Examining the Unique Online Risk Experiences and Mental Health Outcomes of LGBTQ+ versus Heterosexual Youth

TL;DR

This work addresses how LGBTQ+ youth experience online risks in private Instagram DMs and how these risks relate to mental health. Using a mixed-method design with 173 youths (86 LGBTQ+), it combines DM risk-flag data and validated mental health scales to contrast LGBTQ+ and heterosexual experiences, and to examine associations and moderation by sexual identity. Key findings show LGBTQ+ youth endure more high-severity online interactions (sexual content and self-injury) and poorer mental health, with harassment amplifying Self-Harm specifically for LGBTQ+ youth, while sexual messages relate to divergent mental health patterns across groups. Qualitative analysis reveals sexual undertones pervading risky conversations and highlights peer support as a meaningful counterbalance, underscoring the need for tailored online safety, inclusive design, and HCML approaches to differentiate harmful harassment from exploratory sexual discussions. Collectively, the results inform targeted risk prevention, safer private spaces, and design strategies that protect LGBTQ+ youth while supporting healthy identity exploration online.

Abstract

We collected and analyzed Instagram direct messages (DMs) from 173 youth aged 13-21 (including 86 LGBTQ+ youth). We examined youth's risk-flagged social media trace data with their self-reported mental health outcomes to examine how the differing online experiences of LGBTQ+ youth compare with their heterosexual counterparts. We found that LGBTQ+ youth experienced significantly more high-risk online interactions compared to heterosexual youth. LGBTQ+ youth reported overall poorer mental health, with online harassment specifically amplifying Self-Harm and Injury. LGBTQ+ youth's mental well-being linked positively to sexual messages, unlike heterosexual youth. Qualitatively, we found that most of the risk-flagged messages of LGBTQ+ youth were sexually motivated; however, a silver lining was that they sought support for their sexual identity from peers on the platform. The study highlights the importance of tailored online safety and inclusive design for LGBTQ+ youth, with implications for CHI community advancements in fostering a supportive online environments.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Results (Standardized residuals) from chi-square test showing the between-group analysis of online risk messages encountered by LGBTQ+ and heterosexual youth based on (a) risk level and (b) risk types (N = 3023). ($^*$) indicates significant association. Note that green indicates a positive association, while red indicates a negative one.
• Figure 2: Moderating Effect of self-reported sexual identity on the association between online risk experiences and mental health outcomes: (a) Shows a positive relationship between harassment (X-axis) and Self-Harm/Injury (Y-axis); (b) Demonstrates a positive relationship between sexual messages (X-axis) and Mental Well-being (Y-axis) for LGBTQ+ youth. Orange and blue lines depict the moderating effect for LGBTQ+ and heterosexual youth, respectively.