Online Safety for All: Sociocultural Insights from a Systematic Review of Youth Online Safety in the Global South
Ozioma C. Oguine, Oghenemaro Anuyah, Zainab Agha, Iris Melgarez, Adriana Alvarado Garcia, Karla Badillo-Urquiola
TL;DR
The paper addresses the gap in human-computer interaction research on youth online safety by focusing on the Global South. It employs a PRISMA-guided systematic review of 66 studies from 2014–2024 and uses reflexive thematic analysis to map how research is distributed across regions, populations, methods, and risk factors. Key findings show Asia as the primary research hub, a predominance of quantitative studies, cyberbullying as the dominant risk, and education/awareness as the main safety strategy, with gaps in marginalized youth representation and geographic coverage. The work contributes a culturally informed research agenda and methodological guidance, emphasizing youth-centered approaches and cross-regional collaboration to create safer, more inclusive online environments for youth worldwide.
Abstract
Youth online safety research in HCI has historically centered on perspectives from the Global North, often overlooking the unique particularities and cultural contexts of regions in the Global South. This paper presents a systematic review of 66 youth online safety studies published between 2014 and 2024, specifically focusing on regions in the Global South. Our findings reveal a concentrated research focus in Asian countries and predominance of quantitative methods. We also found limited research on marginalized youth populations and a primary focus on risks related to cyberbullying. Our analysis underscores the critical role of cultural factors in shaping online safety, highlighting the need for educational approaches that integrate social dynamics and awareness. We propose methodological recommendations and a future research agenda that encourages the adoption of situated, culturally sensitive methodologies and youth-centered approaches to researching youth online safety regions in the Global South. This paper advocates for greater inclusivity in youth online safety research, emphasizing the importance of addressing varied sociocultural contexts to better understand and meet the online safety needs of youth in the Global South.