Support over Social Media among Socially Isolated Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in Rural U.S. during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities for Intervention Research

Abstract

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) rural adolescents are at risk for higher levels of social isolation, a well-known risk factor for depression and other negative health outcomes. We qualitatively examined how rural SGM youth seek emotional and informational support, which are protective factors for social isolation on social media (SM) regarding their SGM identity, and determined which SM platforms and tools are most effective in providing support. We conducted semistructured online interviews with rural SGM teens who screened positive for social isolation in spring 2020 and used a thematic analysis approach to analyze the data. Sixteen youths participated in interviews. Themes included seeking emotional support through SM groups and communities, seeking emotional support in designated online SGM spaces, using SM feeds for informational support, and disclosing SGM identity differentially across platforms. SM-based interventions could be leveraged to provide emotional and informational support for rural SGM youth across specific SM platforms and consider whether they are providing emotional or information support. Interventions focused on informational support may best be used on content-based platforms. Those designed to combat social isolation and connect marginalized SGM youths to similar others might benefit from community and forum-based platforms.

Social Media & Declining Trust: An Epistemic Challenge for Emerging Adults?

“…For most Precipitated Explorers, social media was a trusted outlet for consuming news, receiving educational information about sexuality and gender, and expanding political ideas. This is consistent with Karim et al (2022) and Pacely et al (2022), who find social media to be a source of informational and social support for LGBTQ + adolescents and emerging adults. In contrast, neither the Relativistic Explorers nor Differentiated Committers made any references to trusting social media; instead, distrust for social media was typical for participants within these clusters.…”

“…For example, Przybylski and Weinstein (2017) found a ‘goldilocks’ point such that a small to moderate amount of digital screen time was not predictive of poor mental health and, in some cases, had small positive associations. Social media can also provide a lifeline for sexual minority youth (Pacely et al, 2022), posing as a form of social and informational support for LGBTQ + adolescents (Karim et al, 2022).…”

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of First Aid for Epistaxis Among the General Population in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia

“…One way to achieve this is through educational campaigns and awareness programs focusing on these populations. Social media can also be a valuable tool for disseminating information and supporting these groups [ 22 ].…”

Social Support–Seeking Strategies on Social Media at the Intersection of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Identity, Race, and Ethnicity: Insights for Intervention From a Qualitative Study

“…The primary objective of this qualitative examination was to gain insight into the different strategies for seeking social media–based social support among LGBTQ+ young adults at the intersection of race and ethnicity. Existing literature highlights the significance of social support in buffering the effects of minority stressors for LGBTQ+ young adults; however, there is a noticeable lack of research considering how one’s racial or ethnic identity may influence the process of seeking social support on social media [ 18 , 35 ]. A total of 3 themes emerged: sources of support with similar identities, use of mutually anonymous support from strangers, and restricting family presence on social media.…”

“…For instance, LGBTQ+ individuals with high levels of minority stress show improved mental health outcomes if they perceive adequate social support [ 14 ]. One way that LGBTQ+ young adults seek effective social support is through social media [ 15 - 18 ]. Social media use is ubiquitous among LGBTQ+ persons to help connect with people of shared experiences [ 15 , 19 ], share grievances [ 20 , 21 ], and seek and obtain support to help cope with mental health concerns.…”