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Although youth increasingly communicate with peers online, we know little about how private online channels play a role in providing a supportive environment for youth. To fill this gap, we asked youth to donate their Instagram Direct Messages and filtered them by the phrase “help me.” From this query, we analyzed 82 conversations comprised of 336,760 messages that 42 participants donated. These threads often began as casual conversations among friends or lovers they met offline or online. The conversations evolved into sharing negative experiences about everyday stress (e.g., school, dating) to severe mental health disclosures (e.g., suicide). Disclosures were usually reciprocated with relatable experiences and positive peer support. We also discovered unsupport as a theme, where conversation members denied giving support, a unique finding in the online social support literature. We discuss the role of social media-based private channels and their implications for design in supporting youth’s mental health. Content Warning: This paper includes sensitive topics, including self-harm and suicide ideation. Reader discretion is advised.
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Making “fast friends” online in middle childhood and early adolescence
Abstract Close peer relationships are critical to children's and adolescents’ healthy development and well‐being, yet youth sometimes struggle to make friends. The present work tested whether an online version of the Fast Friends procedure could engender closeness among 9‐ to 13‐year‐old youth. Participant dyads (N = 131), matched in age and gender, were randomly assigned to answer personal questions that encourage self‐disclosure and play a collaborative game (Fast Friends condition) or to engage in similar activities without self‐disclosure or collaboration (control condition). Fast Friends dyads reported feeling closer and expressed more interest in future contact than control dyads. The discussion addresses potential future uses and implications of an online Fast Friends procedure.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1941756
- PAR ID:
- 10561375
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Social Development
- Volume:
- 33
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 0961-205X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1111/sode.12708
