Escaping the rough life of the street: Roofless people and mobile social media

Abstract

Roofless people are among the most vulnerable, marginalized, and silenced societal groups. However, access to social media through mobile devices may provide opportunities for battling their stigmatization, social exclusion, low self-esteem, and self-acceptance. This study aims to explore how people who are experiencing rooflessness use and represent themselves on social media. This qualitative study, using thematic analysis of 16 in-depth interviews, reveals that roofless people may use social media to increase their social capital, advocate for other homeless people, and, most importantly, escape or reconstruct the reality of life on the street through continuous online social interaction and revalidation of oneself.