Social media use by young people with language disorders: a scoping review

PurposeSocial media are widely used by young people (YP), but how YP with language disorders use social media for social interaction remains insufficiently studied. This article provides an overview of the research on social media use by YP with language disorders.Materials and methodsA scoping review was conducted, guided by a five-stage framework. Ten databases were searched (CENTRAL, CINAHL, ERIC, LLBA, Medline, PsychINFO, Scopus, speechBITE, Web of Science, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global). Chaining searches of papers identified for inclusion were conducted.ResultsAfter screening 199 unique papers, 44 were included. Findings revealed that YP with language disorders use social media less compared to typically developing peers; their profile of communication difficulties may impact the types of social media with which they engage. Although intervention studies are limited, the results offer encouraging findings regarding the positive impact of support for use of social media. Barriers and facilitators for social media use are identified.ConclusionsYP with language disorders use social media for social purposes. However, co-designed research into what YP with language disorders perceive their social media needs to be is urgently needed. How to support YP with language disorders to use social media is subject to future investigation. Young people with language disorders are likely using a range of social media to support their social participation, but they use social media less than typically developing peers.The types of social media young people with language disorders choose to engage with may be impacted by their language/literacy difficulties.There is preliminary evidence that intervention to support the use of social media by young people with language disorders is beneficial, but more research is required to identify the components to include in social media use training programs.To support the access to and use of social media by young people with language disorders, healthcare professionals may need to collaborate with parents and schools.