"We Cried on Each Other's Shoulders": How LGBTQ+ Individuals Experience Social Support in Social Virtual Reality

Title of the Paper

"We Cried on Each Other’s Shoulders": How LGBTQ+ Individuals Experience Social Support in Social Virtual Reality

Paper Information

• Subject Area: LGBTQ+ Social Support and Social Virtual Reality
• Keywords: LGBTQ+, social support, gender identity, social virtual reality, embodied experience, identity exploration, inclusive design

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Issues:
  • LGBTQ+ communities often lack support in offline social networks, facing discrimination and social isolation.
  • Traditional online technologies (e.g., social media and online gaming platforms) have limitations in providing effective social support, including a lack of emotional and physical presence, and may increase online risks.
• Significance:
  • Seeking social support in online spaces is crucial for LGBTQ+ individuals in forming and affirming their gender and sexual identities.
  • With technological advancements, understanding how emerging social spaces such as social virtual reality (Social VR) can support LGBTQ+ communities is a critical topic in both LGBTQ+ community and technology research.
• Research Motivation:
  • Social VR offers immersive and embodied interaction experiences, attracting an increasing number of LGBTQ+ users. However, understanding of how it facilitates social support remains limited.
  • Current research mainly focuses on gender exploration in Social VR among LGBTQ+ individuals, lacking a comprehensive analysis of their social support experiences.
• Research Questions:
  • What types of social support do LGBTQ+ users experience in Social VR?
  • How do LGBTQ+ individuals leverage the unique features of Social VR to seek and experience social support?

Proposed Solution

• Proposed Solution:
  • This study explores the social support experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in Social VR and examines how technological features facilitate such support through in-depth interviews with 29 LGBTQ+ Social VR users.
• Innovations:
  • Provides the first systematic empirical study on how LGBTQ+ users seek, experience, and exchange social support in Social VR.
  • Identifies three ways Social VR features innovate online social support mechanisms: fostering a sense of co-presence, simulating physical behaviors, and naturally replicating offline LGBTQ+ activities.
• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:
  • Data Collection: Participants were recruited from LGBTQ+ online forums, Discord communities, and Social VR platforms.
  • Methods: Semi-structured interviews averaging 73 minutes were conducted, extracting types and mechanisms of social support from participant narratives.
  • Data Analysis: Thematic analysis was employed to systematically analyze LGBTQ+ users' support experiences and the unique design features of Social VR.

Research Findings

• Specific Findings:
  • Identified four main types of social support: network support, emotional support, informational support, and esteem support.
  • LGBTQ+ users experienced more authentic support through the unique features of Social VR, including simulated offline support scenarios and seamless integration of online and offline support.
  • Found that the inclusive and safe atmosphere in Social VR promotes identity exploration for LGBTQ+ users.
• Comparison with Existing Solutions:
  • Social VR addresses the limitations of traditional online technologies by offering emotional and embodied support.
  • Compared to other forms of online support, Social VR provides support experiences that are closer to offline interactions and can naturally extend into offline life.
• Experimental or Evaluation Results:
  • Participants reported that friendships and communities formed in Social VR enabled them to express their identities more confidently and effectively cope with offline discrimination and isolation.
  • Simulated physical behaviors (e.g., hugging, touching) significantly enhanced emotional connections among LGBTQ+ users.
  • LGBTQ+ focus events (e.g., Pride Month simulations) provided critical support and a sense of belonging for the community.
• Limitations and Future Directions:
  • Limitations: The sample predominantly consisted of white and economically stable users, not fully representing all subcultures within the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Future Directions:
    • Explore how to improve Social VR design to more equitably and inclusively support all LGBTQ+ users.
    • Study safety issues (e.g., harassment) in Social VR and how to protect LGBTQ+ users' experiences.
    • Recruit more participants with intersectional identities (e.g., trans people of color) to obtain more comprehensive data and insights.

Conclusion

• This study highlights the innovative significance of Social VR in providing social support for LGBTQ+ communities, demonstrating how this emerging technology transforms traditional online social support mechanisms through immersive and embodied features.
• The findings offer practical guidance for future Social VR design and LGBTQ+ inclusive spaces while revealing inclusivity and safety issues that require further exploration.