Relationship Status — It's Complicated: A Mixed-Method Study About Queer Youth's Relationship With Social Media

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: Queering Approaches to Curriculum and Pedagogy

Abstract

This study responds to a need for research about understanding and documenting the relationship queer youth have with social media. It explores how queer youth use social media as part of their everyday experiences in an attempt to safely navigate their lives through learning, participating, engaging, communicating and constructing identities in digital spaces. Descriptions of participants’ accessibility to social media, use of Facebook as a connection strategy, and perceptions of comfort online are discussed. Analyses suggest that Facebook is an important aspect in participants’ lives and has become a safe space for queer youth to explore issues of sexuality and gender. This study provides a baseline for continued research in the intersection of Queer studies, multicultural education, and digital spaces.

Authors

• Leanna Lucero, New Mexico State University

• Angela Victoria Enriqueta Owens, New Mexico State University