HOMELESSNESS, YOUTH, & TECHNOLOGY
#biwHYT
#biw13
RESEARCH A Quick Look
A CONTRAST
Early 2000s
•The Digital Divide
•Use of Internet affected by• Age
• Disability status
• Ethnicity
• Income Level
• Education
Now
•Young adults experiencing homelessness are using technology
•Use is less about recreation; more about keeping in touch
THE HOMELESS USE FACEBOOK?! (2013)
Guadagno, Rosanna E., David E. Pollio, and Nicole L. Muscanell. "The Homeless Use Facebook?! Similiarities of Social Network Use between College Students and Homeless Young Adults." Computers in Human Behavior 29 (2013): 86-89. Online.
SOCIAL NETWORK SITE MEMBERSHIP
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Member of at least one SNS? On Facebook? On MySpace?
Undergrad Homeless
SOCIAL NETWORK SITE USE
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
To stay in touch
w/friends
To stay in touch
w/relatives
For dating For education or
career
Undergrad Homeless
HOW OFTEN DO YOU …?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Send private
messages
Post public
messages
Post pictures Post
notes/blog
Search for
other users
Send friend
requests
Play games
Undergrad Homeless
1 is not very often; 7 is very often
UCLA AIDS INSTITUTE (2011)
•80% of surveyed youth experiencing homelessness used at least one social networking site every week
•Youth experiencing homelessness who used social networking sites were more likely to have been tested for STIs and to be better informed about preventing such infections and HIV.
•Use of social networking sites by youth experiencing homelessness also correlated with increase in risky sexual behaviors.
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/social-networking-sites-can-lead-191717.aspx
CELL PHONE USE AMONG HOMELESS YOUTH (2011)
•62% own a cell phone• 51% use it to stay connected to friends
• 41% use it to stay connect to their parents
• 36% use the phone to call current or potential employers
•Researcher earlier found that 85% find a way online, either though the phone, libraries or youth agencies. (See http://sowkweb.usc.edu/faculty/eric-rice)
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11524-011-9624-z
EXAMPLES & IDEAS A Few Thoughts to Get Us Started
MEDIA
SHELTR
INVISIBLE PEOPLE
HOMELESS YOUTH HANDBOOK
SOCIAL NETWORK SITES
ILLINOIS LEGAL AID ONLINE
MOBILE ALERTS
“BIG DATA”
WHAT ELSE?