TY - JOUR
T1 - The internet and sexual identity formation
T2 - Comparing Internet use before and after coming out
AU - Szulc, Lukasz
AU - Dhoest, Alexander
PY - 2013/10/29
Y1 - 2013/10/29
N2 - Even in its early years, the Internet was recognized as a medium with great potential for lesbians, gay men, and bisexual individuals (LGBs), especially for LGB youths struggling with their sexual identity. Yet, Internet research related to coming out tends to focus on particular cases or Internet use before and during coming out. Consequently, as such research emphasizes the opportunities and positive aspects of the Internet for LGBs, it may lead to an over estimation of the importance of sexual identity in terms of LGB Internet use. There-fore, in this paper we explore the LGB-specific Internet use of a broad cross-section of the LGB community both before or during and after coming out. Our quantitative online survey and in-depth interviews show that LGBs use the Internet for LGB-oriented purposes less after coming out than before or during it. The results suggest that sexual identity becomes a less salient topic in terms of everyday Internet use after coming out.
AB - Even in its early years, the Internet was recognized as a medium with great potential for lesbians, gay men, and bisexual individuals (LGBs), especially for LGB youths struggling with their sexual identity. Yet, Internet research related to coming out tends to focus on particular cases or Internet use before and during coming out. Consequently, as such research emphasizes the opportunities and positive aspects of the Internet for LGBs, it may lead to an over estimation of the importance of sexual identity in terms of LGB Internet use. There-fore, in this paper we explore the LGB-specific Internet use of a broad cross-section of the LGB community both before or during and after coming out. Our quantitative online survey and in-depth interviews show that LGBs use the Internet for LGB-oriented purposes less after coming out than before or during it. The results suggest that sexual identity becomes a less salient topic in terms of everyday Internet use after coming out.
KW - Internet use
KW - LGB
KW - gay and lesbian
KW - coming out
KW - Belgium
KW - sexual identity
UR - http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcAuth=ORCID&SrcApp=OrcidOrg&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL&KeyUT=WOS:000326879100002&KeyUID=WOS:000326879100002
U2 - 10.1515/commun-2013-0021
DO - 10.1515/commun-2013-0021
M3 - Article
SN - 1613-4087
VL - 38
SP - 347
EP - 365
JO - Communications-European Journal of Communication Research
JF - Communications-European Journal of Communication Research
IS - 4
ER -