My voice is definitely strongest in Online communities": Students using social media for queer and disability identity-making
Abstract
In this qualitative study I explored the social media activities of 25 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students with disabilities at a research-intensive university. Using a framework of identity-making that accounts for students' reflections, narrations, and actions, I detail students' experiences exploring queer/disability identities through social networking sites, smartphone applications, and blogs. Students described going online to find validation, become involved, and manage identities contextually; however, students also described experiencing marginalization online and feeling isolated, suggesting implications for higher education, including the need to critically evaluate students' online engagement.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Online groups may be helpful in building community among adults with disabilities.
“Online groups may be helpful in building community among adults with disabilities (Miller, 2017)”
From The experiences of adults with ADHD in interpersonal relationships and online communities: A qualitative study (2023) · cites this paper as Miller, 2017
Among adults with disabilities, online communities were found by some participants to focus too highly on negative experiences, and when participants did not receive attention from these communities, they often responded by disengaging.
“Among adults with disabilities, online communities were found by some participants to focus too highly on negative experiences, and when participants did not receive attention from these communities, they often responded by disengaging (Miller, 2017).”
From The experiences of adults with ADHD in interpersonal relationships and online communities: A qualitative study (2023) · cites this paper as Miller, 2017
Social media groups for adults with disabilities have been reported to help build community, validate experiences, and assist with forming a disability identity.
“Although not directly focusing on ADHD, social media groups for adults with disabilities have been reported to help build community, validate experiences, and assist with forming a disability identity (Gallagher, 2021; Miller, 2017).”
From The experiences of adults with ADHD in interpersonal relationships and online communities: A qualitative study (2023) · cites this paper as Miller, 2017
Cites
The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers
Saldaña, J. (2025) · SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks · doi:10.4135/9781036235611 · Cited by 19,156 · see citing works
(2014) · Cited by 15,747 · see citing works
(1996) · Cited by 11,584 · see citing works
Qualitative research practice: a guide for social science students and researchers
Ruhl, K. (2003) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.41-1319 · Cited by 10,514 · see citing works
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x · Cited by 9,939 · see citing works
Getting Smart: Feminist Research and Pedagogy With/In the Postmodern
Dam, G. T. M. T., Volman, M. L. L., & Lather, P. A. (1994) · Feminist Review · doi:10.2307/1395178 · Cited by 2,324 · see citing works
Valenzuela, S., Park, N., & Kee, K. F. (2009) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01474.x · Cited by 2,229 · see citing works
Kafer, A. (2013) · doi:10.2979/6841.0 · Cited by 2,131 · see citing works
College students' social networking experiences on Facebook
Pempek, T. A., Yermolayeva, Y. A., & Calvert, S. L. (2009) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.010 · Cited by 2,081 · see citing works
Crip theory: cultural signs of queerness and disability
McRuer, R., & Bérubé, M. 1. (2007) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.44-5344 · Cited by 1,868 · see citing works
Faceworking: exploring students' education‐related use of Facebook
Selwyn, N. (2009) · Learning Media and Technology · doi:10.1080/17439880902923622 · Cited by 837 · see citing works
Facebook use, envy, and depression among college students: is facebooking depressing?
Tandoc, E. C., Ferrucci, P., & Duffy, M. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.10.053 · Cited by 781 · see citing works
Shaw, L. H., & Gant, L. M. (2002) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/109493102753770552 · Cited by 778 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…psychological distress, including feelings of loneliness, depression, and envy (Moreno et al., 2011; Tandoc, Ferrucci, & Duffy, 2015), though the causes and extent of this phenomenon are debated in the literature (Beranuy, Oberst, Carbonell, & Chamarro, 2009; Bonebrake, 2002; Shaw & Gant, 2002).”
