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Understanding Autistic Adults' Use of Social Media

Authors:

Martine Van Driel,

Belén Barros Pena,

Nelya KoteykoAuthors Info & Claims

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Volume 7, Issue CSCW2

Article No.: 257, Pages 1 - 23

https://doi.org/10.1145/3610048

Published: 04 October 2023 Publication History

Abstract

Autism is a developmental condition that impacts 1 in 100 people \citeNationalAutisticSociety2021. It affects autistic people's interactional and sensory preferences and behaviours. Autistic people can find interactions difficult in part due to sensory overwhelm. Interacting online can provide a positive alternative that allows for interactions on their own terms. However, most social media platforms are designed by neurotypical standards and can therefore inhibit full participation by autistic users. We demonstrate through the analysis of 34 semi-structured interviews with autistic adults that current social media design is not sufficient for creating an inclusive environment and enabling participation from autistic adults. We identified six themes across the interviews: (1) 'Social Media compared to In-Person Interactions', (2) 'Social Media as Enabling/Overwhelming', (3) 'Perceived Social Norms', (4) 'Keeping Connected and Finding New Communities', (5) 'Keeping Control through Systematic Practices', and (6) 'Being Authentic'. The themes demonstrate the attention that autistic adults give to online interaction, suggesting that online interactions may be just as fraught as in-person interactions have been shown to be. In order to become more inclusive of autistic adults, we recommend that social media platforms expand low-effort participation features, provide increased control over algorithmic content, support expression of intent and tone, aid discovery of interactional norms, and reinforce interest-based sociality.

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Cited By

Greene ABrownstone LDong YHunsicker MCool JMaloul ENorling H(2025)Instatherapy: A Content Analysis of Psychotherapists' Instagram Posts and User EngagementCounselling and Psychotherapy Research10.1002/capr.1287725:1Online publication date: 2-Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12877
Koteyko NVan Driel MBillan SBarros Pena BVines J(2024)Stigma Management Strategies of Autistic Social Media UsersAutism in Adulthood10.1089/aut.2023.0095Online publication date: 9-Apr-2024
https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0095

Index Terms

Understanding Autistic Adults' Use of Social Media
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing
    1. Empirical studies in collaborative and social computing

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cover image Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction Volume 7, Issue CSCW2

CSCW

October 2023

4055 pages

EISSN:2573-0142

DOI:10.1145/3626953

Editor:
Jeff Nichols
Apple Inc., United States

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Copyright © 2023 Owner/Author.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License.

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

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Published: 04 October 2023

Published in PACMHCI Volume 7, Issue CSCW2

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Cited By

Greene ABrownstone LDong YHunsicker MCool JMaloul ENorling H(2025)Instatherapy: A Content Analysis of Psychotherapists' Instagram Posts and User EngagementCounselling and Psychotherapy Research10.1002/capr.1287725:1Online publication date: 2-Feb-2025
https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12877
Koteyko NVan Driel MBillan SBarros Pena BVines J(2024)Stigma Management Strategies of Autistic Social Media UsersAutism in Adulthood10.1089/aut.2023.0095Online publication date: 9-Apr-2024
https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0095

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