Kauneudeksi vai kuolemaksi? Sosiaalinen kategorisointi ja poikkeavuus YouTuben pro-anoreksia -keskusteluissa

Tässä sosiaalipsykologian pro gradu -tutkielmassa tutkittiin pro-anorektikon kategoriasta käytyä neuvottelua YouTube-videopalvelun julkisilla kommenttipalstoilla. Pro-anoreksia (lyhennettynä pro-ana ) on Internetissä esiintyvä ilmiö, jolle on ominaista anorektisen laihuuden ihannoiminen ja laihuutta ihannoivien kuvien ja videoiden julkinen levittäminen. Vaikka pro-anorektiset ääri-ihanteet ja toimintamallit nähdään tyypillisesti poikkeavina verrattuna normaaliin hoikkuuteen ja laihduttamiseen, tätä poikkeavuuden tuottamista ja siitä neuvottelua sosiaalisen median julkisilla alustoilla ei ole tutkittu. Koska Internet ja sosiaalinen media tarjoavat nuorille keskeisen kontekstin oman identiteetin rakentamiselle ja sosiaalisille suhteille, on tärkeää tutkia myös mahdollisesti haitallisia yhteisöllisyyden muotoja ja niiden herättämiä julkisia reaktioita. YouTube-videopalvelun 25 suosituinta pro-anoreksia -aiheista profiilia kerättiin hakusanan pro-ana perusteella. Aineisto koostuu näiden profiilien videokommenteista (n=2122), jotka kerättiin verkkoryömijän (engl. web crawler) avulla. Teoreettinen viitekehys yhdisti kognitiivista ja diskursiivista lähestymistapaa identiteettien rakentumiseen ja sosiaaliseen kategorisointiin Intenet-kontekstissa. Aineisto analysoitiin jäsenkategoria-analyysin ja retorisen diskurssianalyysin välinein fokusoiden ennen kaikkea siihen poikkeavuuden ja toiseuden tuottamisen dynamiikkaan, joka vallitsee ilmiön kannattajien ja vastustajien välillä. Aineistoa lähestyttiin seuraavien tutkimuskysymysten kautta: Miten poikkeavuutta tuotetaan osana neuvottelua pro-anorektikon kategoriasta? Miten pro-anoreksia -ilmiölle tuotettua poikkavuutta vastustetaan? Millaista moraalista järjestystä pro-anoreksia -keskusteluissa tuotetaan? Tulokset osoittavat, että pro-anoreksiaan ja syömishäiriöihin liitettävistä määreistä käydään jatkuvaa neuvottelua sen suhteen, mikä nähdään kulttuurisesti norminmukaisena osana moraalista järjestystä. Pro-anorektikon kategoriaa määritellään anorektikon, naisen, kauniin, rikollisen ja epäihmisen kategorioiden ja näihin liitettävien määreiden avulla. Pro-anoreksialle tuotetaan poikkeavuutta ja epäinhimillisiä piirteitä esimerkiksi hengenvaarallisten ja kyseenalaisten kauneusihanteiden vuoksi, mutta tätä poikkeavuutta myös normalisoidaan erilaisin selonteoin, esimerkiksi kategorisoimalla anoreksia uhriuttavana sairautena. Vaikka etenkin laihuutta ihannoivan materiaalin julkinen levittäminen tuotetaan ulkopuolisten silmissä moraalisesti tuomittavana ja jopa rikollisena toimintana, näkyy keskusteluissa kuitenkin myös yhteinen maaperä esimerkiksi sen suhteen, että hoikkuus ja kauneus ovat tavoittelemisen arvoisia. Vihamielinen verkkoviestintä rakentaa ja ylläpitää poikkeavuutta syömishäiriöiden stigmatisoimia henkilöitä kohtaan, mikä edellyttää syömishäiriöisiltä aktiivista identiteettityötä ja selontekojen antamista syömishäiriöisille toimintamalleille ja ihanteille. Pro-anoreksia -ilmiölle tuotettujen moninaisten merkityksenantojen ymmärtäminen on tärkeää, jotta syömishäiriöisille nuorille voidaan kohdistaa oikeanlaista apua ja tukea niin lähipiirin kuin terveydenhuollonkin osalta

