Examining the Unique Online Risk Experiences and Mental Health Outcomes of LGBTQ+ versus Heterosexual Youth
<|reference_start|>Examining the Unique Online Risk Experiences and Mental Health Outcomes of LGBTQ+ versus Heterosexual Youth: We collected and analyzed Instagram direct messages (DMs) from 173 youth aged 13-21 (including 86 LGBTQ+ youth). We examined youth's risk-flagged social media trace data with their self-reported mental health outcomes to examine how the differing online experiences of LGBTQ+ youth compare with their heterosexual counterparts. We found that LGBTQ+ youth experienced significantly more high-risk online interactions compared to heterosexual youth. LGBTQ+ youth reported overall poorer mental health, with online harassment specifically amplifying Self-Harm and Injury. LGBTQ+ youth's mental well-being linked positively to sexual messages, unlike heterosexual youth. Qualitatively, we found that most of the risk-flagged messages of LGBTQ+ youth were sexually motivated; however, a silver lining was that they sought support for their sexual identity from peers on the platform. The study highlights the importance of tailored online safety and inclusive design for LGBTQ+ youth, with implications for CHI community advancements in fostering a supportive online environments.<|reference_end|>
@article{tanni2024examining,
    title={Examining the Unique Online Risk Experiences and Mental Health Outcomes
  of LGBTQ+ versus Heterosexual Youth},
    author={Tangila Tanni, Mamtaj Akter, Joshua Anderson, Mary Amon, Pamela
  Wisniewski},
    journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.08974},
    year={2024},
    doi={10.1145/3613904.3642509},
    archivePrefix={arXiv},
    eprint={2402.08974},
    primaryClass={cs.HC}
}