"Good Social Media?": Underrepresented Youth Perspectives on the Ethical and Equitable Design of Social Media Platforms

Abstract

This study investigates underrepresented youths’ perspectives on social media design and how these may inform the development of more ethical and equitable social media apps. In contrast to the tradition of universal design in the field of human-computer interaction, this research centers difference to investigate how users’ perspectives and expectations, shaped by their identities, help determine the affordances of social media and their ethical implications. Twenty-five in-depth interviews and youth-guided “think aloud” social media tours were carried out with a diverse range of young people from underrepresented groups. Findings illustrate how young people perceive and experience empowering and disempowering aspects of social media design. Interviewees expressed a palpable sense of underrepresentation in the digital technology design sector and noted several ways in which design elements of social media can exacerbate a sense of inadequacy. The negative implications of user profile design and popularity rating systems that encourage conformity were found to be of particular concern for low-income youth, youth of color, and other underrepresented groups. However, our findings also illuminate youth perceptions on how social media can sometimes serve as a tool to counter negative stereotypes and build social capital. The analysis includes concrete suggestions from underrepresented youth for more ethical and equitable social media design.

The Theory, Practice, and Ethical Challenges of Designing a Diversity-Aware Platform for Social Relations

“…Social media platforms are not inherently or exclusively bad for users' autonomy. On the contrary, social media platforms have been experienced as empowering spaces that allow individuals to express themselves and organize for political resistance (Brough, Literat, and Ikin 2020;Williams 2015). Hence, in our view, technology-mediated social interactions require new legal frameworks, new business models, and, most tangibly, new designs in order to avoid the stated problems.…”

“…The lack of diversity in a platform has implications for users. Brough, Literat, and Ikin (2020) found that youth felt the need to conform to standard community norms to be seen and recognized in social media platforms. Being different or posting about less covered topics is not rewarded by the system.…”

“…Feedback loops and filter bubbles tend to curtail access to the breadth of information (Pariser 2012). Popular content and mainstream norms are picked up and further promoted by algorithms, effectively marginalizing alternative voices (Brough, Literat, and Ikin 2020;Trillò 2018). Extensive and often sensitive data is collected with little awareness for the conditions of informed consent (Tufekci 2018).…”

Youth Perceptions, Use and Effects of Social Media on Peace and Conflicts in Tanzania

“…SM enabled the youth in the formation of identity-based communities and networks. An example is Brough et al (2020) unveils shared success stories among low-income and under-resourced youth of getting work, connecting with professional contacts, or gaining access to career mentorship due to interactions on SM.…”

“I Wish I was Wearing a Filter Right Now”: An Exploration of Identity Formation and Subjectivity of 10- and 11-Year Olds’ Social Media Use

“…Possible and idealized selves can be presented online and this can propagate pressure to continually adopt this fictitious persona (Burnette et al, 2017). Allowing others to “like” and comment on personal lives can have implications for self-esteem; how they are perceived by others is inextricably linked to how they feel about themselves and this social acceptance and approval by peers is essential for the wellbeing of children and young people (Brough et al, 2020; Chae, 2017; Koutamantis et al, 2015).…”