Understanding the digital technology use amongst LGBTQ+ adults in India for well-being

Abstract

A growing body of research work exploring the experience of LGBTQ+ individuals involving digital technology has gained traction in HCI and CSCW in recent years. However, a significant amount of such work has been conducted in the Global North, while the scholarship is still growing in the Global South. Building upon existing research, this project aims to introduce across-cultural understanding of LGBTQ+ adults in a stigmatized and queer phobic society like India. We conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with N=15 LGBTQ+ adults across different regions in India. Through our analysis, we seek to understand the experiences ofLGBTQ+ adults using digital technologies such as social media, dating applications, the Inter-net, etc., in their day-to-day lives. We present our findings in relevance to recent HCI research and raise discussion under three themes | a) technology for self-acceptance and coming out,b) online resources for well-being and c) privacy, safety and trust issues in online spaces. Our findings highlight the complex nature of digital technology both as a helpful resource and platform for discrimination and abuse. One primary reason for this nature is the lack of diversity in the design of digital technology, which brings up the "spiral of exclusion". We also highlight the need to engage with the rural queer population affected by the digital divide and marginalization within the community