BackgroundFeeling bad on Facebook: depression disclosures by college students on a social networking site
Moreno, M. A., Jelenchick, L. A., Egan, K. G., COX, E. D., Young, H. N., Gannon, K., & Becker, T. (2011) · Depression and Anxiety · doi:10.1002/da.20805 · Cited by 607 · see citing works
Beranuy, M., Oberst, U., Carbonell, X., & Chamarro, A. (2009) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2009.03.001 · Cited by 498 · see citing works
Transgender Youth of Color and Resilience: Negotiating Oppression and Finding Support
Singh, A. A. (2012) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/s11199-012-0149-z · Cited by 433 · see citing works
Achieving trustworthiness in qualitative research: A pan-paradigmatic perspective
Williams, E. N., & Morrow, S. L. (2009) · Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1080/10503300802702113 · Cited by 411 · see citing works
LGBT and Queer Research in Higher Education
Renn, K. A. (2010) · Educational Researcher · doi:10.3102/0013189x10362579 · Cited by 399 · see citing works
Craig, S. L., & McInroy, L. (2014) · Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health · doi:10.1080/19359705.2013.777007 · Cited by 358 · see citing works
Identity Development Theories in Student Affairs: Origins, Current Status, and New Approaches
Torres, V., Jones, S. R., & Renn, K. A. (2009) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.0.0102 · Cited by 324 · see citing works
Online Disclosure: An Empirical Examination of Undergraduate Facebook Profiles
Kolek, E. A., & Saunders, D. B. (2008) · NASPA Journal · doi:10.2202/1949-6605.1905 · Cited by 312 · see citing works
There’s an App for that: The Uses and Gratifications of Online Social Networks for Gay Men
Gudelunas, D. (2012) · Sexuality & Culture · doi:10.1007/s12119-012-9127-4 · Cited by 287 · see citing works
DeHaan, S., Kuper, L. E., Magee, J. C., Bigelow, L., & Mustanski, B. S. (2012) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.661489 · Cited by 282 · see citing works
Media: A Catalyst for Resilience in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth
Craig, S. L., McInroy, L., McCready, L. T., & Alaggia, R. (2015) · Journal of LGBT Youth · doi:10.1080/19361653.2015.1040193 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
Prevalence and stability of self-reported sexual orientation identity during young adulthood
Savin-Williams, R. C., Joyner, K., & Rieger, G. (2012) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-012-9913-y · Cited by 244 · see citing works
Duguay, S. (2014) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444814549930 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
Bell, D., & Kennedy, B. M. (2000) · Cited by 191 · see citing works
Seale, J., Georgeson, J., Mamas, C., & Swain, J. (2014) · Computers & Education · doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2014.11.007 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
Overlaps and contradictions between queer theory and disability studies
Sherry, M. D. (2004) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/0968759042000284231 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Hillier, L., Mitchell, K. J., & Ybarra, M. L. (2012) · Journal of LGBT Youth · doi:10.1080/19361653.2012.684642 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Online Social Networking on Campus: Understanding What Matters in Student Culture
Martínez‐Alemán, A. M., & Wartman, K. L. (2008) · Cited by 120 · see citing works
The Story of sexual identity: narrative perspectives on the gay and lesbian life course
(2009) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.46-6498 · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Facebook Use by Persons with Disabilities
Shpigelman, C., & Gill, C. (2014) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/jcc4.12059 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Exploring Identities Through the Internet: Youth Experiences Online
Maczewski, M. (2002) · Child & Youth Care Forum · doi:10.1023/a:1015322602597 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
College Students' Internet Use, Relationship Formation, and Personality Correlates
Bonebrake, K. (2002) · CyberPsychology & Behavior · doi:10.1089/109493102321018196 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Generation on a Tightrope: A Portrait of Today's College Student
Levine, A. E., & Dean, D. R. (2012) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth with Disabilities: A Meta-Synthesis
Duke, T. S. (2011) · Journal of LGBT Youth · doi:10.1080/19361653.2011.519181 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Dicing with Deception: People with Disabilities' Strategies for Managing Safety and Identity Online
Bowker, N., & Tuffin, K. F. (2006) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2003.tb00209.x · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Strayhorn, T. L. (2012) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.2012.0078 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Harley, D. A., Nowak, T. M., Gassaway, L. J., & Savage, T. A. (2002) · Psychology in the Schools · doi:10.1002/pits.10052 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Technology Hurts? Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth Perspectives of Technology and Cyberbullying
Varjas, K., Meyers, J. P., Kiperman, S., & Howard, A. (2012) · Journal of School Violence · doi:10.1080/15388220.2012.731665 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Bauman, S., & Baldasare, A. (2015) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.2015.0039 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
The Needs of College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Asperger's Syndrome.
Cullen, J. A. (2015) · The Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“Sometimes You Feel Invisible”: Performing Queer/Disabled in the University Classroom
Miller, R. A. (2015) · The Educational Forum · doi:10.1080/00131725.2015.1068417 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Fronts Students Use: Facebook and the Standardization of Self-Presentations
Birnbaum, M. G. (2013) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.2013.0022 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Social Media Use By Students With Disabilities
Asuncion, J. V. (2012) · Academic exchange quarterly · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Gay with a Disability: A College Student's Multiple Cultural Journey.
Henry, W. J., Fuerth, K., & Figliozzi, J. (2010) · College student journal · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Wilkerson, J. M., Brooks, A. K., & Ross, M. W. (2010) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.0.0131 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Wankel, L. A., Wankel, C. B., Marovich, M., Miller, K., & Stanaityte, J. (2011) · Cited by 12 · see citing works
New Century, New Identities: Building on a Typology of Nonheterosexual College Men
Dilley, P. (2010) · Journal of LGBT Youth · doi:10.1080/19361653.2010.488565 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Marginalization of Published Scholarship on Students With Disabilities
Peña, E. V. (2014) · Journal of college student development · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 52 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
LGBTQ + and autism spectrum disorder: Experiences and challenges
Hillier, A. J., Gallop, N., Mendes, E. C. D. C. S., Tellez, D., Buckingham, A., Nizami, A., & OToole, D. (2019) · International Journal of Transgender Health · doi:10.1080/15532739.2019.1594484 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
“Whilst young people turn to social media to find community (Miller, 2017), having access to more in-person community based support groups as well, would be an important next step for counselors to consider.”
