Why Youth (heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life

Part of the Volume on Youth, Identity, and Digital Media Social network sites like MySpace and Facebook serve as "networked publics." As with unmediated publics like parks and malls, youth use networked publics to gather, socialize with their peers, and make sense of and help build the culture around them. This article examines American youth engagement in networked publics and considers how properties unique to such mediated environments (e.g., persistence, searchability, replicability, and invisible audiences) affect the ways in which youth interact with one another. Ethnographic data is used to analyze how youth recognize these structural properties and find innovative ways of making these systems serve their purposes. Issues like privacy and impression management are explored through the practices of teens and youth participation in social network sites is situated in a historical discussion of youth's freedom and mobility in the United States

Online Help Seeking in Emerging Adults: The Role of Attachment Style, Emotion Regulation, and Distress Disclosure

There is minimal research investigating the role of the Internet and computer-mediated technology in help seeking among emerging adults. The purpose of this study was to explore how and from whom emerging adults seek help online for their emotional and personal problems. In particular, the study examined the relations between attachment with intentions and behaviours of seeking help online, as well as from informal and formal sources of support. Three-hundred and fifty-four undergraduate university students (17 to 25 years of age) completed an online survey of questionnaires assessing their attachment style in close relationships, difficulties in emotion regulation, tendency to self-disclose distress to others, and help-seeking intentions and behaviours online and from informal (e.g., parents and friends) and formal sources of support (e.g., social workers and psychologists). Results showed that approximately 95% of the sample sought help for an emotional or personal problem by using online computer-mediated technology, in some capacity, over the past four weeks. Higher levels of attachment avoidance were significantly associated with lower intentions to seek help online by way of directly messaging close others (e.g., via text message), posting to large audiences (e.g., on social networking sites), and searching for and reading information relevant to the problem, as well as with engaging in fewer help-seeking behaviours of directly messaging close others. Similarly, greater attachment avoidance was significantly related to lower intentions to seek help from informal and formal sources of support, as well as to engaging in fewer help-seeking behaviours from informal and formal sources. Conversely, higher levels of attachment anxiety were significantly associated with greater intentions to seek help online by way of posting to anonymous sources of support and searching for and reading information, as well as with engaging in more online helpseeking behaviours of searching for and reading information pertaining to the problem. Greater attachment anxiety was significantly related to lower intentions to seek help from informal sources, but also to engaging in a greater number of help-seeking behaviours from professional sources. A series of significant mediation analyses revealed that higher levels of attachment avoidance predicted greater difficulties in emotional awareness, which in turn, predicted lower intentions (directly messaging close others and searching for/reading information) and fewer behaviours (directly messaging close others) of seeking help online. In contrast, higher levels of attachment anxiety predicted greater difficulties with access to effective emotion regulation strategies, which in turn, predicted a greater number of online help-seeking behaviours (searching for/reading information). Yet, higher levels of attachment anxiety predicted lower tendencies to disclose distress to others, which in turn, predicted lower intentions to seek help from informal sources. Similarly, higher levels of attachment avoidance predicted lower tendencies to disclose distress, which in turn, predicted fewer help-seeking behaviours from informal sources. However, higher levels of attachment avoidance predicted greater difficulties with access to effective emotion regulation strategies, which in turn, predicted a greater number of help-seeking behaviours from formal sources. Applied implications for engaging young people in the help-seeking process via online, computer-mediated technology are discussed – namely, that trusting relationships with close others and greater awareness of emotions continue to be crucial facilitators of seeking help in an online context

A Study of The Direct and Indirect Relationships between Online Disinhibition and Depression and Stress Being Mediated by The Frequency of Cyberbullying from Victim and Perpetrator Perspectives

This study attempted to investigate the direct and indirect influences of online disinhibition effect on university students’ levels of depression and stress, being mediated by their reported frequency of cyberbullying as victim and perpetrator. A total of 217 students completed a survey questionnaire consisting of a demographics section, the Online Disinhibition Scale (Udris, 2014) to measure benign online disinhibition and toxic online disinhibition, the Cyberbullying Scale (Patchin & Hinduja, 2010) to measure cyberbullying as victim and perpetrator, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) to measure depression and stress levels. Results revealed that the participants’ reported mean score of benign online disinhibition (i.e., helpful and prosocial behaviors) was higher than that of toxic online disinhibition (i.e., hurtful and denigrating behaviors). Results of path analysis showed that the participants’ reported level of toxic online disinhibition has both direct and indirect influences on their reported levels of depression and stress. In terms of direct influence, it was found that the higher the participants’ reported level of toxic online disinhibition, the higher their reported levels of depression and stress. The results also showed that in terms of indirect influence, the higher the participants’ reported level of toxic online disinhibition, the more they reported themselves as being victims of cyberbullying and, subsequently, the higher their reported levels of depression and stress. The participants’ reported level of benign online disinhibition was not found to be significantly associated with their reported levels of depression and stress, either directly or indirectly

