SMILEY - R34 on Cyber Victimization

Problem: Rates of online victimization are high among black and sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth, who are especially vulnerable to suicidal risk. Online victimization peaks during adolescence, a developmental stage when sensitivity to peer influence and intense emotional experiences are common, which can be amplified by minority stress experiences

Solution: The Social Media Intervention for Lonely and Excluded Youth (SMILEY) study will develop and evaluate the feasibility of a social media-based conversational chatbot to increase coping and reduce exposure to online victimization which may prevent depressive severity and suicidal ideation among youth

Study: Comparing SMILEY vs. a brief psychoeducational intervention among minority adolescents:

More Background:
Online victimization (i.e., disparaging remarks, symbols, images, or behaviors that inflict harm in online spaces) frequently occurs on social media and is linked to depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Over half of Black and Hispanic youth experience a form of race-based online victimization involving derogation or exclusion, and LGBTQ+ youth experience online victimization at three times the rate of non-LGBTQ+ youth. Chatbots are software programs that use artificial intelligence to simulate conversation with a user via text, voice, or video, and can be deployed on social media, SMS, or can be web-based. SMILEY (Social Media Intervention for Online Victimized Youth) will be a chatbot intervention deployed on social media for youth, focusing particularly on Black, LGBTQ+, and Hispanic youth, with moderate to severe depression who experience online victimization. SMILEY will aim to reduce frequency of online victimization and related stress via 1) psychoeducation to increase social media skills and confidence in one’s ability to successfully find supportive information and resources online 2) digital resources to bolster distress tolerance following online victimization. To explore its implementation potential, we will include youth, caregivers, and providers at all steps of development, testing, and evaluation. We aim to collaboratively develop an intervention that is acceptable and feasible for Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ youth, thus addressing a source of health disparities in these groups. Should SMILEY prove feasible, acceptable, and effectively targets distress and frequency of online victimization, this study will provide the basis for a larger clinical trial.