BackgroundBennett, C. L., Gleason, C., Scheuerman, M. K., Bigham, J. P., Guo, A., & To, A. (2021) · Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3411764.3445498 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
“Additionally, social media users both intentionally present and hide their race, gender, and disabilities through their photos [19, 62, 71, 85, 126].”
BackgroundToward Intersectional Identity Perspectives on Disability and LGBTQ Identities in Higher Education
Miller, R. A. (2018) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.2018.0030 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
“In online spaces, she saw the most potential for discussing the intersections of queerness and disability (see Miller, 2017).”
InfluentialSelf-citationLGBTQ+ Youths’ Community Engagement and Resource Seeking Online versus Offline
McInroy, L. B., McCloskey, R. J., Craig, S. L., & Eaton, A. D. (2019) · Journal of Technology in Human Services · doi:10.1080/15228835.2019.1617823 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
“They could also provide and highlight relevant information and resources related to LGBTQþ health and mental health (Evans et al., 2017; Miller, 2017).”
BackgroundHigh Impact of [Whiteness] on Trans* Students in Postsecondary Education
Stewart, D., & Nicolazzo, Z. (2018) · Equity & Excellence in Education · doi:10.1080/10665684.2018.1496046 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
“…in racism (e.g., Ahmed, 2012; Carnevale & Strohl, 2013; Patton, 2016; Scheurich & Young, 1997), trans (cid:1) oppression (e.g., Nicolazzo, 2017; Stewart, 2017a), economic inequality (e.g., Porter, 2015), ableism (e.g., Jones, 1996; Miller, 2017), and various other forms of systemic oppression.”
BackgroundInfluentialImagining a Trans* Epistemology: What Liberation Thinks Like in Postsecondary Education
Nicolazzo, Z. (2017) · Urban Education · doi:10.1177/0042085917697203 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
“spaces, new scholarship by Miller (2017) suggests this is a consistent phe-”
BackgroundLange, A. C., Durán, A., & Jackson, R. (2019) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.2019.0047 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
“Rather than studying only sexual identity or gender identity, researchers are beginning to explore these identities in relation to race (e.g., Garvey, Mobley, Summerville, & Moore, 2019; Nicolazzo, 2016a), spiritual development and Blackness (e.g., Means, 2017), and disability (e.g., Miller, 2017).”
BackgroundAbes, E. S., & Wallace, M. M. (2018) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.2018.0052 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
“Although disability research has yet to embrace intersectionality in a substantial way, some scholars have explored the intersections of disability with race (Erevelles & Minear, 2010), gender (Wendell, 1989), and sexual orientation (Miller, 2015, 2017).”
BackgroundGinapp, C. M., Greenberg, N. R., Macdonald-Gagnon, G., Angarita, G. A., Bold, K. W., & Potenza, M. N. (2023) · SSM - Qualitative Research in Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100223 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Vaccaro, A., & Koob, R. M. (2018) · Journal of Homosexuality · doi:10.1080/00918369.2018.1539583 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
“In this section, we have chosen to introduce readers to literature from multiple disciplines (primarily emerging from the United States) that inspired us to begin mapping out a comprehensive LGBTQ microaggression model.”
BackgroundInfluentialRetweeting Covid-19 disability issues: Risks, support and outrage
Thelwall, M. A., & Levitt, J. M. (2020) · El Profesional de la Informacion · doi:10.3145/epi.2020.mar.16 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Woznicki, N. W., Arriaga, A. S., Caporale-Berkowitz, N. A., & Parent, M. C. (2020) · Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity · doi:10.1037/sgd0000458 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Andalibi, N., Lacombe‐Duncan, A., Roosevelt, L. K., Wojciechowski, K., & Giniel, C. (2022) · ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction · doi:10.1145/3474362 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Bitman, N. (2021) · Information Communication & Society · doi:10.1080/1369118x.2021.1963463 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
“Thus, having concealable disability positions a user on the spectrum between the users who ignore ableist content in their feed in order to avoid being recognized as disabled (Miller, 2017) and activists.”
BackgroundKempapidis, T., Heinze, N., Green, A. K., & Gomes, R. S. M. (2023) · Disabilities · doi:10.3390/disabilities4010004 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
LGBTQ Persons' Pregnancy Loss Disclosures to Known Ties on Social Media
Pyle, C., Roosevelt, L. K., Lacombe‐Duncan, A., & Andalibi, N. (2021) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3411764.3445331 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Mayworm, S., DeVito, M. A., Delmonaco, D., Thach, H., & Haimson, O. L. (2023) · ACM Transactions on Social Computing · doi:10.1145/3632741 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“…purposes unique to their communities and identities, including expressing frustration 1:2 S. Mayworm et al. with bigotry, finding information resources unique to their community, or seeking support, connections, and solidarity from other members of their community [37, 40, 49, 51, 54, 55, 66, 67].”
