Typification and Characteristics of Digital Safe Spaces: A literature review

Abstract

Digital safe spaces are important for vulnerable groups seeking refuge and comfort in digital platforms to establish connections and companionship with peers. However, the studies related to digital safe spaces appear to be disorganized, and there has not been an effort to make clear what are the main characteristics and types that can differentiate them from other digital spaces. In this paper, I take on this challenge and, through a literature review on the information systems (IS) and human-computer interaction (HCI) fields, I propose ten distinct characteristics and three different types of digital safe spaces. This paper contributes to the literature on digital platforms’ social impact by offering a comprehensive understanding of digital safe spaces. In addition, it brings the concept of digital safe spaces to the IS field by providing a clear set of characteristics and a typification of the concept.