Conceptualizing and illustrating the digital lifestyle of youth

This research looks at the psychosocial content and nature of the concept of the digital lifestyle when applied to pre-teens and teenagers. The concept of lifestyle is analyzed to assess whether the digital technological context is an acceptable framework to characterize the daily life of pre-teens and teenagers. Five dimensions of the digital lifestyle concept were useful to structure more than 200 technologically aware young consumers who discussed the meaning and usage of several digital devices.Consumer psychology, Internet, teenagers

The Impact of Social Media Sites on Muslim Adolescents, 2018

This study will examine the online behaviors of two samples of adolescents, ages 12-19, who identify as Muslim. One sample will come from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Atlanta, Georgia and complete a 27-item questionnaire. The researcher will investigate how both samples utilize social media and if they are more or less inclined to showcase socially aggressive behavior and political activism as a result. KEYWORDS: Islamic Studies, Other Education, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Social Wor

Internet addiction: a systematic review of epidemiological research for the last decade

In the last decade, Internet usage has grown tremendously on a global scale. The increasing popularity and frequency of Internet use has led to an increasing number of reports highlighting the potential negative consequences of overuse. Over the last decade, research into Internet addiction has proliferated. This paper reviews the existing 68 epidemiological studies of Internet addiction that (i) contain quantitative empirical data, (ii) have been published after 2000, (iii) include an analysis relating to Internet addiction, (iv) include a minimum of 1000 participants, and (v) provide a full-text article published in English using the database Web of Science. Assessment tools and conceptualisations, prevalence, and associated factors in adolescents and adults are scrutinised. The results reveal the following. First, no gold standard of Internet addiction classification exists as 21 different assessment instruments have been identified. They adopt official criteria for substance use disorders or pathological gambling, no or few criteria relevant for an addiction diagnosis, time spent online, or resulting problems. Second, reported prevalence rates differ as a consequence of different assessment tools and cut-offs, ranging from 0.8% in Italy to 26.7% in Hong Kong. Third, Internet addiction is associated with a number of sociodemographic, Internet use, and psychosocial factors, as well as comorbid symptoms and disorder in adolescents and adults. The results indicate that a number of core symptoms (i.e., compulsive use, negative outcomes and salience) appear relevant for diagnosis, which assimilates Internet addiction and other addictive disorders and also differentiates them, implying a conceptualisation as syndrome with similar etiology and components, but different expressions of addictions. Limitations include the exclusion of studies with smaller sample sizes and studies focusing on specific online behaviours. Conclusively, there is a need for nosological precision so that ultimately those in need can be helped by translating the scientific evidence established in the context of Internet addiction into actual clinical practice

Youth and Digital Media: From Credibility to Information Quality

Building upon a process-and context-oriented information quality framework, this paper seeks to map and explore what we know about the ways in which young users of age 18 and under search for information online, how they evaluate information, and how their related practices of content creation, levels of new literacies, general digital media usage, and social patterns affect these activities. A review of selected literature at the intersection of digital media, youth, and information quality -- primarily works from library and information science, sociology, education, and selected ethnographic studies -- reveals patterns in youth's information-seeking behavior, but also highlights the importance of contextual and demographic factors both for search and evaluation. Looking at the phenomenon from an information-learning and educational perspective, the literature shows that youth develop competencies for personal goals that sometimes do not transfer to school, and are sometimes not appropriate for school. Thus far, educational initiatives to educate youth about search, evaluation, or creation have depended greatly on the local circumstances for their success or failure

The Porn Crisis: This Generations Sexual Outlet

With the development of technology, we opened a world, not only to new ideas and innovations but also to the world of pornography. Pornography has invaded our culture, in music, television shows, movies even social media. Advocates for the production and consumption of pornography claim pornography to be a form of self-expression that is healthy and essential to discovering their sexual experiences. However, this paper argues that the lack of regulation is contributing to the damaging effects pornography has on the consumers’ psyche and behavior, it is also factoring into our society’s decline of public health. This claim is supported from a psychological and sociological standpoint by incorporating research that verifies the negative effects of pornography usage, such as the loss of brain matter, increased compulsive tendencies, and its promotion of an askew societal perception. This paper also explores and analyses underage consumption patterns with current gaps in internet pornography statistics due to recent findings of the sensitivity of the teenage brain. Next steps to regulate the consumption of pornography are explored, including adding a pornography section in current sex education classes, conducting pornography consumption questionnaires in yearly doctor visits, and further research exploring not only the consumer but those within the pornography business as well. Finding the direct and indirect effects of pornography consumption will help legation build laws to protect the public health

Negative and positive impact of internet addiction on young adults: empericial study in Malaysia

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore and identify the impact of Internet addictions on young adults in Malaysia. There are six impacts identified, of which five are negative impacts and one is a positive impact. Design/methodology/approach: This study comprised a sample of 200 young adults in Malaysia. A cross-sectional research design was used to examine the impact of Internet addiction. Data were gathered based on personal administered questionnaires. Findings: Mann-Whitney U test results show that the adults those are using Internet excessively were having some problems such as interpersonal problem, behavioural problem, physical problem, psychological problem, and work problem in their daily life. The young adults believed that the Internet usage can help them to improve their skills for doing their work better. This study also reveals that males were likely having working problems, psychological problems, behavioural problems and interpersonal problems than female. On the other hand, females were having their physical problems while using Internet excessively. Research limitations/implications: The data for this study are collected by self-administered questionnaires, a method with well-known shortcomings. Secondly, the sample size itself is relatively small. This study can be strengthened by increasing the sample size and including participants in other geographical areas in Malaysia. Practical implications: The present study reveals five negative impacts i.e. interpersonal problem, behavioural problem, physical problem, psychological problem, and work problem for excessive Internet usage. Government agencies like Health department of Malaysia and other government agencies should create better awareness of the problem having while using Internet. It can be done by having seminars or introduction sessions at all universities in Malaysia. Originality/value: The findings are original and unique and are based on the literature from different western researches. The results are based on a sample of young adults in Malaysia. The research findings are useful to academics and heavy Internet users who are hooked with Internet to their everyday lifePeer Reviewe

Motivation of internet use: relation with pathological internet use, gender and internet activities

This study is aimed to examine the motivation of Internet use among university students in Malaysia. A total of 102 students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) answered the pencil-paper questionnaire. Result of descriptive analysis showed that 49.02% of students were identified as pathological Internet use (PIU). The predominant motivation of Internet use were information seeking and entertainment/escape. The inferential analysis using MANOVA indicated that students with PIU reported significantly higher scores of all motivation factors of Internet use than their non-PIU peers. Correlational test was used to examine the relationship between motivation of Internet use and Internet activities found that social recognition was significantly related to four Internet activities including social networking site (SNS), online game, shopping and browsing. Entertainment/escape was only related to SNS usage. The low coefficient of correlation between motivation and Internet activities implied the influence of potential variables

The prevalence and characteristics of sexting behaviours among adolescents and adults in Cape Town, South Africa

Includes bibliographical references.'Sexting' is defined as the act of sending sexually suggestive text messages (SSTMs), or the self-generation of nude or semi-nude images (NSNIs) and sending them to others via digital devices. It has recently emerged as a risk behaviour, particularly as it relates to adolescent sexuality. The consequences of sexting may include humiliation, ostracism, depression, anxiety, suicide and criminal or legal action. As such, research into the practice is vital in order to mitigate the risk to adolescents. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of sexting among a sample of adolescents and adults in Cape Town, South Africa