BackgroundRubinsky, V. (2018) · Sexuality & Culture · doi:10.1007/s12119-018-9534-2 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
LGBTQ+ college students with disabilities: demographic profile and perceptions of well-being
Miller, R. A., Dika, S. L., Nguyen, D. J., Woodford, M. R., & Renn, K. A. (2019) · Journal of LGBT Youth · doi:10.1080/19361653.2019.1706686 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Self-citationMiller, R. A., Nachman, B. R., & Wynn, R. D. (2020) · College student affairs journal · doi:10.1353/csj.2020.0000 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“, 2015) and LGBTQ student populations (e.g., Lange & Moore, 2017; Miller, Wynn, & Webb, 2019; Miller, 2017; Nicolazzo, 2016a, 2016b; Orne, 2011).”
BackgroundSelf-citationDickinson, H., Smith, C., Yates, S., & Tani, M. (2021) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/09687599.2021.1994371 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Jenkins, E. M., Zaher, Z., Tikkanen, S. A., & Ford, J. L. (2019) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2019.07.004 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Strategies for Practicing Self-Care from Racial Battle Fatigue
Quaye, S. J., Karikari, S. N., Allen, C., Okello, W. K., & Carter, K. D. (2019) · JCSCORE · doi:10.15763/issn.2642-2387.2019.5.2.94-131 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“Nicolazzo (2017) found that virtual spaces enabled transgender people to find community with others, and Miller (2017) found the same for disabled queer youth.”
BackgroundPitcher, E. N., & Simmons, S. L. (2020) · Journal of College Student Retention Research Theory & Practice · doi:10.1177/1521025119895514 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“In other words, queer and trans people build community in tight knit ways that are integral to our survival and thriving (Blockett, 2017; Miller, 2017; Nicolazzo, 2016b).”
BackgroundLGBTQ+ in ECE: Culture and (Non)Visibility
Yang, J. A., Sherard, M. K., Julien, C., & Borrego, M. J. (2021) · IEEE Transactions on Education · doi:10.1109/te.2021.3057542 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Intersectionality in education
Varsik, S., & Gorochovskij, J. (2023) · OECD education working papers · doi:10.1787/dbb1e821-en · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Traversing TechSex: benefits and risks in digitally mediated sex and relationships
Power, J., Moor, L., Anderson, J., Waling, A., James, A., Shackleton, N., Farrell, A., Agnew, E., & Dowsett, G. W. (2022) · Sexual Health · doi:10.1071/sh21220 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Online Dating Experiences of LGBTQ+ Emerging Adults With Disabilities
Mazur, E. (2022) · Sexuality and Disability · doi:10.1007/s11195-022-09726-2 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Certainly, some emerging adults use dating apps and websites as vehicles for coming out as queer and/or disabled, hoping to match with appropriate romantic and sexual partners [34].”
BackgroundJones, C. T., Collins, K., & Zbitnew, A. (2021) · Journalism & Mass Communication Educator · doi:10.1177/10776958211000198 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“These fields also model new forms of intersectionality relevant to journalism educators who are rethinking the ethical and epistemological challenges for students working with marginalized communities (Adams, 2017, p. 360; Miller, 2017; Tischauser & Benn, 2019).”
BackgroundQueer and Trans College Student Success
Garvey, J. C., & Dolan, C. V. (2021) · Higher education · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-44007-7_2 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Addressing social media dangers within and beyond the college campus
Linvill, D. L. (2019) · Communication Education · doi:10.1080/03634523.2019.1607885 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“In addition, through interview data, Miller (2017) described how queer and disabled students use social media to manage their identities contextually.”
Fitzgerald-Russell, M. L., & Kowalske, M. G. (2023) · Journal of Homosexuality · doi:10.1080/00918369.2023.2252964 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“Online communities provide LGBTQ+ and other minoritized individuals unique places to find others like themselves and to build a self-reflective identity (Miller, 2017).”
Perceptions of Campus Climate at the Intersections of Disability and LGBTQIA+ Identities
Miller, R. A., & Dika, S. L. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-94836-2_4 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Self-citationBassey, A. E., Meribe, N. C., Bassey, E., & Ellison, C. (2021) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/09687599.2021.1983412 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“In line with findings from previous studies (Abel, Machin, and Brownlow 2019; Miller 2017; Pearson and Trevisan 2015), most of the participants in the present study also observed that they used social media to advocate for disability rights and also create awareness regarding disability issues.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialTraversing TechSex: benefits and risks in digitally mediated sex and relationships
Power, J., Moor, L., Anderson, J., Waling, A., James, A., Shackleton, N., Farrell, A., Agnew, E. N., & Dowsett, G. W. (2022) · Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) · doi:10.26181/19314311 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Logas, J., Schlesinger, A., Li, Z., & Das, S. (2022) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3512907 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“Queer users have found social technology useful in exploring and developing their sexual identity while living in a heteronormative or anti-queer environment [48, 67, 68].”
