Digital Care Ecologies: How Black Women Use Social Media to Foster Culturally Congruent Care

Background and Purpose: Systemic anti-Black racism is a well-documented determinant of psychological distress among Black communities, with Black women experiencing distinct and compounded impacts due to intersecting systems of oppression. Despite elevated mental health needs, Black women face persistent structural, cultural, and access-related barriers to traditional mental health services. In response, social media has emerged as an alternative space where Black communities engage in practices of connection, care, and support. While prior research has examined identity formation and sociopolitical engagement online, less is known about how Black women specifically use social media to support culturally grounded healing, wellness, and self-care. This study addresses this gap by examining how Black women employ social media to support culturally grounded self-care, wellness, and healing.

Methods: This study employed a qualitative research design guided by a contextualist/critical realist epistemology. The researchers recruited 22 self-identified adult Black women residing in the United States through purposive, convenience, and snowball sampling. The researchers collected data through virtual focus groups conducted on Zoom, while data analysis relied on a six-phase reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Preliminary findings have identified five key themes detailing how Black women leverage social media to center culturally grounded self-care, wellness, and healing. These themes include: 1) Cultivating Connection & Virtual Presence; 2) Centering Joy, Humor, & Intentional Escapism; 3) Facilitating Knowledge Exchange & Resource Navigation; 4) Prioritizing Agency, Safety, & Flexible Access; and 5) Nurturing Inspiration, Empowerment, & Collective Affirmation. Additionally, key findings also provide nuanced insights into the specific technological affordances and contextual factors that most effectively support culturally congruent care practices (e.g., somatic, sonic, narrative, and collective) as identified by Black women. Notably, early analysis suggests that Black women adeptly use social media platforms to translate culturally rooted concepts of wellness and healing strategies into digital environments.

Conclusions and Implications: Collectively, the insights gathered from this study emphasize that social media serves as an informal yet essential site for healing, wellness, and self-care among Black women. Further, this research highlights how Black women recognize and articulate the advantages of these platforms for culturally congruent emotional and mental support. While social media is often overlooked as a source of mental health support, these findings shed important light on how researchers, healthcare professionals, and technology developers can better utilize social media to support culturally congruent care for Black women.