By using the Facebook social networking platform, sheltered homeless in Hawaiʻi can improve their lives in ways ranging from online job searches to strengthening their connections with family and friends.
The study, published in the International Journal of Communication, surveyed 148 people at two homeless shelters in Honolulu and examined Facebook use vs. non-use. It found that Facebook users were:
- Younger and more likely to be female.
- More likely to have their own cell phones, have access to the internet from their cell phones and be heavier cell phone users.
- More likely to use the app for online job searches than to look for housing.
- Exhibited higher levels of bonding with close friends and loved ones, including family, which was especially critical during times of trouble.
The study demonstrates how the use of Facebook can lead to improving the homeless condition. As a social media platform with a focus on social networks, Facebook can help homeless individuals keep in touch with close friends who can provide them with critical social support and help. In addition, using Facebook may improve human capital by helping homeless individuals to acquire a job or improve internet literacy.
The researchers noted that Native Hawaiians represented a majority—almost one-third or 31.8 percent—of homeless shelter guests in the study, a finding confirmed by other government and nonprofit agency reports.
The research team was led by Wayne Buente, an associate professor in the School of Communications. Collaborators on the team included Rachel Neo, a communications assistant professor at CSS; Luz Quiroga, a retired associate professor in UH Mānoa’s Department of Information and Computer Sciences and Library and Information Science Program; and Joseph Greene, a doctoral student in Learning Design and Technology in UH Mānoa’s College of Education and instructional designer at Texas Tech University Health Services Center.
Research was funded by the Social Science Research Institute in CSS and supported by the Institute for Human Services.
