Social media can be a double-edged sword for queer youth. Online harassment poses a unique threat to their mental health, but at the same time, the ability to seek out community and resources can do a world of good. With that in mind, it makes sense that LGBTQ+ teens spend significantly more time on the internet than their straight peers.
A new study by The Trevor Project explores this dynamic specifically as it pertains to young queer and trans people of color. The suicide-prevention nonprofit — which surveyed more than 28,000 LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S. between the ages of 13 and 24 — found that over half (53%) of LGBTQ+ youth of color feel safest on TikTok, compared to 45% of their white peers.
That’s not to say that the app is the gold standard when it comes to protecting queer and trans users. In May, several former TikTok employees told The Wall Street Journal that the company tracked users who watched gay content. In 2021, a Media Matters report also found that the app’s algorithm had been promoting anti-LGBTQ+ content on users’ For You pages, even though that content was allegedly banned.
What about young queer and trans people’s feelings of safety on other apps? Behind TikTok, where 53% of LGBTQ+ youth of color feel safest, Discord came closest at 42%, followed by Instagram at 41%, and YouTube at 33%.
The Trevor Project found that LGBTQ+ youth of color felt less safe and understood than their white counterparts on platforms like Reddit, Twitch, Steam, and Facebook, as well as dating apps in general.
Twitter was regarded least favorably across the board, with only 21% of LGBTQ+ youth of color and 20% of white LGBTQ+ youth reporting that they feel safe and understood there. The bird app’s protections for queer and trans users have steadily declined since the company was acquired by Elon Musk last October. Last month, GLAAD’s 3rd annual Social Media Safety Index (SMSI) found that out of the five major social media platforms — Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube — Twitter was the only platform whose safety score didn’t improve based on its policies regarding LGBTQ+ users. In fact, Twitter’s score declined by 12 points from 2022 to 2023, due to the removal of its ban on misgendering and deadnaming.
Ultimately, The Trevor Project found that feeling safe on any social network can have significant effects on the mental health of young queer and trans people of color.
As The Trevor Project notes in its findings: “Feeling safe and understood in at least one online space is associated with lower suicide risk in the past year, and lower rates of recent anxiety for all LGBTQ+ young people, and for LGBTQ+ young people of color in particular.”
None of the major social media platforms are exactly ideal for young queer and trans people, and we can only hope that they’ll take steps to protect the marginalized communities who enrich these online spaces.
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