Social media engagement and resource gain spirals: a mixed-methods study of digital empowerment among marginalized caregivers

Marginalized populations facing chronic resource depletion often struggle to access traditional support, yet social media enables new support-seeking behaviors that existing theories cannot fully explain. This study advances IS theory by developing the concept of “digitally mediated resource spirals,” a novel IS mechanism explaining how digital platform affordances alter resource exchange dynamics for marginalized populations experiencing chronic resource depletion, and by providing initial empirical support with mixed-methods evidence. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, we surveyed 251 primary caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder and conducted follow-up interviews with 16 caregivers. We measured caregiving-related social media engagement as a second-order construct comprising informational and social use. Our findings show that (1) socially excluded caregivers engage with social media despite resource depletion, contradicting Conservation of Resources (CoR) Theory predictions; (2) caregiving-related social media engagement is significantly associated with resource gains across three empowerment dimensions: emotional resource replenishment (power within/well-being), social capital accumulation (power with others/participation), and instrumental resource access (power over resources/support networks); and (3) qualitative evidence reveals how platform affordances and digital-specific resources enable resource-depleted individuals to initiate support-seeking with minimal investment. This research makes three contributions to IS: introducing a portable theoretical mechanism applicable to other marginalized populations and digital contexts beyond caregiving; identifying two digital-specific resource types, ambient emotional reassurance and instant peer validation, extending CoR Theory; and extending IS affordances theory by showing that platform affordances create new resource types and not just efficiently enable existing behaviors. The study also has socio-technical design implications for supporting vulnerable populations through platform architecture.