A Study on WeSupport , a WeChat-based Learning Platform
In general , the majority of parent users reported that parenting lessons very much helped them improve communication with their children , understand them better and build a closer relationship with them ( Chart 20 ). While such surveys often trigger positive bias from respondents , the feedback of users clearly indicated positive changes in their awareness and perception , which is the necessary first step towards achieving behavior change . As the survey shows , the majority of parents said that the clips were very helpful and only a handful did not see any benefits . From the interviews we understand that while the impact on knowledge and awareness can be immediate , behavior change takes more time and is an ongoing process .
Chart 20 : How much WeSupport helped parents
70 %
60 %
50 %
40 %
62.1 % 58.6 % 58.6 %
39 . 3 % 39 . 3 % 37.9 %
Communication Understanding Building up relationship
30 %
20 %
10 % |
|
|
|
0 |
Very much |
Partly |
0.0 % 0.7 % 0.7 % 0.0 % 1 . 4 % 1 . 4 %
Did not help
Not applicable
|
Li Mei is one of those working parents who is separated from her child due to work and is making a big effort to close the emotional gap created by distance :
The Story of Li Mei
Li Mei is a 37-year-old factory worker . She has an 11 year-old son who lives with his father back home . Li Mei only goes back home twice a year to visit her family , but tries really hard to stay connected with her son . “ I video chat with my son as much as possible , but I used to only ask him the same questions about his homework and school … I left like as he was getting older , he didn ’ t want to talk to me so much anymore ”, she says . “ Recently , I read some contents on the WeSupport platform about effective listening and some “ tricks ” about different ways to ask questions . I really tried to “ experiment ” with these tricks whenever I talked to my son … and I think slowly but surely , he is more willing to talk to me .”
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