Young people and gambling content in social media : An experimental insight

Introduction and Aims Online gambling advertising and user-generated gambling content have increased. This study used a social psychological online experiment to analyse young people's reactions towards and self-reported interests in social media gambling messages. Design and Methods A vignette experiment with a two-level between-subjects factor (group condition or control condition) and three two-level within-subjects factors (expressed stance on gambling, narrative perspective and majority opinion) was conducted with two samples of young Finnish people aged 15 to 25 years (N = 1200, 50% female, mean age 21.29 years) and 15 to 30 years (N = 230, 53% female, mean age 24.35 years). Participants were asked to indicate how they would react to presented gambling messages (i.e. like or dislike the content) and how interesting would the content appear to them. In addition to experimental factors, the Attitudes Towards Gambling Scale and a global self-esteem measure were used as the independent variables. A statistical analysis included multilevel linear and logistic regressions. Results Young people preferred anti-gambling messages instead of pro-gambling messages. This effect was moderated by personal gambling attitudes as participants with highly positive gambling attitudes preferred pro-gambling content. Fact-driven messages were favoured over experience-driven messages. Positive majority opinions predicted more favourable reactions and positive interest. Discussion and Conclusions Young people prefer anti-gambling content and factual argumentation but their online behaviour is also influenced by perceived group norms. The potential risks of online gambling promotion mainly concern young people already interested in gambling.Peer reviewe

Impulsivity, internalizing symptoms, and online group behavior as determinants of online hate

Online hate is widely identified as a social problem, but its social psychological dimensions are yet to be explored. We used an integrative social psychological framework for analyzing online hate offending and found that both personal risk factors and online group behavior were associated with online hate offending. Study 1, based on socio-demographically balanced survey data (N = 1200) collected from Finnish adolescents and young adults, found that impulsivity and internalizing symptoms were positively associated with online hate offending. Furthermore, social homophily was positively associated with online hate offending but only among those with average or high level of internalizing symptoms. Social identification with online communities was not associated with hate offending. In Study 2, based on a vignette experiment (N = 160), online hate offenders were more likely than others to rely on in-group stereotypes (i.e. self-stereotype) in anonymous online interaction and, as a consequence, follow perceived group norms. These associations were found only when a shared group identity was primed. We conclude that both personal risk factors and group behavior are related to online hate but they have different implications for reducing hateful communication in social media.Peer reviewe

Peer Group Identification as Determinant of Youth Behavior and the Role of Perceived Social Support in Problem Gambling

Gambling opportunities have increased rapidly during recent years. Previous research shows that gambling is a popular activity among youth, which may contribute to problem gambling. This study examined how social identification with online and offline peer groups associates with youth problem gambling behavior and if perceived social support buffers this relationship. Data were gathered with an online survey with 1212 American and 1200 Finnish participants between 15 and 25 years of age. Measures included the South Oaks Gambling Screen for problem gambling, and items for peer group identification and perceived social support. It was found that youth who identify strongly with offline peer groups were less likely to engage in problem gambling, while strong identification with online peer groups had the opposite effect. We also found that the associations between social identification and problem gambling behavior were moderated by perceived social support. Online peer groups may be a determinant in youth problem gambling. Focusing on offline peer groups and increasing social support can hold significant potential in youth gambling prevention.Peer reviewe

The Role of Virtual Communities in Gambling and Gaming Behaviors : A Systematic Review

Gambling opportunities are facilitated by the growth of the Internet and social media platforms. Digital games also increasingly include monetary features, such as microtransactions, blurring the line between gambling and gaming. The Internet provides a variety of virtual communities for gamblers and gamers, but comprehensive research on these communities and their relevance in gambling and monetary gaming behaviors remains scarce. This paper summarizes research of online gambling and monetary gaming communities based on a systematic literature review. A systematic literature search was conducted from five databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Social Science Premium Collection, and EBSCOhost. The search was limited to empirical articles that focused on gambling or gaming involving money and examined online interaction between gamblers or gamers. Preliminary search resulted in 1056 articles, from which 55 were selected for the analyses based on pre-determined criteria. According to results, online communities serve different functions in gambling and gaming behaviors. Gambling communities are typically forums for discussing and sharing gambling experiences, strategies, and tips as well as gambling problems, while gaming communities are inherently embedded inside a game being an essential part of the gaming experience. Identification with virtual communities influences gambling behavior and monetary gaming behavior through mechanisms of perceived norms, social influence, and community feedback. Whereas some gambling communities may provide protection from excessive gambling habits, gaming communities seem to solely motivate gaming behavior and purchase intentions. The role of online communities should be acknowledged in prevention and treatment of gambling and gaming problems.Peer reviewe

