Disclosure, Stress, and Support During Gender Transition on Facebook

Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Bowser

Melcer

et al. 2015

Self Cite

Self-representation online can be difficult for those who are in life transitions that involve exploring new identity facets and changes in personal style. Many desire to tailor their online representations for different audiences. Social media site profiles and sharing settings offer varying levels of anonymity, privacy, and thus safety, but these settings are often opaque and poorly understood. To understand the complex relationship between identity, personal style and online selfrepresentation, we examine how people explore and experiment with new styles in public and in private online settings during gender transition. We present the results of interviews with transgender people who have recently reinvented their personal style, or are planning to do so in the near future. We find that people explore new styles in online settings to craft possible or ideal future selves. When involving others, people engage intimate and unknown others, but often avoid weak ties. Our results indicate that to account for changing identities, social media sites must be designed to support finding inspiration and advice from strangers and style experimentation with close friends.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online Inspiration and Exploration for Identity Reinvention

Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Bowser

Melcer

et al. 2015

Self Cite

“…His research focuses on how people represent changing and faceted identities on social media during life transitions. In particular, he studies transgender peoples' experiences with self-presentation and disclosure as they change gender on social network site [5,6]. Through his research, he hopes to impact technological inclusion of marginalised users.…”

Section: Organiser Biographiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

HCI and Sensitive Life Experiences

Herron

Andalibi

Proceedings of the 9th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

et al. 2016

HCI research has identified a number of life events and life transitions which see individuals in a vulnerable state, such as gender transition, domestic abuse, romantic relationship dissolution, bereavement, and even genocide. Although these life events differ across the human lifespan, considering them as a group of 'sensitive life experiences', and exploring the similarities and differences in how we approach those experiences as researchers could be invaluable in generating a better understanding of them. In this workshop, we aim to identify current opportunities for, and barriers to, the design of social computing systems that support people during sensitive life events and transitions. Participants will take part in activities centred around exploring the similarities and differences between their own and others' research methods and results, drawing on their own experiences in discussions around carrying out research in these sensitive contexts. Author KeywordsEthics; humanistic HCI; life events; sensitive contexts. DESCRIPTIONLife experiences that place individuals in a vulnerable state are an emergent theme in HCI. Research attention is turning towards challenging and deeply personal experiences such as gender transition [5], domestic abuse [3], romantic relationship dissolution [7], bereavement [2], and even genocide [4]. Such research has prompted community focus on how to conduct such challenging research, both methodologically and ethically (e.g. Waycott, CHI 2016). To better understand these experiences in the context of HCI research and design, we wish to explore them as a collective whilst acknowledging the uniqueness of each context of enquiry. What can we learn about our approach to one sensitive context from our approach to another?This one-day workshop will identify current opportunities for, as well as barriers to, the design of social computing systems that support people during sensitive life events and transitions ("experiences"). Participants will take part in activities aimed at exploring similarities and differences with respect to research methods and results. They will also draw on their personal experiences and perspectives to respond to discourse on how to do research in sensitive contexts, building expertise within the research community. Ultimately, the workshop will further the development of the emergent international community of researchers who focus on sensitive life events and transitions, offering a platform for knowledge exchange, methodological maturation and innovation, and further collaboration. OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIESWe invite submissions including but not limited to the following: A specific case study, project, or critical evaluation of current technology in the context of life experience(s); a cross-cultural study in the context of technology use around a life experience(s); an autoethnography of (a) one's experience of conducting research in the context of a sensitive life experience or (b) one's experience of interactive with technology in the context of a...

“…As members of the CHI community, it behooves us to think about wide-ranging aspects of identity. For example, knowing how some actively and intentionally use social media and social networks during significant identity changes [13,14,15,16] such as gender transition [6] is a starting point to investigating how identity and social processes around expression of self shape and are shaped by people's actions with and through digital technologies and services. Recent outrage and the ensuing resolution regarding Facebook's temporary insistence of the use of "real names" (enforced in a policy that blocked users from using preferred names) provides one starting point for discussion of identity and socio-technical systems.…”

Section: Issues To Be Addressedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For some, these contexts blur significantly in terms of social connections and behaviors [18], while for others, online and offline worlds are kept conceptually and behaviorally distinct [2]. Central to the discussion are issues of social connection, identity formation and management, identity play and performance, privacy, anonymity, and safety [6,13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Between the Lines

Vieweg

Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Massimi

et al. 2015

Self Cite

Scholarly debate within the HCI community has acknowledged that the concepts of "online" and "offline" are merely handy descriptors for different environments and contexts. However, when it comes to designing technologies, this binary is still frequently invoked. In this workshop, our goal is to address what issues arise when we invoke this binary uncritically, and how we can better understand people's everyday experiences of their on-and offline self-representations and interactions. When, how and why do people invoke or exploit notions of online versus offline? When does this notional 'seam' dissolve? We will articulate a broadened agenda for understanding behavior across contexts. We aim to continue and update discussions of on-and offline with a deeper focus on people's practices and experiences around the creation and maintenance of a sense of 'self' and identity and discuss designers' and developers' roles and responsibilities in enabling and supporting those practices.