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?