Abstract
Autistic teenagers are suspected to be more vulnerable to privacy and safety threats on social networking sites (SNS) than the general population. However, there are no studies comparing these users’ privacy and safety concerns and protective strategies online with those reported by non-autistic teenagers. Furthermore, researchers have yet to identify possible explanations for autistic teenagers’ increased risk of online harms. To address these research gaps, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 autistic and 16 non-autistic teenagers assessing their privacy- and safety-related attitudes and behaviors on SNS, and factors affecting them. We used videos demonstrating relevant SNS scenarios as prompts to engage participants in conversation. Through our thematic analyses, we found evidence that autistic teenagers may be more averse to taking risks on SNS than non-autistic teenagers. Yet, several personal, social, and SNS design factors may make autistic teenagers more vulnerable to cyberbullying and social exclusion online. We provide recommendations for making SNS safer for autistic teenagers. Our research highlights the need for more inclusive usable privacy and security research with this population.
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Index Terms
- Privacy and Safety on Social Networking Sites: Autistic and Non-Autistic Teenagers’ Attitudes and Behaviors
Recommendations
Children's risk and benefit behaviours on social networking sites
AbstractDespite the age restrictions of social networking sites (SNS) averaging age 13 years, younger children are engaging with these sites (Ofcom, 2019). Research has shown that SNS use exposes the user to many risks, such as cyberbullying ...
Highlights- Children's social networking site access is associated with both risky and beneficial outcomes.
Associations between parental media mediation and youth attitudes about online privacy in a sample of US adolescents
Abstract PurposeYouth engagement in privacy-related behaviors on social media associates with risks on- and off-line. Attitudes towards online privacy predict privacy-related behaviors. Media-specific parenting techniques may have ...
Highlights- Media-specific parenting behaviors may be an avenue by which to increase youth concern for privacy.
The reciprocal associations between sharing alcohol references on social networking sites and binge drinking
Accumulating evidence indicates that social media use and the consumption of alcohol are related. The present longitudinal study (N=1006) adds to this line of research by examining the reciprocity of sharing alcohol references on social media and binge ...
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