SNS and the Lived Experiences of Queer Youth

Technology design has not adequately included a queer perspective, even though digital technologies such as social networking sites (SNS) have been shown to play vital roles in the lives and well-being of queer people. SNS provide queer people with a means to explore their identities, learn about queerness and connect to others with similar experiences. However, SNS use can also have detrimental effects, exposing queer people to harm and victimisation. To date, there is not much effort in HCI to understand the experiences of queer people with SNS. As a result, we lack understanding of how SNS and other social technologies could be designed in ways that are supportive of queer people's well-being. The findings from this exploratory study reveal how particular digital technologies can have complex effects in shaping queer people's experiences and their well-being.