Digital Communities Research Survey

We appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey. As someone with experience in the UK social media landscape, your perspective as part of a diaspora community is crucial. We are exploring how digital platforms can better serve the needs of multicultural Britain, and your honest feedback will directly contribute to shaping more supportive online environments.

If you are interested in seeing the final results of this report, please feel free to reach out to us via the platform through which you received this link.

 

    Understanding Diaspora Experiences in UK Social Media

    Researchers: Dami Adeniran & Brendan Njoku

    Section A: Demographic Information

    A1. What is your age?

    18-2425-3435-4445-5455-6565+

    A2. What is your gender identity?

    MaleFemaleNon-binaryPrefer not to sayOther

    A3. Which of the following best describes your ethnic background?


    A4. Were you born in the UK?

    YesNo

    A5. If not born in the UK, how long have you lived here?

    Less than 5 years5-10 years11-20 yearsMore than 20 yearsNot applicable (born in UK)

    A6. Which generation immigrant are you?

    First generation (born outside UK)Second generation (born in UK, parents born outside UK)Third generation or beyondNot applicable

    A7. What is your current employment status?

    Employed full-timeEmployed part-timeSelf-employedStudentUnemployedRetiredOther

    A8. What is your annual household income?

    Under £20,000£20,000-£35,000£35,000-£50,000£50,000-£65,000£65,000-£80,000Over £80,000Prefer not to say

    A9. Do you have children?

    YesNo

    A10. Which region of the UK do you live in?

    Section B: Social Media Usage Patterns

    B1. How many hours per day do you spend on social media platforms?

    Less than 1 hour1-2 hours2-3 hours3-4 hours4-5 hoursMore than 5 hours

    B2. Which social media platforms do you actively use? (Select all that apply)

    FacebookInstagramTwitter/XTikTokWhatsAppLinkedInSnapchatYouTubeDiscordRedditWeChatOther

    B3. On average, how many meaningful interactions do you have per day across all social platforms?

    None1-23-56-10More than 10

    B4. How would you describe most of your online interactions?

    Very meaningful and deepSomewhat meaningfulSurface-level but pleasantSurface-level and unsatisfyingOften negative or stressful

    Section C: Cultural Identity and Digital Expression

    C1. How well do you feel your cultural background is understood on mainstream social media platforms?

    Very well understoodSomewhat understoodPoorly understoodNot understood at allNot applicable

    C2. How easy is it to find content and communities relevant to your cultural background on social media?

    Very easySomewhat easySomewhat difficultVery difficultNot applicable

    C3. How often do you experience microaggressions or cultural misunderstandings in digital spaces?

    NeverRarelySometimesOftenVery frequently

    C4. Do you ever avoid sharing aspects of your cultural practices or celebrations online?

    NeverRarelySometimesOftenAlways

    C5. If yes, why do you avoid sharing cultural content? (Select all that apply)

    Fear of misunderstandingConcern about stereotypingWorry about tokenismPast negative experiencesLack of appropriate platform featuresOther

    C6. Do you code-switch between languages in your online communications?

    Yes, frequentlyYes, sometimesRarelyNeverNot applicable (monolingual)

    C7. How well do current platforms accommodate language mixing in posts and conversations?

    Very wellAdequatelyPoorlyNot at allNot applicable

    C8. Do you maintain different online personas for different audiences?

    Yes, very different personasYes, somewhat differentSlightly differentNo, I'm the same across platforms

    C9. How exhausting do you find managing different identities across platforms?

    Not exhausting at allSlightly exhaustingModerately exhaustingVery exhaustingExtremely exhausting

    Section D: Community Size Preferences

    D1. What size online community do you prefer for sharing personal or cultural content?

    Under 50 members50-150 members150-500 members500-1000 membersOver 1000 membersNo preference

    D2. How comfortable are you sharing personal cultural content in communities of different sizes?

    Under 50 members:

    Very comfortableSomewhat comfortableUncomfortableVery uncomfortable

    50-150 members:

    Very comfortableSomewhat comfortableUncomfortableVery uncomfortable

    150-500 members:

    Very comfortableSomewhat comfortableUncomfortableVery uncomfortable

    500+ members:

    Very comfortableSomewhat comfortableUncomfortableVery uncomfortable

    D3. In smaller online communities, how often do you experience authentic, meaningful interactions?

    Almost alwaysOftenSometimesRarelyNever

    Section E: Mental Health and Digital Wellbeing

    E1. Despite being active on social media, how often do you feel lonely or isolated?

    NeverRarelySometimesOftenVery frequently

    E2. How often do you experience stress related to expressing your cultural identity online?

    NeverRarelySometimesOftenVery frequently

    E3. Do you ever feel pressure to represent your entire cultural group online?

    NeverRarelySometimesOftenAlways

    E4. How has your access to culturally relevant online communities affected your mental wellbeing?

