Abstract

With the prevalence of online risks encountered by youth online, strength-based approaches such as nudges have been recommended as a potential solution to subtly guide teens toward safer decisions. However, most nudging interventions to date have not been designed to cater to teens’ unique needs and online safety concerns. To address this gap, this study aimed to better understand adolescents’ perceptions and feedback on online safety nudges to inform the design of more effective online safety interventions. We conducted 12 semi-structured interviews and 3 focus group sessions with 21 teens (13 – 17 years old) to get their feedback on three types of nudge designs from two opposing perspectives (i.e., risk sender and victim) and for two different online risks (i.e., information breaches and cyberbullying). We found that teens preferred actionable nudge approaches, with the action based on the specific risk scenario. Additionally, for both the risk sender and victim, teens wanted nudges to emphasize warnings, making them harder to ignore. They desired actionable nudges that intervene early and extend beyond a bare warning notice to suggested safe responses. Teens also wanted nudges that prevent the risk sender from perpetuating harm by restricting or penalizing them. Finally, teens wanted personalized and controlled nudges that confirmed their final actions, did not interrupt their regular online activity and had no possibility of escalating the risk. Overall, we found that nudges need to be contextualized to teens' risk experiences, risk medium, personal preferences, and user perspectives (e.g., victim vs. sender).

Graduation Date

2022

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Hughes, Charlie

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Computer Science

Degree Program

Computer Science

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0009392; DP0027115

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0027115

Language

English

Release Date

12-15-2023

Length of Campus-only Access

1 year

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

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