Adolescents in Virtual Forum: Playing, Socializing, or Engaging in Public Issues?

This research examines how adolescents perceive their memberships and involvement in virtual forums and whether the young generations see this involvement facilitate their engagement with public issues surrounding them. The increase of political discussions and political debates over the Internet and social media in Indonesia has become the trigger of this research to see whether adolescents as the group of new voters, even first-time voters, use virtual forums to be critically engaged in a discussion of public issues. Alternatively, this research would see whether their engagement in virtual communities is mainly related to entertainment, social connections, and other matters not directly related to politics and discussion of public issues. By interviewing a group of adolescents from at least eight provinces in Indonesia, this research examines the phenomenological experiences regarding their action, perception, and evaluation of their involvement through various virtual communities. This research highlights the importance of understanding adolescents’ experiences in virtual communities to understand better their tendency and attitude in relating to issues in their online and offline environments.

Gambling and social gambling: an exploratory study of young people's perceptions and behavior

Background and aims: Gambling-type games that do not involve the spending of money (e.g., social and (demo) [demonstration] gambling games, gambling-like activities within video games) have been accused in both the legal and psychological literature of increasing minors’ propensity towards prohibited forms of gambling thus prompting calls for gambling regulation to capture address such games and subject them to age restrictions. However, there is still a shortage of empirical data that considers how young people experience monetary and non-monetary gambling, and whether they are sufficiently aware of the differences. Methods: Data was collected from 23 qualitative focus groups carried out with 200 young people aged between 14 and 19 years old in schools based in London and Kent. As the study was exploratory in nature, thematic analysis was adopted in order to capture how pupils categorise, construct, and react to gambling-like activities in comparison to monetary forms of gambling without the constrains of a predetermined theoretical framework

Snagging The Online Sexual Predator: Descriptions Of Who And How

This study examines law enforcement personnel who work undercover chatting investigations in order to catch online sexual predators. This topic is quite timely, and law enforcement efforts in this area are new. As such, there is a dearth of research concerning the use of the internet as a location for law enforcement investigations, particularly as a setting for undercover work. This research addresses such questions as who are these law enforcement personnel who try to snag online sexual predators, how do they feel about working in the virtual world, what do they think about doing this type of work, how did they get selected for this particular position, how their jobs affect their personal lives outside of work, and what specifically their jobs entail. Twenty law enforcement personnel were interviewed from different parts of the United States. The interview schedule covered six areas: respondents\u27 careers, their home lives, any training they have received that is relevant for their current positions, details about their jobs, the undercover aspects of their jobs, and their demographics. Findings are discussed. This study is important because it offers a closer look at the individuals who put their time and efforts into neutralizing online sexual predators before they can harm additional children. This knowledge will add to the current literature in this area as well as aid policy developers on issues concerning law enforcement organization and personnel

An exploratory study of the association between online gaming addiction and enjoyment motivations for playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are a popular form of entertainment used by millions of gamers worldwide. Potential problems relating to MMORPG play have emerged, particularly in relation to being addicted to playing in such virtual environments. In the present study, factors relating to online gaming addiction and motivations for playing in MMORPGs were examined to establish whether they were associated with addiction. A sample comprised 1167 gamers who were surveyed about their gaming motivations. Latent Class Analysis revealed seven classes of motivations for playing MMORPGs, which comprised: (1) novelty; (2) highly social and discovery-orientated; (3) aggressive, anti-social and non-curious; (4) highly social, competitive; (5) low intensity enjoyment; (6) discovery-orientated; and (7) social classes. Five classes of gaming addiction-related experiences were extracted including: (1) high risk of addiction, (2) time-affected, (3) intermediate risk of addiction, (4) emotional control, and (5) low risk of addiction classes. Gender was a significant predictor of intermediate risk of addiction and emotional control class membership. Membership of the high risk of addiction class was significantly predicted by belonging to a highly social and competitive class, a novelty class, or an aggressive, anti-social, and non-curious class. Implications of these findings for assessment and treatment of MMORPG addiction are discussed

Understanding Why Youths Love Facebook: Integrating Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs And Uses And Gratifications

Facebook is a popular social networks system that has a large amount of users from all around the world, especially from Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. Most users are in the adolescent age. However, Facebook has both pros and cons for users, particularly for youths. To increase or to decrease the usage of Facebook, understanding reasons behind why youths love Facebook is necessary. Thus, this paper proposes a qualitative study to search for needs driving Facebook uses of youths, conforming generally accepted psychological theories: Maslow\u27s hierarchy of needs and U&G

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), Video Games, and the Adolescent\u27s Perceived Experience

Video games are an everyday experience for adolescents and have changed how adolescents interact with one another. Prior research has focused on positive and negative aspects of video game play in general, without distinguishing Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIPing) as the mode of play. Grounded in entertainment theory, motivational theory, and psychological distress theory, this cross-sectional, correlational study examined the relationship between VOIPing and quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory), Yee\u27s motivation to play video games, and resilience (Child and Youth Resilience Measure). A series of linear regression and multivariate canonical correlation models analyzed self-report responses of 103 adolescents aged 13 to18. Results indicated that VOIPing was not statistically related to quality of life or resilience. However, VOIPing correlated positively with motivation to play video games, particularly with the subscales of socialization and relationships. Canonical analysis of motivation for gaming and quality of life indicated that adolescents with high scores on customization and escapism motivation for gaming subscales tended to also have high scores on each of the emotional, social, and school quality of life subscales. Canonical analysis of motivation for gaming and resilience indicated that adolescents with low scores on the escapism motivation for gaming subscale tended to also have high scores on the individual, relationships, and community resilience subscales. The positive aspects of VOIPing, particularly with increased motivation to play video games, can be effectively used in coaching adolescents in social skills and relationship building

Internet Use and Abuse: Connection with Internet Addiction

Modern information and communication technologies have progressed quickly. Mobile technology, personal computers and the Internet have become closely linked to human life. However, all these devices and their use bring various pitfalls. Cheating of pupils and students in the school environment has been an interdisciplinary issue linked not only to pedagogy, but also to the whole range of sub-disciplines, like for example social pedagogy or etopedy. The latter disciplines have been significantly interfered by information and communication technologies that bring new forms of illegal school activities. Due to modern technologies we can also trace an increase of inattention of pupils and students and their tendency to distraction during lessons. Signs of Internet addiction among pupils and students can be observed more often. The paper deals with a research focusing on Internet use by secondary school youth and possible risks of using the Internet for them. Three aspects entering the educational process of adolescents are discussed there; Internet use, school cheating and Internet addictive behavior. In addition, a relation between possible risks of Internet use and educational strategies according the Learning Combination Inventory originated by Christine A. Johnston was examined within the research