    Significantly improved itSomewhat improved itNo impactSomewhat worsened itSignificantly worsened itI don't have access to such communities

    E5. Do you feel that digital isolation from your cultural community has affected your connection to your heritage?

    Strongly agreeSomewhat agreeNeither agree nor disagreeSomewhat disagreeStrongly disagreeNot applicable

    Section F: Local Community and Geographic Connections

    F1. How interested are you in connecting with people from your cultural background in your local area through digital platforms?

    Very interestedSomewhat interestedNot very interestedNot interested at all

    F2. How important are the following local community features to you?

    Neighbourhood community connections:

    EssentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Local cultural event discovery:

    EssentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Minority-owned business recommendations:

    EssentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Religious/cultural venue finding:

    EssentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Cultural calendar integration:

    EssentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    F3. Have you attended real-world cultural events that you discovered through online communities?

    Yes, frequentlyYes, occasionallyYes, rarelyNever

    Section G: Platform-Specific Experiences

    G1. How do you feel about each platform’s ability to serve your cultural community needs?

    Facebook/Instagram:

    ExcellentGoodFairPoorDon't use

    TikTok:

    ExcellentGoodFairPoorDon't use

    Twitter/X:

    ExcellentGoodFairPoorDon't use

    LinkedIn:

    ExcellentGoodFairPoorDon't use

    WhatsApp:

    ExcellentGoodFairPoorDon't use

    G2. What is the main limitation of current platforms for your cultural expression? (Select top 3)

    Algorithm bias against non-Western contentLimited language supportLack of cultural context featuresPoor moderation of discriminationNo cultural calendar integrationInadequate privacy controls for cultural contentPressure to perform culture rather than live itOther

    Section H: Professional Identity and Cultural Integration

    H1. Do you struggle to find professional mentors who understand your cultural background?

    Yes, very muchYes, somewhatNot reallyNo, not at allNot applicable

    H2. How much do you code-switch between your cultural identity and professional identity online?

    ConstantlyOftenSometimesRarelyNever

    H3. How stressful do you find navigating between cultural and professional identities online?

    Extremely stressfulVery stressfulModerately stressfulSlightly stressfulNot stressful at all

    H4. Would you benefit from professional networking features that consider cultural background?

    Yes, absolutelyYes, probablyMaybeProbably notDefinitely not

    Section I: Community Safety and Moderation

    I1. How important are the following community safety features for cultural communities?

    Active human moderation:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Cultural sensitivity training for moderators:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Sophisticated discrimination reporting tools:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Cultural inclusion community guidelines:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Member verification processes:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Section J: Economic Investment and Platform Features

    J1. Would you consider paying for a social media platform specifically designed to understand and serve your cultural community needs?

    Yes, definitelyYes, probablyMaybeProbably notDefinitely not

    J2. What monthly subscription fee would you consider reasonable for such a platform?

    £0 (would not pay)£1-3£3-5£6-8£9-12£12-15More than £15

    J3. What features would justify paying for a cultural community platform? (Rank top 5)

    Cultural context preservation and understandingDiscrimination-free, actively moderated environmentHeritage language support and code-switchingCultural event calendar integrationProfessional networking within cultural communitiesFamily and intergenerational connection featuresAdvanced privacy controls for cultural contentCultural translation and explanation toolsLocal cultural business directoryHeritage preservation and sharing tools

    J4. How essential are the following technical features for cultural digital communities?

    Multi-language posts and real-time translation:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Cultural calendar integration:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Identity verification for cultural communities:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Context-aware content discovery:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Granular privacy controls for different audiences:

    Absolutely essentialVery importantSomewhat importantNot important

    Section K: Intergenerational Connections

    K1. If applicable, which generation best describes you within your cultural community in the UK?

    First generation (immigrated as adult)1.5 generation (immigrated as child)Second generation (born in UK, parents immigrants)Third generation or beyondNot applicable

    K2. What is your primary need for digital cultural connection?

    Maintaining connections with homelandPreserving traditions for next generationNavigating identity between heritage and British cultureRediscovering cultural rootsProfessional integration while maintaining cultural identityOther

    K3. How well do current platforms facilitate connections across different generations within your cultural community?

    Very wellAdequatelyPoorlyNot at allNot applicable

    Section L: Open-Ended Questions

    L1. Describe a time when you felt your cultural background was misunderstood or misrepresented on social media. How did this make you feel?

    L2. What would your ideal cultural community platform look like? What features would it have?

    L3. How do you think digital platforms could better serve Britain’s multicultural population?

    L4. Any additional comments about your experience as someone from a diaspora/immigrant community using social media in the UK?

    I consent my responses can be for research purposes in compliance with UK GDPR laws and your Privacy Policy.

    Thank You

    Thank you for participating in this research. Your responses will help us understand how digital platforms can better serve the UK’s diverse communities.

    Data Protection: All responses are confidential and will be analysed in accordance with GDPR requirements. No individual responses will be identifiable in our research outputs.

    Contact: If you have questions about this research, please contact us on via the platform you used in receiving this link.