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Exploring Digital Inclusion: Addressing Homelessness Through Equitable Design on TikTok

M. Mahesh

Journal of Community Informatics2025https://doi.org/10.15353/joci.v21i1.5931article
ABDC C
Weight
0.37

What the paper says

This study examines the digital experiences of individuals experiencing homelessness on TikTok, focusing on their usage patterns, challenges, and opportunities for social connection. Through a review of literature and analysis of TikTok content, the study examines how individuals experiencing homelessness use social media, the challenges they encounter, and the potential benefits and risks associated with online engagement. Despite challenges such as network access, device quality, and privacy concerns, homeless individuals navigate digital spaces to share personal stories, seek support, and participate in online communities. The study identifies themes related to digital divide perceptions, survival infrastructuring, social capital building, and health information seeking behaviours among homeless populations on TikTok. Based on these insights, the study proposes platform-level and user-level recommendations to improve the digital experiences of homeless individuals on TikTok, focusing on bandwidth-sensitive design, enhanced privacy controls, and security toolkits. These recommendations aim to promote digital inclusion and support for vulnerable populations in the digital age, contributing to ongoing discussions about equity and social support online.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15353/joci.v21i1.5931

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{m.2025,
  title        = {{Exploring Digital Inclusion: Addressing Homelessness Through Equitable Design on TikTok}},
  author       = {M. Mahesh},
  journal      = {Journal of Community Informatics},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15353/joci.v21i1.5931},
}

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Evidence weight

0.37

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.16 × 0.4 = 0.06
M · momentum0.53 × 0.15 = 0.08
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.