news comes in a couple of different shapes, stories like mine, stories of concern, and stories of death. Sadly, these are the most common posts, and the hardest to respond to. The responses include, stories of hope, comments of support and solace, as well as people who share experiences who can offer stories of empowerment. These posts allow for the page to offer support, solace, and empowerment. In my case, the members offered me solace and support which in return gave me the empowerment to sit on a wooden bench as my brother, my best friend, was sentenced to 8 years in