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Overview of key themes explored to guide source collection and insight development:
Inclusive & Ethical Design
Representation Online
Community Building in Online Spaces
Social Work in Digital Spaces
Online Harassment/Safety
Online / Offline Connection
Co-Design/ Participatory Design
Online Engagement with Emergency Resources
Digital Wellness & Mental Health
Social Media Fatigue
Key takeaways:
Meaningful community building
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Successful community building is upheld through meaningful participation
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Affluent online communities have a focused mission that aligns with members’ interests and needs
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Avoiding vague or overly broad goals that can dilute engagement.
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Ethical practices in digital spaces
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Ethical practices and considerations are vital in effectively designing inclusive spaces that will properly serve people
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Utilizing online spaces for social/mental health work can be helpful in outreach, but has risks of privacy and encryption
Addictive algorithms in social media
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Current climate of social media is heavily algorithm-based which can cause ‘addictive’ use
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Safety precautions on existing platforms are not enough to support underrepresented groups
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Algorithmic bias’ can push harmful stereotypes and inaccurate representations of people and their experiences
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Asynchronicity and anonymity
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Online spaces factors in levels of asynchronicity and anonymity that can make people more comfortable in openly sharing their experiences
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They are free to be open yet anonymous if they choose, without a feeling of shame
or vulnerability.
User Empowerment
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There is a need for users to feel empowered and in control of their online experience
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Safety controls: can foster healthier usage habits
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