BackgroundHickey-Moody, A. C. (2023) · Manchester University Press eBooks · doi:10.7765/9781526165251 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Gutzwa, J. A. (2021) · Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/26379112.2021.1990077 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“Scholars have spoken to the inseparability of students’ social identities (Kasch, 2013; Miller, 2017); findings from this study corroborate scholarship advocating for a more nuanced approach to exploring the experiences of trans* Students of Color (e.”
InfluentialCosts and Benefits of Undergraduates Revealing Depression to Online Science Instructors
Busch, C. A., Mohammed, T. F., Nadile, E. M., Witt, M. L., Vargas, C., Tran, M., Wolf, J. G., Brister, D., & Cooper, K. M. (2023) · CBE—Life Sciences Education · doi:10.1187/cbe.22-05-0088 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“…their appearance (Caris et al. , 2002; Mann and Henne-berry, 2012), and the anonymous nature of online forums has been associated with an increased willingness of college students to discuss their depression and other concealable identities (Quinn et al. , 2009; Miller, 2017; Toscos et al. , 2018).”
College Experiences for Students With Disabilities: An Ecological Synthesis of Recent Literature
Kimball, E. W., & Thoma, H. S. (2019) · Journal of college student development · doi:10.1353/csd.2019.0062 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Chalmers, K. D., Smith, M. J., Moreno, M. A., & Malik, F. S. (2020) · Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology · doi:10.1177/1932296820965588 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Performing lowbrowness: How Chinese queer people negotiate visibility on short-video platforms
Zhou, Z. B. (2024) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/14614448241266984 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“Not only do digital technologies benefit privileged queer people, but they also enable marginalized queers, such as members of the queer diaspora and disabled queer people, to be seen and create connections (Li, 2020a; Menéndez de la Cuesta, 2022; Miller, 2017).”
Please Understand My Disability: An Analysis of YouTubers' Discourse on Disability Challenges
Niu, S., Liu, L. M. L., & Bian, Y. (2024) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3686946 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“YouTubers share their identities online [41], but disclosing disabilities can cause stigmas, disbelief, and inappropriate questions about their conditions [52].”
Identity negotiations of multiply marginalized disabled youth
Slothouber, V., & Lindsay, S. (2025) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/09687599.2025.2458011 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“…disabled people, participants were predominantly white (Cooper et al. 2023; Hillier et al. 2020; Ingram 2021; McAuliffe, Walsh, and Cage 2023; Miller 2015, 2017, 2018; Miller, Wynn, and Webb 2017; Miller, Wynn, and Webb 2019; Peachey and Crane 2024; Strang et al. 2018; Toft 2020; Toft,…”
Mayworm, S., Li, S. X., Thach, H., Delmonaco, D., Paneda, C., Wegner, A., & Haimson, O. L. (2024) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3637406 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“…communities 1 depend on social media and digital technologies to meet their unique information and social needs, such as creating community support systems, exploring their identities, and finding identity-related information for their own well-being [16, 23, 33, 43, 53, 57, 61, 65, 68, 89].”
BackgroundCui, L. (2024) · International Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1080/00207659.2024.2403863 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“…focused on the identity management of queer university students with multiple minoritised identities, including queer students with disabilities (Miller 2017; Miller et al. 2019), queer students of color (Boonzaier and Mhkize 2018; Duran 2019) and queer international students (Campbell et al.…”
A Labor of Love: The Makings of @FirstGenDocs
Brown, L. C., Wallace, J. K., & Cokley, R. K. (2021) · Journal of First-generation Student Success · doi:10.1080/26906015.2021.1891823 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“Further, previous scholarship underscores the benefits of digital spaces for various college student populations (e.g., Dougherty & Andercheck, 2014; Miller, 2017).”
BackgroundSocial media actually used by people with visual impairment: A scoping review
Gkatzola, K., & Papadopoulos, K. (2023) · The British Journal of Visual Impairment · doi:10.1177/02646196231189393 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“…is such an integral part of life today that it even plays an important role in an individual’s personal life as some users search there for social support and others decide to make their romantic relationships official with an online post (Fox et al., 2013; Frison & Eggermont, 2015; Miller, 2017).”
Changes in Need for Uniqueness From 2000 Until 2020
Chopik, W. J., Götschi, K., Carrillo, A., Weidmann, R., & Potter, J. (2024) · Collabra Psychology · doi:10.1525/collabra.121937 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“…online platforms can provide opportunities for people, particularly from marginalized groups, to seek out community and ways of expressing themselves (although media scholars highlight benefits and costs to these opportunities; Littman, 2022; Mehra et al., 2004; Miller, 2017; Sweet et al., 2020).”
