From cyberbullying to well-being: A narrative-based participatory approach to values-oriented design for social media

• Published in: Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology 2015-06, Vol.66 (6), p.1274-1293
• Main Authors: Bowler, Leanne, Knobel, Cory, Mattern, Eleanor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bullying; design; Design engineering; Digital media; human computer interaction; Lenses; Online; Recommendations; Social networks; Young people; youth
• ISSN: 2330-1635; 2330-1643
• DOI: 10.1002/asi.23270

This study looks at mean and cruel online behavior through the lens of design, with the goal of developing positive technologies for youth. Narrative inquiry was used as a research method, allowing two focus groups—one composed of teens and the other of undergraduate students—to map out 4 cyberbullying stories. Each cyberbullying story revealed 2 subplots—the story that “is” (as perceived by these participants) and the story that “could be” (if the participants' design recommendations were embedded in social media). The study resulted in a user‐generated framework for designing affordances on social media sites to counter acts of cyberbullying. Seven emergent design themes are evident in the participants' cyberbullying narratives: design for hesitation, design for consequence, design for empathy, design for personal empowerment, design for fear, design for attention, and design for control and suppression. We conclude with a typological analysis of the values present in the participants' design recommendations, applying Cheng and Fleischman's values framework (2010).