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Abstract
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents are avid users of computer-mediated communication (CMC), but few empirical studies have investigated the function of CMC in the lives of LGB youth. Grounded in the media practice model, the present study explored the relationships among CMC, sexual identity commitment, and well-being by surveying LGB adolescents (N = 570). Results indicated that a positive relationship existed between time spent on social network sites and well-being that was mediated by sexual identity commitment. Time spent instant messaging, sending/receiving e-mail, or in chat rooms was not related to sexual identity commitment or well-being. Social network sites may aid LGB youth in understanding their sexual identities in ways that other CMC modalities cannot.
Notes
[1] A smaller portion of the sample identified as queer, questioning, or curious (4%).
[2] Parental consent for participants under the age of 18 was waived because obtaining parental consent may cause unnecessary harm to participants if their parents were previously unaware of participants’ sexual identities.
[3] Research suggests that individuals prefer SNS over other CMC modalities for communicating with distant friends (Van Cleemput, Citation2010) and that receiving positively valenced messages via SNS is related to positive psychosocial outcomes (Valkenburg, Peter, & Schouten, Citation2006).