@Digital libraries: harnessing Twitter to build online communities
Xie, I., & Stevenson, J. A. (2019) · Online Information Review · doi:10.1108/oir-02-2018-0058 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Mental Health and Resilience Among LGBTQ+ College Students with Disabilities
Wynn, R. D., Guo, L., Williamson, J., Stare, B. G., & Miller, R. A. (2022) · Currents Journal of Diversity Scholarship for Social Change · doi:10.3998/ncidcurrents.1779 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“…experienced in classrooms and on campus (Miller, 2015; Miller & Smith, 2020), how students explore their identities and build community online via social media platforms (Miller, 2017), and how students consider whether and how to disclose their identities to others (Miller, Wynn, & Webb, 2019).”
BackgroundSelf-citationGao, N., Eissenstat, S. J., & Oh, T. L. (2021) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2021.1947831 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Gao, N., Eissenstat, S. J., & DeMasi, M. (2022) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2022.2047707 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“They may also experience heightened barriers to developing new relationships 4,12 .”
BackgroundInfluentialReflecting on the Brink: At-Risk Student Experiences with Emergency Online Learning amid COVID-19
Rainey, E. A., & Taylor, Z. (2022) · Journal of Postsecondary Student Success · doi:10.33009/fsop_jpss131398 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“…work on the importance of allowing Gen Z to critically reflect and practice metacognition in online spaces has been pioneered by queer research (Miller, 2017; Nicolazzo et al., 2022), a body of work that has been lauded for the notion of creating “safe spaces in online places” (Lucero, 2017,…”
BackgroundInfluentialMason, M. E., Curtis, M. G., Floresca, Y. B., Kelsey, S. W., Davoudpour, S., Jayne, N. A., & Phillips, G. (2025) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117748 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Yang, J., & Stolzenberg, E. B. (2025) · New Directions for Higher Education · doi:10.1002/he.20536 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“…that demonstrates the duality that online environments often represent for LGBTQ + students; although they can be sites for community and kinship building (Miller 2017; Nicolazzo et al. 2022), they can also be spaces where these individuals face identity-based bullying (Miller et al. 2022).”
Exploring lecturers and administrative staffs’ strategies to hone EFL students’ digital literacy
Istiara, F., & Hastomo, T. (2023) · JOALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literature) · doi:10.33369/joall.v8i1.25568 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“154 JOALL (Journal of Applied Linguistics and Literature), 8(1), 2023 Meanwhile, digital learners have social habits that consist of browsing websites, evaluating the integrity of online resources, participating in social media communities, blogging communities, and blogging (Miller, 2017).”
BackgroundThe rise of virtual yarning: An Indigenist research method
Cooms, S., Leroy-Dyer, S., & Muurlink, O. T. (2024) · Qualitative Research · doi:10.1177/14687941241234303 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“Miller (2017) reports a similar trend in their research with participants from the Queer community who have a disability.”
Rethinking College Transitions: Legitimate Peripheral Participation as a Pathway to Becoming
Young, D. G., & Bunting, B. D. (2024) · AERA Open · doi:10.1177/23328584241255631 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“…et al., 2016; Shirley, 2021; Zerquera, 2019), gender identity (Flint et al., 2019; Goldberg et al., 2019; McHenry-Sorber & Swisher, 2020), ability (Miller, 2017), neurodiversity (Clouder et al., 2020; Cox, Nachman, et al., 2020; Cox, Thompson, et al., 2017), veteran status (Griffin & Gilbert,…”
Collegiate Purpose Development at the Intersections of Disability and Social Class Habitus
Vaccaro, A., Kimball, E. W., Newman, B. M., Moore, A. M., & Troiano, P. F. (2019) · Review of higher education/The review of higher education · doi:10.1353/rhe.2019.0100 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Queer and Trans College Student Success
Garvey, J. C., & Dolan, C. V. (2020) · Higher education · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-43030-6_2-1 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
An Interdisciplinary Return to Queer and Trans* Studies in Higher Education
Durán, A., Blockett, R. A., & Nicolazzo, Z. (2020) · Higher education · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-31365-4_9 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
On summoning queer joy in early childhood education: Some findings from New Brunswick, Canada
Burkholder, C., Whitty, P., Malins, P., & Keehn, M. (2025) · Journal of Early Childhood Research · doi:10.1177/1476718x251318894 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Critical queer theory interrogates how particular genders and sexualities become normalized over others (Sullivan, 2003) and troubles those discourses working to hold gendered and sexual binaries in place (Miller, 2017; Segwick, 1990).”
Dis/abled Student Campusmaking: Sites of New Possibility
Comeaux, E., Mireles, D. C., & Acha, A. (2021) · Education Sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci11110745 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Collective resistance and solidarity can also be found in online communities, particularly through blogging and social media, which lend both accessibility and numbers to organized movements [74,92].”
