Refuge or Rejection? Social Media and LGBTQ+ Youth

By Joshua Cheng

Social media may not always be the safe haven it appears to be. Movies like Love, Simon portray online spaces as welcoming refuges where LGBTQ+ youth can authentically express themselves, but a study published in Computers in Human Behavior examined whether this idealized narrative reflects reality. The study, titled “Social media: A double-edged sword for LGBTQ+ youth,” was completed by researchers in the Human Development and Social Justice Lab at Fordham University including Celia B. Fisher, PhD, Xiangyu Tao, PhD, and Megan Ford.

The researchers wanted to know about the effects of social media on the lives of LGBTQ+ teens. They had thought that social media was both helpful and harmful—connecting youth with affirming communities, but also with discrimination and rejection. The researchers surveyed 406 LGBTQ+ teens between the ages of 14 and 18 years old. They asked about online experiences of discrimination, depression, anxiety, and substance use, as well as what the teens themselves thought about social media.

When the researchers analyzed the teens’ written responses, they found three general perspectives. Some saw social media as a meeting place—a way to meet and befriend other LGBTQ+ youth. Others saw it as a refuge, a respite from the stress and stigma they faced in offline life. A third group saw it as a site of rejection, with online hate making them feel unsafe or alone. These differing perceptions illustrate that teenagers can have very different experiences on the same sites.

The survey findings were troubling. Over 80% of those surveyed had experienced discrimination online in the past month, and nearly half reported moderate depression, anxiety, or substance use. Both direct experiences of discrimination and simply witnessing discrimination were linked to poorer mental health.

The most surprising finding came when scientists compared all three groups. Teenagers for whom social media was a source of belonging were actually damaged more by discrimination than those who saw it as a hostile place. In other words, the teens who needed online communities the most for validation were the ones who were hurt the most when those communities turned sour. Those who viewed social media as a haven fell somewhere in the middle—they were grateful for the support they enjoyed online but also wary of its threats.

Overall, the study shows that social media is both a haven and a hazard for LGBTQ+ teenagers. Social media can provide affirmation and community but also expose them to widespread stigma and hate. The authors suggest that future efforts to support these teens do both: develop safer, more accepting online communities and teach teens how to cope with hostility online.

For educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers, the takeaway is clear: social media will be shaping LGBTQ+ identity for years to come. Making these spaces safe and affirming is not just a question of preventing harm—it is a question of enabling queer youth to thrive.

Reference:
Fisher, C. B., Tao, X., & Ford, M. (2024). Social media: A double-edged sword for LGBTQ+ youth. Computers in Human Behavior, 156, Article 108194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108194