How technology interacts with emerging adulthood psychosocial developmental tasks: An examination of online self-presentation and cell phone usage

This dissertation outlines three distinct, yet interrelated, projects aimed at understanding the role of technology in relation to emerging adulthood developmental tasks: individuation & identity development. The first paper provides a context for understanding the developmental tasks of emerging adulthood, and the role that technology may serve in relation to those developmental tasks. This brief review of the literature on emerging adulthood developmental tasks provides a solid theoretical background and history for the theoretical premises proposed for the respective studies included in this dissertation. The second project is an empirical investigation that seeks to understand how the task of identity development may be related to online self-presentation, indicated by rates of profile picture cycling. The third project is a second empirical investigation that seeks to understand how the developmental task of individuation may be related to cell phone communication with parents. Final comments and integrated thoughts are provided to clarify the parallels between what we already know about emerging adulthood tasks, and how these tasks are being manifested via social media outlets and cell phone usage

Social networking and the school adjustment of Karen refugee youth from Burma: determining the effects of ethnic identity, bonding social capital, and Facebook use

In 2011 alone, over 56,000 refugees were admitted to the United States and a third of these individuals were under the age of 18 (Martin & Yankay, 2012). Researchers have found that the social capital developed through close and confiding relationships is instrumental in the academic outcomes of refugee youth (Kia-Keating & Ellis, 2007; Kovacev & Shute, 2004) and adolescents from diverse ethnic backgrounds use social capital as a resource in identity construction (Holland, Reynolds, & Weller, 2007). Social networking sites (SNS) are now used by adolescents to communicate a sense of belongingness related to their ethnic group (Grasmuck, Martin, & Zhao, 2009) and in studies with college students from the United States have been linked to the establishment of social capital (Ellison et al., 2007; Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2011). The purpose of the current study was to explore the participants' social network composition on Facebook based on whether their networks were primarily composed of peers with the same ethnic identity (same-ethnic peers) or from different ethnic backgrounds (cross-ethnic peers). Specifically, the researcher aimed to investigate whether Facebook was primarily used to facilitate the development of bonding social capital with peers with the same ethnic identity. It also was designed to explore the relationship between Facebook use, ethnic identity, bonding social capital, and school adjustment in the sample of 40 Karen newcomer refugee adolescents living in the United States. Overall, the researcher found that newcomer refugee Karen students are utilizing Facebook to develop friendships with individuals that share the same ethnicity and with peers from different ethnicities. There was a significant relationship between bonding social capital and school adjustment; however, there were not differences in bonding social capital based on the composition of participants' peer networks. The final model demonstrated that amount of Facebook use was a significant predictor of school adjustment scores and that bonding social capital mediates this relationship. It appears that higher levels of bonding social capital are predictive of higher levels of school adjustment, and Facebook usage may actually decrease bonding social capital in these students. Important implications exist for school counselors working with newcomer refugee students. Given the importance of bonding social capital on school adjustment, school counselors should consider ways to foster peer relationships for newcomer refugee students. Results from the current study suggest that higher amounts of Facebook use may actually be preventing newcomer refugee students from developing close peer relationships, underscoring the potential importance of school counselors fostering relationship building within the school environment

SOCIAL SUPPORT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADAPTATION FOR NEW CHINESE FEMALE STREAMERS: THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AND MODERATING EFFECT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPITAL

In China, internet streaming has become an entertainment medium for everyone, and as an emerging profession, streamers are experiencing varying degrees of psychological distress. This research focused on four dimensions: social support, psychological capital, professional identity, and psychological adaptation. Factor analysis and reliability analysis were used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the revised scale; ANOVA and t-tests were also used to evaluate the effects of age, region, education, and full-time vs. part-time employment. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the four latent variables. The results showed significant differences in Chinese new female streamers' age, region, education level, and job type (full-time or part-time streaming). Results showed that social support had positive predictive effects on psychological adaptation, professional identity was a significant mediator of social support with psychological adaptation, and psychological capital played a significant moderating role between dimensions. The media industry involved in the work of Chinese streamers should pay more attention to the psychological health of the streamers, track the psychological adaptability of the streamers to help prevent their psychological problems, and provide them with counseling promptly. Work standardization of the entire streaming industry should be improved so that streamers and the entire industry can continue to develop healthily