BackgroundHuang, X., & He, L. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1554621 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“…and digital connectivity, studies about SNS use and its impacts on life satisfaction, perceived social support, self-esteem and community connection has emerged as a critical area of scholarly inquiry (Paglieri et al., 2023; Alessandra Gaia et al., 2020; Escobar-Viera et al., 2020; Miller, 2017).”
Elmadagli, C., & Machín, D. (2022) · Critical Discourse Studies · doi:10.1080/17405904.2022.2061544 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“…can play an important role in raising the profile of social justice movements (Haenfler et al., 2012), becoming, an outlet for formerly silenced voices, for example, in relation to issues of ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation (Cavalcante, 2016; Miller, 2017; Vivienne, 2016; Wargo, 2017).”
BackgroundKukreja, R. (2024) · Citizenship Studies · doi:10.1080/13621025.2024.2425646 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“These also allow stigmatized participants to share their innermost thoughts more frankly than during in-person interactions (Miller 2017).”
Speaking Stoma: Creating a Communication Guide for People With an Ostomy
Lazenby, B. S., Guidry, A., Donovan, E. E., Dailey, R. M., & Ivatury, S. J. (2024) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/10497323241293719 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Social media provides an easily accessible place for people experiencing chronic illnesses to connect with others like them (Miller, 2017; Mohammed et al., 2024), and UOAA also acts as a central place for ostomates seeking information or support.”
A scoping review of the lived experiences of gender diverse children and youth with disabilities
Slothouber, V., Oliver, T., Leo, S., & Lindsay, S. (2025) · International Journal of Transgender Health · doi:10.1080/15532739.2025.2464229 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Havey, N. F. (2021) · Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/26379112.2021.1988625 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“…might represent relationship-seeking behavior), moderating their profile information (“looking for now” versus “only interested in dates”), and explicitly avoiding or using certain apps that socially cue promiscuousness (like Grindr; Blackwell et al., 2015; Corriero & Tong, 2016; Miller, 2017).”
Exploring 20 Years of LGBTQ+ Practitioner Scholarship: Applying Scholarship to Practice?
Pryor, J. T., González, Á. D. J., & Lamb, C. (2022) · NASPA Journal · doi:10.1080/19496591.2021.2006677 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Accessing Intimate Interactions: Investigating the need for More Inclusive Sex Education Resources
Barbareschi, G., & Wu, Z. (2022) · CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) · doi:10.1145/3491101.3519747 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Reclaiming illness, pain and vulnerability through online writings: an analysis of Skin Stories
Satija, S. (2022) · Feminist Media Studies · doi:10.1080/14680777.2022.2112737 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Ryan Miller (2017) focused on 25 American university queer students with disabilities and their engagement with social networking sites, smart phone applications and blogs to share their experience of marginalisation and isolation and of finding affinity, validation and community.”
BackgroundEquipment Repositories for Accessibility: A Model for Improving Access in Field Science
Devitz, A.-C. (2023) · Integrative and Comparative Biology · doi:10.1093/icb/icad024 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Supporting Queer and Trans Students Amidst a Rise in Anti Queer and Trans Legislation and Policies
Lemerand, S., & Durán, A. (2023) · Advances in higher education and professional development book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-2853-8.ch012 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
An Interdisciplinary Return to Queer and Trans* Studies in Higher Education
Durán, A., Blockett, R. A., & Nicolazzo, Z. (2019) · Higher education · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-11743-6_9-1 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Breaking out of the box: increasing the representation of disability within archive science
Pearson, A., Griffith, M., Rakoska, B., Harrison, C., Schuitema, K., & Taşcıoğlu, E. (2024) · Archival Science · doi:10.1007/s10502-023-09429-3 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Social media is used by disabled people for community building, identity development, and activism (Shpigelman and Gill 2014; Cavalcante 2016; Miller 2017), it is also favoured by young people as an archival resource (Zhao et al. 2013).”
Antisemitism in Online Communication
Becker, M. J., Ascone, L., Placzynta, K., & Vincent, C. (2024) · Open Book Publishers · doi:10.11647/obp.0406 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Connections: Social media and parents raising children with profound multiple disabilities
Terra, A. A. (2020) · Scholarly Commons (University of the Pacific) · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Serving Transgender Clients in the Digital Age
Laoch, A., & Holmes, C. M. (2018) · Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling · doi:10.1080/15538605.2018.1488233 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“In some jurisdictions misgendering can result in legal offense (Health and Safety Code, 1939, 2017).”
