We are visible: technology-mediated social participation in a Twitter network for the homeless

Authors:
Jes A. Koepfler;Derek L. Hansen
Affiliations:
University of Maryland, College Park, MD;University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Venue:
Proceedings of the 2012 iConference
Year:
2012

Citing 5
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Abstract

This paper examines patterns of follow relationships in the @wearevisible ego-network on Twitter -- a project encouraging homeless individuals to "sign up, speak out, [and] be seen" online. A content analysis of the public profiles in this network identified eleven social roles: homeless individual, homeless advocate, celebrity, do-gooder, service provider, non-profit generalist, social media enthusiast, support organization, social worker, librarian, and researcher. A cluster analysis and visualization of the connections between individuals enacting these roles showed that self-identified homeless individuals were well-connected to each other and showed potential for developing stronger ties with a broad range of different user types. The results from this case study suggest opportunities for rethinking health and human services in a technologically-mediated social context, as well as inspiring future research to study this population online.