On social media, teens must manage their interpersonal boundaries not only with other people, but also with the algorithms embedded in these platforms. In this context, we engaged seven teens in an Asynchronous Remote Community (ARC) as part of a multi-year Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to discuss how they navigate, cope, and co-design for improved boundary management. Teens had preconceived notions of different platforms and navigated boundaries based on specific goals; yet, they struggled when platforms lacked the granular controls needed to meet their needs. Teens enjoyed the personalization afforded by algorithms, but they felt violated when algorithms pushed unwanted content. Teens designed features for enhanced control over their discoverability and for real-time risk detection to avoid boundary turbulence. We provide design guidelines for improved social media boundary management for youth and pinpoint educational opportunities to enhance teens’ understanding and use of social media privacy settings and algorithms.
Jinkyung Katie Park,
Renkai Ma,
Naima Samreen Ali,
Naulsberry Jean Baptiste,
Zainab Agha,
Pamela J. Wisniewski
