A Systematic Review of Internet Communication Technology Use by Youth in Foster Care

Course overview

This systematic narrative review of the literature reports on the experiences of foster youth regarding the use of Internet Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as social media, focusing only on studies that include youth voice. We searched seven databases for articles published internationally from 2010 to 2020 in which foster youth were interviewed regarding their beliefs about ICTs. Youth report benefits of ICTs including to their relationships and identity formation opportunities, and discuss risks of ICTs and how they manage them. ICTs may benefit positive youth development. Stakeholders may consider ways to assess and support healthy ICT use.