BackgroundDisability in Higher Education
Heffernan, T. A. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-41432-9_5 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
You Can Stand Under My Bi+ Umbrella
Olivo, V. B., Prieto, K., & Copeland, O. M. (2023) · Advances in higher education and professional development book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-2853-8.ch005 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“I had no idea”: At-Risk College Student Knowledge of Financial Aid and Resources
Rainey, E. A., & Taylor, Z. (2024) · Journal of Student Financial Aid · doi:10.55504/0884-9153.1793 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Being multiracial in a virtual society: Seeking community and exploring identity
Luna, R. H. (2021) · New Directions for Student Services · doi:10.1002/ss.20388 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Using Machine Learning to Track Disability Discourse on Social Media
Kumi, S., Snow, C. C., Marfo-Gyimah, J., Lomotey, R. K., & Deters, R. (2024) · IEEE International Conference on Digital Health (ICDH) · doi:10.1109/icdh62654.2024.00034 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Besides, Miller [15] studied how students use social media platforms to express their disability identities.”
BackgroundHickey-Moody, A. C., & Willcox, M. G. (2025) · Frontiers in Communication · doi:10.3389/fcomm.2025.1542825 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Students utilization of Discord Messaging Platform in an Introduction to MATLAB Course
Hammond, E., Mitchell, J., & Swenson, J. E. S. (2024) · ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition · doi:10.18260/1-2--41215 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Ortland, B., & Scholten, A.-K. (2021) · Zeitschrift für Sexualforschung · doi:10.1055/a-1555-7555 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
The Institutional Remains: Transinstitutionalization of Disability & Sexuality
Linton, M. Q. (2021) · doi:10.22215/etd/2021-14451 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Lu, X. (2024) · The Qualitative Report · doi:10.46743/2160-3715/2024.5649 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Wood, P. (2024) · Human Systems Therapy Culture and Attachments · doi:10.1177/26344041241269294 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Where minoritised identities are considered, research principally addresses adolescent development (Miller, 2017).”
McBee‐Black, K., Zhao, L., & Srinivas, S. (2024) · Clothing and Textiles Research Journal · doi:10.1177/0887302x241284808 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“For PWDs and the brands that engage with them, VCOPs offer an opportunity to gain trust and build connections, which could encourage the purchase of adaptive apparel products marketed to them (Annett-Hitchcock & Xu, 2015; Liu et al., 2016; Miller, 2017; Preece, 2000).”
Wang, X., Cui, Y., Bai, Y., Wang, M., & Du, Y. (2025) · Disability & Society · doi:10.1080/09687599.2025.2505857 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“The desire for social connection drives them to seek out virtual communities on short video apps (Miller 2017).”
InfluentialUnveiling the Pride in Social Media: A Review of LGBTQIA+ Use of Online Social Networks
Ebardo, R. A., & Payawal, B. O. (2024) · Asian CHI Symposium · doi:10.1145/3704611.3704653 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“These contents have been shared to attain the purpose of information gathering, owning a space, or bringing awareness [18], [22], [41].”
InfluentialThe Intersectionality of Accessibility
Miller, R. A., Friedensen, R., Vaccaro, A., & Kimball, E. W. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/9780197773482.003.0007 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Self-citationFigard, R., Thomas, K., Brunhaver, S. R., & Bekki, J. (2026) · Journal of Engineering Education · doi:10.1002/jee.70053 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“…research has explored the intersections of disability with race (e.g., Shallish, 2020; Strayhorn & Johnson, 2023), gender (e.g., Brown & Moloney, 2019; Figard et al., 2024), sexuality (e.g., Abrams & Abes, 2021; Miller, 2017), and nationality (e.g., Gonzalez & Echave, 2023; Rfat et al., 2023).”
Engaging LGBTQ+ Students on College Campuses in Urban and Urban-Emerging Settings
Durán, A., & Prieto, K. (2022) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-16-8000-7_6 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Social Networking Site Usage of Middle-Aged and Older Deaf Adults
Paglieri, T. A., Schooler, D. E., & Pezzarossi, C. K. (2023) · The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education · doi:10.1093/deafed/enad003 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Academia Is the Only Place I Belong”
Alexander, A. J. (2024) · Advances in higher education and professional development book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-6684-9914-6.ch007 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Algethami, R. K., Alqarni, T. M., & Albakour, F. M. (2021) · Journal of Educational and Social Research · doi:10.36941/jesr-2021-0086 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“The advantages of social media for individuals with disabilities were highlighted in many previous studies (Miller, 2017; Sweet, LeBlanc, Stough, & Sweany, 2020).”
Background
- Authors
- Miller, R. A.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte (US)
- Corresponding author
- Miller, Ryan A.
- ORCID
- Miller, Ryan A.
- Venue
- Journal of College Student Development
- Publisher
- Project MUSE
- Published
- 2017
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 509-525
- ISSN
- 0897-5264 (ISSN-L)
- 1543-3382
- OpenAlex
- W2586902657
- Cited by
- 141
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 14.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of college student development (publishedVersion)
- Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Educational Technology in Learning
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Rights and Representation
- Keywords
- queer identity, disability identity, identity construction, social media, online communities, social networking sites, blogs, mobile application, marginalization, validation, university students
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
