I feel anxious! What should I do?: Deciphering the Motivations of Social Support Interaction in Parental Mutual-aid Community

This study investigates the motivations behind social support behaviors within parental mutual-aid communities on social networking sites, particularly in the context of Hong Kong. Utilizing the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), the research analyzes 5,000 help-seeking posts and 30,000 corresponding comments from a prominent online community. The study reveals that longer posts and the reputational standing of the poster significantly increase the likelihood of receiving social support. Contrarily, posts with vivid descriptions tend to receive less support. The findings suggest that both the content of help-seeking posts and the dynamics within the community crucially influence the mobilization of social support. This research enhances our understanding of digital interactions in mutual-aid communities and offers insights for designing online environments that effectively support parental help-seeking efforts.