Abstract
This project, undertaken on behalf of a major international not-for-profit organization, uses a predominately qualitative research framework, to identify the key factors shaping young people’s online and social networking engagements, with an emphasis on the particular and everyday needs of young people living with chronic illness or disability. This study evaluates participants’ engagement with Livewire’s existing service (an online social networking site developed specifically for the target group). Focusing upon socio-cultural factors, technological factors, embodiment factors, and material-cultural factors, this project aims to gain a more holistic insight into:
How young people use social networking in the context of their daily lives.
How young people living with chronic illness and disability physically engage with technologies.
The relationship between young people’s online engagement and their friendship and support networks.
The ways Livewire participants use Livewire in conjunction with other forms of online networking and support.
How the above situate Livewire in relation to other existing social networking sites.
The project delivers results that Livewire/Starlight Foundation can use in the short term to aid in the implementation of scaling, but also identifies key areas for future research and contributes to the generation of new research on young people’s media usage.