School of Social Welfare, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA.
School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA.
J Homosex. 2022 Jan 2;69(1):41-60. doi: 10.1080/00918369.2020.1813508. Epub 2020 Sep 2.
Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth experience risks due to their stigmatized SGM identities; however, supportive resources and people can mitigate these risks. In nonmetropolitan areas, SGM-affirming support may not be readily available. The internet and social media may be a way for SGM youth to access support and resources pertaining to their SGM identities, yet little research has been conducted in this area. This qualitative, exploratory study utilized in-depth interviews (N = 34) with nonmetropolitan SGM youth in one Midwestern state to better understand how they utilized the internet and social media related to their SGM identities. Grounded theory analysis revealed three categories of social media and internet usage among participants. Participants utilized the internet to establish a sense of community (access others, form relationships), express themselves (come out, vent), and access resources and information. These findings suggest important implications for practice and research.
性少数群体（SGM）青年因其被污名化的 SGM 身份而面临风险；然而，支持性资源和人员可以减轻这些风险。在非大都市地区，支持 SGM 的资源可能不容易获得。互联网和社交媒体可能是 SGM 青年获取与他们的 SGM 身份相关的支持和资源的一种方式，但在这一领域的研究很少。本研究采用定性、探索性方法，对中西部一个州的 34 名非大都市 SGM 青年进行了深入访谈，以更好地了解他们如何利用互联网和社交媒体来表达自己的 SGM 身份。扎根理论分析揭示了参与者在社交媒体和互联网使用方面的三个类别。参与者利用互联网建立社区意识（接触他人、建立关系）、表达自己（出柜、发泄）和获取资源和信息。这些发现对实践和研究具有重要意义。
