Publications

After Taiwan's legalization of same-sex marriage in 2019, LGBTQ+ communities continue to face hostility on social media. Using the lens of hermeneutical injustice and autonomy, we examine how technological conditions affect LGBTQ+ individuals' identity exploration, narrative seeking, and community resilience. We conducted a multi-stage study with Taiwanese LGBTQ+ individuals, including in-depth interviews, participatory design workshops, and evaluation sessions. Participants described fragile yet creative strategies such as seeking validation in online interactions, reframing hostile content through theory, and relying on allies. Building on these insights, we designed and evaluated a retrieval-augmented, LLM-powered chatbot with four modes of interaction: reflection, validation, discussion, and allyship. Findings show that the system fosters hermeneutical autonomy by helping participants reframe hostile narratives, validate lived experiences, and scaffold identity exploration, while reducing the hermeneutical labor of navigating social media hostility. We conclude by outlining design implications for AI systems that advance hermeneutical autonomy through fluid self-representation, contextualized dialogue, and inclusive community participation.

Instant messaging (IM) plays a key role in intimate relationships, leaving digital traces that can facilitate nostalgia. In this exploratory study, we investigate how revisiting nostalgic IM histories impacts relationship satisfaction. We find that revisiting IM histories enhances relationship satisfaction, with all three autobiographical memory (AM) functions---self (supporting identity), social (facilitating communication), and directive (guiding current behavior)---predicting this behavior. However, the self and directive functions are also associated with lower satisfaction. Additionally, attachment avoidance reduces IM revisiting behavior. These findings extend the theoretical understanding of digital nostalgia and offer insights for designing interventions that support relationship well-being through digital archives.