CHI ’25, Yokohama, Japan

Recovering from crises, such as hurricanes or wildfires, is a complex process that can take weeks, months, or even decades to overcome. Crises have both acute (immediate) and chronic (long-term) effects on communities. Crisis informatics research often focuses on the immediate response phase of disasters, thereby overlooking the long-term recovery phase, which is critical for understanding the information needs of users undergoing challenges like climate gentrification and housing inequity. We fill this gap by investigating community discourse over eight months following Hurricane Ida in an online neighborhood Facebook group and Town Hall Meetings of a borough in the New York Metropolitan region. Using a mixed methods approach, we examined the use of social media to manage long-term disaster recovery. The findings revealed a significant overlap in topics, underscoring the interconnected nature of online and offline community discourse, and illuminated themes related to the long-term consequences of disasters. We conclude with recommendations aimed at helping designers and government leaders enhance participation across community forums and support recovery in the aftermath of disasters.

Trauma can disrupt one's sense of self and mental well-being, leading survivors to reconstruct their identities in online communities. Drawing from 30 in-depth interviews, we present a sociotechnical process model that illustrates the mechanisms of online identity reconstruction and the pathways to integration. We introduce the concept of fractured identities, reflecting the enduring impact of trauma on one's self-concept. We also conceptualize grief bubbles-algorithmic recommendations that concentrate on the traumatic aspects of users' identities, hindering identity integration. Our findings challenge the assumptions of Goffman's dramaturgy framework and extend Hecht's communication theory of identity, demonstrating how personal-enacted identity gaps manifest within online spaces. We also discuss how trauma-informed online communities can reflect the principles of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, symbolizing a renewed sense of self, before concluding with design recommendations. *Trigger warnings: Intimate partner violence, addiction, mental illness, sexual abuse, psychological maltreatment, violence, and incarceration.

Trauma is a common experience affecting over 70 percent of adults globally, with many survivors seeking support from online communities. Yet few studies explore the online experiences of muted groups who lack the words to name or describe their trauma. We pull from 29 in-depth interviews with muted trauma survivors who belong to online communities where trauma narratives are commonplace. Using a spinning top metaphor, we model the sociotechnical nature of the disclosure decision-making process, uncovering new affordances, such as indirect feedback and transportability in online platforms. Findings challenge prior notions of community engagement and algorithmic filter bubbles, highlighting the potential for algorithmic filters to counteract societal filters for muted groups. We conclude with design recommendations to make online spaces safer for trauma survivors.