The investigation of digital culture created by families of children with hearing loss: A netnography study

The research aims to examine the digital culture of the digital community, which has 14235 members and is created by individuals with hearing loss and their families on Facebook. For this purpose, the research was designed as a netnography research used in digital culture research. The participants of the study were 4 administrators and 14235 members of the digital community. Data were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews, documents, and reflective researcher diary. As a result of the data analyzed inductively, the culture of the community was grouped under the headings of Community dynamics, Community sharing, and Community dynamics. Information needs and psycho-social support are prominent in the community. When the culture of the community was analyzed, it was seen that there was an intense relationship between the physical environment, digital environment, and phygital. A model has emerged to explain this relationship. Members experience some experiences in the physical environment, some experiences in the digital environment, and some experiences in both environments simultaneously. It is thought that the results of the research will contribute to the literature and practices related to children with hearing loss and their families. The reflections of early intervention practices for children with hearing loss on the community will provide guidance to improve the quality of services provided.