Adolescent identity formation and social media

Objective: To understand how adolescent social media use is impacting on their identity formation and their developing self-esteem. The degree of emotional investment in the sites, and what motivations underlie discreet social media activities. It also aims to investigate adolescent responses to online feedback and their coping strategies in relation to the feedback. Method: in-depth interviews with 15 white British adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years (9, female, 6 males) consisting of four single sex friendships groups, were thematically analysed. Each group took part in a facilitated focus group, and an unaccompanied focus group. These were followed by an individual interview with the lead researcher. Results: Five key themes were identified: investment, feelings evoked by social media, motivations, observations of social media rules and cultures, and strategies to manage feelings evoked by social media use. Conclusion: while social media is providing an important new context for identity formation, it may be placing added pressures on adolescents’ developmental tasks. Digital youth fear receiving critical feedback online, due to the potential for experiences of shame to be projected widely. They are highly attuned to the quantifiable feedback they receive online and feel pressured to be effortful in their social media activity, which could impact negatively on adolescents’ ability to develop a coherent and stable self (Erikson, 1968) and psychological wellbeing, particularly for those with pre-existing mental health difficulties. A curious and non-judgemental approach to understanding how adolescents are using social media, is necessary in order to encourage supportive conversations

Interrelationships among attachment style, personality traits, interpersonal competency, and Facebook use

Online social media has become a popular way to communicate and develop interpersonal relationships. Facebook use in particular has become an important topic for researchers and clinicians, as young adults are increasingly integrating this use into their daily lives and social behavior. As empirical work on the personality traits and interpersonal competency associated with use and the potential consequences of use on social behavior is still emerging, the present study sought to investigate the interrelationships among constructs relevant to the developmental tasks associated with emerging adulthood, including adult attachment style, Five Factor Model personality traits, interpersonal competency, and Facebook use. Using data collected from 617 emerging adults in college, we utilized structural equation modeling to develop a model explaining the interrelationships among the constructs under study in order to further the research in this area. Results yielded a well-fitting model that explained the interrelationships among these latent constructs in the data, which suggested that insecure attachment had direct and positive effects on neuroticism, direct and negative effects on extraversion, direct and negative effects on interpersonal competency, and indirect effects on Facebook use. In addition, only extraversion and not neuroticism was related to interpersonal competency and Facebook use, when first accounting for attachment style. Interestingly, interpersonal competency did not seem to play a prominent mediating role between these personality traits and Facebook use. These results highlight the role of attachment style, and its importance in both developing personality traits, interpersonal skills, and online social behavior, which aligns well with the attachment theory framework. Lastly, we discussed future directions for research, as well as theoretical and practice implications for psychologists

How online self-presentation affects well-being and body image:A systematic review

Sophistication of media technologies offers increasing possibilities for selective self-presentation online. However, how self-presentation affects well-being and body image is unclear. This systematic review aimed to map to what extent and under which circumstances types of self-presentation, versus lurking, support or hamper individuals’ well-being and body image. Seven scientific databases were searched, comprising 55 relevant studies in 52 publications out of 975 publications. Results were mixed: Both self-presentation and lurking can enhance or diminish well-being and body image. Self-presentation, lurking, and well-being were categorized to systematically clarify results, and vital mechanisms were determined to explain differences within and between self-presentation and lurking. For example, lurking at others generally decreased well-being, whereas authentic self-presentation increased well-being. Moreover, the studies’ examined outcomes differed among studies’ culture-of-origin. Finally, results showed the importance of peers in examining effects of self-presentation. Future research should delineate self-presentation types, report on cultural variability, and include peer influence

Navigating LGBTQ+ and Disabled Intersections Online: Social Support and Identity Construction in the Age of Social Media

There is a lack of research about the lived experiences of self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and otherwise-identified (LGBTQ+) young adults with disabilities who use the Internet to achieve particular social aims. Using open-ended survey questions, the researcher applied multidimensional and overlapping frameworks of intersectionality, feminist-disability theory, and social work to answer the following: What are the lived experiences of disabled, LGBTQ+ young adults who use social media for social support and identity construction? Using secondary data, fifteen (N=15) cases of LGBTQ+ disabled young adults aged 18 to 31 living in the United States were selected, and data was analyzed using a phenomenological thematic analysis. The research revealed salient themes, such as community/belonging, access to “others like me,” positive identity formation and protective mental health factors to name a few, each of which respectively facilitated or complicated participants’ motives to use social media platforms. Implications of v the research findings for social science scholars and suggestions for future research are discussed