Effectively Communicating Positive Identity on Recovery and Addiction through UGC

Perceptions on addiction have been dictated by media conveyance of negative imagery (Hellman, 2010). A literature review was conducted to explore several key themes into how to create digital media to affect positive communication into addiction and recovery. The literature examined was gathered from various academic journals, reports, and websites. The themes examined in this paper are: Health Information Websites; User Generated Content (UGC); Website Design Characteristics; Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRP) and Media. These themes illustrate the importance of creating an information website with UGC following pertinent website design characteristics on CRP’s websites. People have a tendency to use information websites as a primary resource for their data. UGC develops content for people to read, share, and create. As UGC is garnered, communities form around the established content to perpetuate the information presented. Website design is complex and requires substantial resources to make a website of quality. To add UGC and user participation to a website, there must be a need and space for the content. The advent of CRP’s can potentially offer space where an open and healthy discussion around addiction can take place.