Editorial: Addiction and social behaviors in the post-pandemic world

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The Role of Perceived Loneliness in Youth Addictive Behaviors : Cross-National Survey Study

Background: In the ever-growing and technologically advancing world, an increasing amount of social interaction takes place through the Web. With this change, loneliness is becoming an unprecedented societal issue, making youth more susceptible to various physical and mental health problems. This societal change also influences the dynamics of addiction. Objective: Employing the cognitive discrepancy loneliness model, this study aimed to provide a social psychological perspective on youth addictions. Methods: A comprehensive survey was used to collect data from American (N=1212; mean 20.05, SD 3.19; 608/1212, 50.17% women), South Korean (N=1192; mean 20.61, SD 3.24; 601/1192, 50.42% women), and Finnish (N=1200; mean 21.29, SD 2.85; 600/1200, 50.00% women) youths aged 15 to 25 years. Perceived loneliness was assessed with the 3-item Loneliness Scale. A total of 3 addictive behaviors were measured, including excessive alcohol use, compulsive internet use, and problem gambling. A total of 2 separate models using linear regression analyses were estimated for each country to examine the association between perceived loneliness and addiction. Results: Loneliness was significantly related to only compulsive internet use among the youth in all 3 countries (P Conclusions: The findings reveal existing differences between youths who spend excessive amounts of time online and those who engage in other types of addictive behaviors. Experiencing loneliness is consistently linked to compulsive internet use across countries, although different underlying factors may explain other forms of addiction. These findings provide a deeper understanding in the mechanisms of youth addiction and can help improve prevention and intervention work, especially in terms of compulsive internet use.Peer reviewe

Online identities and social influence in social media gambling exposure : A four-country study on young people

Social media tends to gather users around social cliques consisting of similar-minded individuals and shared identities. These online group processes can have significant influence on user behavior, which is alarming when considering risky behaviors such as gambling. This study examined how online clique involvement predicts young people's interest in gambling content and following observed group norms on social media. Survey respondents were 15-25-year-olds from Finland (n = 1200), the United States (n = 1212), South Korea (n = 1192) and Spain (n = 1212). A self-reported measure of online clique involvement and a gambling-related social media vignette experiment were utilized. The results show that online clique involvement was related to higher interest in gambling content. Content liked by a majority gathered more interest, indicating conformity to a group norm. This finding was especially true among participants with past involvement in online cliques, and the association was strongest in South Korea. The tendency to participate in online clique behavior creates a potentially risky setting when encountering online gambling content, because it may accentuate the effect of observed group norms. Interacting with gambling content increases the visibility of such content due to algorithmic filtering technologies, which can fuel gambling-related intentions and behaviors, and normalize gambling.Peer reviewe

The Mediating Role of Psychological Distress in Excessive Gambling among Young People: A Four-Country Study

Background and aims: Loneliness and a low sense of mastery are associated with excessive gambling, but the underlying processes of these relationships remain unstudied. Because psychological distress can increase vulnerability to excessive gambling, we investigated its mediating role in these relationships among young people. To meet the need for cross-country research, we also observed how these relationships occur in four countries with different cultures. Design, setting, and participants: Demographically balanced cross-sectional survey data were collected from 15–25-year-olds in Finland (n = 1200; 50% male), the United States (n = 1212; 49.8% male), South Korea (n = 1192; 49.6% male), and Spain (n = 1212; 51.2% male). Measurements: Excessive gambling was measured with the South Oaks Gambling Screen, psychological distress was assessed with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire, loneliness was measured with the three-item Loneliness Scale, and low sense of mastery was assessed with the Pearlin Mastery Scale. Associations were examined first using zero-inflated negative binomial regression analyses with excessive gambling as the outcome. In addition, path analyses were performed to study how loneliness and low sense of mastery relate to excessive gambling, with psychological distress as the mediating variable. Findings: Loneliness and low sense of mastery were associated indirectly with excessive gambling via psychological distress in all country samples. Low sense of mastery was also directly associated with excessive gambling. There was a direct association between loneliness and excessive gambling only in samples from South Korea and Spain. Conclusions: Psychological distress is an important factor in understanding how loneliness and sense of mastery relate to gambling