Supporting Mental Health Among Autistic Youth in the Digital Age

Alper, Meryl, Noertheastern University (m.alper@northeastern.edu)

1Young people’s online and offline worlds shape one another in complex ways, both for better and for worse. This is especially true among children and adolescents on the autism spectrum, who may discover unique opportunities for socializing, communicating, and expressing themselves through new media, as well as encounter specific threats to their safety and privacy borne of the internet and mobile devices. This talk, based on the recent book Kids Across the Spectrums: Growing Up Autistic in the Digital Age (MIT Press, 2023), focuses on the prospects of digital media (e.g., social media apps, gaming websites, online video) for positively and negatively impacting the mental well-being of autistic youth, with a particular emphasis on their identity, emotional, and social development, drawing on ethnographic research that centers their personal experiences and stories.