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Overview: This project explores how people with food allergies use social media to shape their health habits, identities, and social connections. Through 18 interviews with content creators and consumers who live with food allergies, we found that social media can both empower and stigmatize, influencing how individuals express themselves and manage their visibility online.
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We introduce the idea of “on-and-off identities” to describe how people shift between sharing and hiding their food allergy identity on algorithm-driven platforms. Our study offers design directions for creating mindful social media experiences that support both agency and vulnerability in health and identity work.
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Methods: Interviews
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Collaborators: Dr. Elizabeth Kaziunas, Dr. Christina Chung (advisor)

Publication: ‍
CHI 2025 full paper