Earlier this year, Hopelab partnered with the Born This Way Foundation to conduct a study examining how LGBTQ+ young adults connect with their peers online to explore their identities, find support and build meaningful relationships.
The Born This Way Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded by pop star Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. The foundation works to inspire young people to build a kinder world that supports their mental health and well-being. The foundation uses research, programs and grants to connect people with accessible mental health resources.
Much like Gaga herself, the foundation serves as a dedicated advocate and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and hopes to provide a safe space as platform policies and legislation affect the safety of this community, both in-person and online.
“There are a lot of discussions and debates happening right now about online spaces and young people, specifically LGBTQ+ young people,” said Claudia-Santi F. Fernandes, director of research and evaluation at Born This Way Foundation. “Unfortunately, far too few include their voices and actionable recommendations for how to improve these spaces to support them better.”
On March 12, the organizations released a report titled “‘Without It, I Wouldn’t Be Here Today’: LGBTQ+ Young People’s Experiences in Online Spaces,” which highlights what the researchers found in their study: partnerships between young people and trusted adults can create understanding and open environments that enhance the well-being and reduce depression in LGBTQ+ young adults.
Through these online spaces, people in this community are given a place to express themselves and explore ideas around sexual and gender identities. They are able to seek refuge in a place that typically accepts them for their identity much more than in their real life.
These sentiments align with the report’s key findings:
80% of people who identify as nonbinary or transgender are more comfortable being out online. This number decreases by half when asked if they would be comfortable being out in the real world.
Approximately half of LGBTQ+ young adults feel safer expressing their identities online than in person (44% vs. 9%).
Around 60% reported that people were very kind regarding their LGBTQ+ identities online, compared to just 23% for in-person spaces.
Online and in-person friends are rated as more supportive than family among LGBTQ+ young people. Additionally, these in-person spaces who were supportive of LGBTQ+ identities are associated with lower rates of depression.
However, there will always be some negativity online; this is the nature of the internet. The report observes said negativity and aims to show how LGBTQ+ young people handle threats and bullies while still holding onto their safety. With these observations, the researchers offered strategies for platform administrators and adults to protect this community of young people without limiting their voices.
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Along with examining these spaces, researchers spoke directly with LGBTQ+ people about their experiences in online spaces and their insights on the matter.
“Our research engages young people every step of the way, from designing the survey to interpreting the findings — ensuring their perspectives and solutions are at the center of this conversation,” Fernandes said.
Additionally, the research captured insights from 1,200 LGBTQ+ young people, ages 15-24. They all came from diverse backgrounds: 50% identified as BIPOC, 29% resided in rural towns and 20% identified as struggling or unable to meet basic expenses.
Many community members recounted why they loved having this online space and what it has contributed to their lives.
“I’ve gotten so much validation and acceptance from my online friends for years, that I sometimes haven’t gotten in person from others,” said a white, young adult woman in the survey. “They truly helped save my life and remind me I’m not alone. I often wish the 'real world' was as accepting as my online friends are.”
Other responses in the survey echoed this recount.
“I feel like I can be my truest self [online] instead of having to hide like I have to do in my daily life because I live with transphobic parents and family and experience transphobia almost daily,” a Black nonbinary young adult said.
The people in this study are not the only ones who feel this way. Many LGBTQ+ people around the country, including here on Miami University’s campus, seek community with those who accept them online and in-person.
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