THE INFLUENCE OF GENDER AND FAMILY IN ONLINE PARTICIPATION OF TEENAGERS AT SOCIAL RISK

Internet is a mean of mass information and fulfills the traditional functions of a public space without doubts. Participation in the virtual space is defined as a problematic use of the Internet process which damages the disadvantaged young person's personality, which is already characterized by a lack of social skills, communication, feelings of expression issues. The majority of young people are attracted by internet space, by its anonymity and availability. The aim of the research is to analyze the influence of gender and family aspects in online participation of teenagers at social risk. The research showed that the internet provides the great and additional opportunities to teenagers at social risk, something they don’t get in their families. Children living with grandparents or with only one parent are more active users of Internet social networks in comparison with other children. They seldom recognize the Internet dangers and more quickly become emotionally dependent on the Internet. The adults’ control or its absence determines the expression and frequency of online participation of teenagers at social risk. The girls more frequently recognize the dangers of virtual space than the boys do; but the girls use to publish more information about themselves. The research results show that the participation of teenagers at social risk in social networks is unconscious. Young people are not able to “filter” and select proper information, usually equate the virtual world with reality. Online participation of teenagers is reasoned by satisfaction of needs, parents’ inattention and search for new acquaintances

THE INFLUENCE OF GENDER AND FAMILY IN ONLINE PARTICIPATION OF TEENAGERS AT SOCIAL RISK

Internet is a mean of mass information and fulfills the traditional functions of a public space without doubts. Participation in the virtual space is defined as a problematic use of the Internet process which damages the disadvantaged young person\u27s personality, which is already characterized by a lack of social skills, communication, feelings of expression issues. The majority of young people are attracted by internet space, by its anonymity and availability. The aim of the research is to analyze the influence of gender and family aspects in online participation of teenagers at social risk. The research showed that the internet provides the great and additional opportunities to teenagers at social risk, something they don’t get in their families. Children living with grandparents or with only one parent are more active users of Internet social networks in comparison with other children. They seldom recognize the Internet dangers and more quickly become emotionally dependent on the Internet. The adults’ control or its absence determines the expression and frequency of online participation of teenagers at social risk. The girls more frequently recognize the dangers of virtual space than the boys do; but the girls use to publish more information about themselves. The research results show that the participation of teenagers at social risk in social networks is unconscious. Young people are not able to “filter” and select proper information, usually equate the virtual world with reality. Online participation of teenagers is reasoned by satisfaction of needs, parents’ inattention and search for new acquaintances

Resistance to low oxygen in the Ponto–Caspian amphipod Pontogammarus robustoides varies among lentic habitats of its northern invaded range

The Ponto–Caspian amphipod Pontogammarus robustoides was introduced into Lithuanian inland waters more than 50 years ago and is now among the most successful local crustacean invaders. Existing as an oxyphilic species in its native range, in Lithuania it managed to establish in some lentic eutrophic waters facing long-term hypoxic conditions under winter ice cover, or shorter periods of hypoxia during the warm season. Recently, it has been observed to be further expanding in such waters. The aim of this study was to explore the possible divergence in anaerobic metabolism among introduced populations facing different selective pressures. A closed-bottle experiment was conducted using individuals from three Lithuanian lentic water bodies of different trophic status: mesotrophic, eutrophic and hypertrophic. Severe hypoxia was gradually reached, after which lactate dehydrogenase activity was significantly higher in amphipods from eutrophic and hypertrophic, than from mesotrophic environments, and was well correlated with trophic status of inhabited environments as assessed by chlorophyll a concentration. These findings suggest a physiological acclimation response to oxygen deficiency faced by the species in some environments in the northern invaded range, which may have a genetic background. Such resistance to oxygen deficiency may expand the environmental niche and promote species’ spread into previously unsuitable habitats, which may pose a threat to native species residing in refuges that are currently free of the invader