Empowering Homeless Youth: Building Capacity through the Development of Mobile Technology

Abstract

Information-communication technologies, like computers and cellphones, are popular among young people. This article details a youth-centered participatory action study in which 12 homeless youth designed and developed a mobile application for other homeless youth. We frame our analysis through a theory of critical youth empowerment and discuss the steps taken to develop the application, as informed by the method of spiral technology action research. Developing the application allowed these young people to express their opinions and frustrations, while also providing an opportunity for them to make the lives of their peers better through improved access to supports and services.The use of information-communication technologies (ICTs) can be an important source of empowerment, especially for young people. Being able to access ICTs, such as youth-centered health web sites, has given young people a means of monitoring and altering their own health-related behaviors and attitudes. Researchers have sought to further capitalize on the benefits of ICTs by involving young people in their creation and implementation. Youth-centered participatory action research has been particularly important

Participatory Methods to Engage Health Service Users in the Development of Electronic Health Resources: Systematic Review

“…The end users of these eHealth initiatives were young adults, women, and the elderly ( Multimedia Appendix 6 ) with the focus on cancer and mental health ( Multimedia Appendix 4 ). The app has become an engagement tool used by HSP to make health information and health planning more interactive, interesting, and fun for HSU [ 30 , 32 , 35 , 36 , 42 , 43 , 56 ]. Moreover, participatory design is thought to enable young people to be creative and have substantial input into the resource development [ 30 ].…”

More than Data Collectors: A Systematic Review of the Environmental Outcomes of Youth Inquiry Approaches in the United States

“…For some youth populations, particularly those with low resources, such as youth experiencing homelessness or transience, such prolonged engagement may create challenges. Future work should explore alternative ways to keep young people engaged over time by considering technology as a tool for continued contact (e.g., Buccieri & Molleson, ; Kornbluh et al., ).…”

Runaway Youth: Caring for the Nation’s Largest Segment of Missing Children

“…63 Innovative work has also emerged exploring the potential use of technology to improve health and access to services for homeless youth. [64][65][66][67][68] A 2016 study by Harpin et al 69 of homeless youth in Denver, Colorado, revealed that 71.9% of youth consistently used social media. Tyler and Schmitz 68 reported on using texting technology for data collection and explored potential opportunities for interventions leveraging technology.…”

“…Tyler and Schmitz 68 reported on using texting technology for data collection and explored potential opportunities for interventions leveraging technology. Buccieri and Molleson 64 explored the use of a youth-developed application for homeless youth. In their study of law enforcement, Mitchell and Boyd 62 discussed the potential opportunity for technology to be used to connect with difficult-to-reach populations that may be at risk for commercial sexual exploitation, including homeless and runway youth.…”