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In a study lead by Dr. Kim Hieftje at Yale School of Medicine, researchers explored how Black teen girls use social media to find and evaluate potential romantic partners. The results of the study lead were used in for the development of the InvestiDate prototype, developed by PreviewLabs.
The formative study lead to the creation of the InvestiDate prototype
The research identified four key themes that became clear over the different focus groups:
- Different social media platforms offered distinct benefits for teens in their selection process. Instagram served to understand a potential partner’s “true self” through photos, while Twitter provided insights into political views.
- The participants described unwritten rules guiding their online partner search. Photos were used to assessstyle and hygiene, while memes gauged humor compatibility.
- Social media facilitated judgement of potential partners’ personality, values, and interests.
- Black teen girls had different experiences compared to other etnic groups: They faced racism and bias online, including stereotypes, cultural invalidation, and accusations of “acting White.” These experiences shaped their social media navigation.
The results of this study lead to Yale University’s XR Pediatrics department approaching PreviewLabs to build a social video game designed to help Black teen girls make informed choices when it comes to evaluating and selecting potential romantic partners. As they date and their relationships become more serious within the game, players practice talking to their partners, friends, and doctor about HIV/STI testing, condom use, and potential risk factors that are often associated with increased risk of HIV/STI infection. You can find more info about this game, called InvestiDate, on the XRPeds website.
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Are you looking to conduct formative research for an upcoming serious game? PreviewLabs has got you covered! It’s never too early to talk to us – we often engage in conversations with researchers, even long before they obtained grant funding, and help them with letters of support to make it clear to funding agencies that the technical aspects of their project won’t be a cause for concern. Reach out to us for more information.