LGBTQ Youth and Technology
Finding Their Way Through Online Communities
Abstract
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) youth come of age in a heterosexist and homophobic society with few, if any, resources or role models to help them formulate their sexual identities. They often turn to online communities to explore coming out, relationships, and health concerns as they navigate this developmental stage. This literature review examines the information seeking behaviors of LGBTQ youth, the online communities they use, and the outcomes of their participation as they develop their identities through websites, computer mediated communications, social media, and video-based platforms. LGBTQ youth gather and share information, assist others with their developmental process, and form relationships online and transfer them to their offline lives. Several reasons for the success of the online communities are explored and the conclusion provides suggestions for future research.
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