It’s a fact that LGBTQ+ youth are more connected online than ever before. So it should not come as a surprise that they’re carving out virtual spaces to cultivate meaningful friendships and develop their own identities online. A new study from Hopelab and Born This Way Foundation suggests that many LGBTQ+ youth feel safer online than in person, while also reaffirming that safe in-person spaces are crucial to positive mental health outcomes.
This latest study captures insights from more than 1,200 LGBTQ+ young people between the ages of 15 and 24, from all walks of life, analyzing their connectedness and mental health through interviews and survey responses.
LGBTQ+ Young People Feel Safer in Online Communities
As anti-LGBTQ legislation sweeps America, young people in the queer community are increasingly seeking out safe spaces—and many of those spaces are online. The aforementioned study suggests that the internet and social are incredibly useful as teens begin to explore their sexuality and gender identity.
In fact, many LGBTQ+ youth are more comfortable being out online than they are in person. 82% of young people surveyed were out online, compared to only 53% in person. This disparity is even wider in the trans* population: 80% of trans youth are out online, versus only 40% in person.
Amy Green, PhD, Head of Research at Hopelab, affirms how important this study is to understanding LGBTQ+ youth mental health. “In the survey, nearly half (44%) of LGBTQ+ young people reported feeling “very safe” online, compared to just 9% for in-person spaces,” she explains, adding that online communities offer physical distances and ability to control interactions by blocking harmful content.
What Study Respondents Shared
Micah Reyes, a mental health advocate and respondent to the survey, thinks the study is an accurate reflection of his lived reality online.
“My experiences of online spaces have generally been positive and supportive. I gravitate towards these spaces because they provide understanding, affirmation, and wisdom to my life experience as a trans man.”
He elaborates that some of the most genuine and supportive relationships he’s built in his life have been online.
The study bears out Reyes’ feelings of kindness, empathy, and support. Perceptions of online spaces as “very kind” was found to be 61%, compared to only 23% in person; LGBTQ+ youth feel “very supported” in online spaces 56% of the time, as compared to only 13% in person.
While respondents acknowledged that online spaces aren’t always free from unkindness, they also said they could “walk away” from interactions that didn’t feel affirming or positive. The freedom to choose their own spaces and safety contributed to feeling safer online.
The Power of Online Friendships
The study also showed that many LGBTQ+ people find their community and friends online through online searches related to their interests (49%), and nearly half interact almost daily inside these spaces (49%). After finding these communities online, nearly two in three LGBTQ+ young people reported finding communities that were important to their identities.
This likely has to do with another salient study finding: more than once a month, 53% of LGBTQ+ receive support from online friends or communities. It’s important to note that those living in rural communities received more than monthly support 57% of the time, compared to 51% of the time in urban communities.
We want our children to feel connected and understood, and online communities do just that for LGBTQ+ youth. A staggering 88% of respondents indicated that online communities helped them to feel connected, and 88% helped them to feel validated and understood.
Giving and Receiving Support
Being a part of a community also means giving support to those in need, and 71% of respondents lent support more than once a month, helping them to feel more compassionate (89%), empathetic (88%), and authentic (86%). Dr. Green says that one of the surprising findings of the study was that those experiencing anxiety and depression were more likely to provide support to others.
“We interviewed LGBTQ+ young people about this finding and learned it was driven by empathy — when they’re feeling anxious or depressed, many LGBTQ+ young people are drawn to online spaces to connect with others who are going through similar experiences,” Dr. Green explains.
Safe In-Person Spaces Are Still Crucial
One interesting finding in the study was that while online spaces are generally more inclusive and feel safer to the LGBTQ+ youth community, there is still a dire need for safe in-person spaces, too.
“In-person relationships, especially with close friends and family, tend to provide more tangible forms of emotional support, like physical presence, shared experiences, and real-world validation, all of which can have a deep impact on someone’s well-being. These face-to-face connections create a level of comfort and closeness that’s harder to replicate in online environments,” says Dr. Green.
The study bears this important insight. There were no significant reductions in anxiety (61% versus 64%) or depression (47% versus 54%) based on more supportive or less supportive online spaces. However, in-person spaces that were very supportive decreased the rate of anxiety to 48%, and depression to a staggering 28%.
Micah Reyes
I want to talk to someone face-to-face and experience human interaction with different facial expressions, tones, and non-verbal language. I want to walk into a safe room of supportive people and feel belonging in the community where I live.
— Micah Reyes
The Downsides of Online Spaces
Unfortunately, online spaces also see their fair share of bullying, with one in three respondents indicating that they’d been bullied over their LGBTQ+ identity.
Dr. Green explains the current political environment can embolden bad actors. “This, combined with the anonymity of many online spaces, can lead to an uptick in bullying and harassment. Transgender young people, who have been most negatively targeted by the current political landscape, experience much higher rates of bullying (43%) compared to cisgender [queer] young people (24%).”
That said, safety online comes down to autonomy over the space—something missing from in-person interactions. Online spaces can be moderated and controlled, and Dr. Green says that LGBTQ+ youth are highly attuned to these attributes.
Amy Green, PhD
LGBTQ+ young people are highly discerning about how they engage with online spaces. They prioritize platforms that are LGBTQ+-friendly and emphasize the importance of formal moderation to ensure a safer experience.
— Amy Green, PhD
Building Safer, Meaningful Spaces For LGBTQ+ Youth
As we look ahead to the future, there needs to be both safe online and in-person spaces for LGBTQ+ youth to feel heard, supported, and seen.
Dr. Green says that alongside digital literacy and safety education online, there needs to be a push for education and awareness about the importance of inclusivity and kindness—online and IRL. She suggests Born This Way Foundation’s #BeKind365 platform, as well as their Channel Kindness space for LGBTQ+ young people to share their stories and connect with others.
“By combining education, access to supportive communities, and digital tools designed specifically for LGBTQ+ young people, we can help create safer online spaces that foster confidence, support, and connection for LGBTQ+ young people,” Dr. Green affirms.
