Explaining inequalities in vulnerable children’s digital skills : The effect of individual and social discrimination

While the Internet is part of everyday life for many children, inequalities exist in their digital skills, with little known about the influence of perceived discrimination on these inequalities. Building on survey data collected from nationally representative samples of 10,820 children aged 12–16 in 14 European countries, we seek to understand whether and how disadvantaged children may fall behind their more advantaged peers across Europe with respect to digital skills, as well as the role played by perceived individual and social discrimination in acquiring these skills. The findings show that perceived individual and social discrimination affect the relationships of socio-cultural resources (age, gender, preference for online social interaction) and personal resources (self-efficacy) with digital skills. Therefore, even in countries where Internet use is an integral part of children’s lives, interventions should be made to prevent perceived offline discrimination translating into digital inequalities

It\u27s Time: A Meta-Analysis on the Self-Control-Deviance Link

Purpose The current meta-analysis examines the link between self-control and measures of crime and deviance, taking stock of the empirical status of self-control theory and focusing on work published between 2000 and 2010. Methods A total of 796 studies were reviewed for inclusion/exclusion criteria and yielded a final study sample of 99 studies (88 cross-sectional and 19 longitudinal effect sizes, analyzed separately). Random effects mean correlations between self-control and deviance were analyzed for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, respectively. Publication bias was assessed using multiple methods. Results A random effects mean correlation between self-control and deviance was Mr = 0.415 for cross-sectional studies and Mr = 0.345 for longitudinal ones; this effect did not significantly differ by study design. Studies with more male participants, studies based on older or US-based populations, and self-report studies found weaker effects. Conclusions Substantial empirical support was found for the main argument of self-control theory and on the transdisciplinary link between self-control and measures of crime and deviance. In contrast to Pratt and Cullen, but consistent with theory, the effect from cross-sectional versus longitudinal studies did not significantly differ. There was no evidence of publication bias

A CLOSER LOOK AT INTERNET ADDICTION

Based on a sample of 1,012 late adolescents and young adults (ages 18-26), the current three interrelated studies tested a series of specific questions and hypotheses focused on understanding Internet Addiction. Study 1 sought to directly compare psychometric properties of four of the most widely used Internet addiction scales based on citation metrics (Internet Addiction Test, Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 and Chen Internet Addiction Scale), and to aggregate the best items across all scales into a new measure using bifactor IRT analyses. The resulting 10-item Aggregated Internet Addiction Scale (AIAS) consists of the best performing items from the original scales, representing each of Griffiths’ six conceptual criteria, and matches each original scale in performance (reliability, test information, relationship with covariates) with considerably lower item count. This offers an important alternative to scholars seeking a reliable and valid measure which is consistent with Griffiths’conceptual work. Study 2 tested a set of hypotheses based on a behavioral model of Internet addiction in which online activities are used and reinforced as a maladaptive coping strategy to manage stress. If Internet is used to disengage from stressors, it may become associated with the desirable outcome (reducing stress), while not actually solving it; rather, it would exacerbate the underlying problems and therefore create more stress. Stress was found to be positively associated with Internet addiction symptoms; in addition, this effect was mediated by reliance on problem disengagement coping strategies. Self-control was found to moderate the relationship of stress and coping strategies (with exception of problem disengagement); however, it did so in an unexpected direction. At lower levels of self-control the relationship of stress and reliance on engagement strategies becomes more positive, and conversely, more negative for emotional disengagement The moderation, however, had little impact on the indirect effect. Finally, the third study tested a series of hypotheses based on Uses and Gratifications theory (UGT) and the existing literature on predictors of Internet addiction. Specifically, it compared low self-esteem (LSE), perceived social self-efficacy (PSSE), and self-control (SC) as predictors of Internet addiction. Building on UGT, specific online behaviors were examined as mediators of the relationship between known predictors and Internet addiction. Social networking was hypothesized to mediate the pathway from LSE and PSSE to Internet addiction; and the use of internet for entertainment was hypothesized to mediate the path from SC to Internet addiction. Using structural equation model SC was found to be the strongest predictor of Internet addiction, both directly and indirectly through entertainment use. After controlling for SC and entertainment online use, social networking and the hypothesized underlying predictors (LSE and PSSE) had no remaining explanatory power for Internet addiction. There three predictors overlapped to some degree, where SC explained the largest amount of unique variance

The role of social motivation and sociability of gamers in online game addiction

Massively multiplayer online (MMO) games represent a long-standing, intensive and wide spread type of online applications whose popularity continues to grow. Although just a mere entertainment and leisure activity for most gamers, its potentially negative and addictive outcomes were intensively studied and recently also acknowledged by the American Psychiatric Association (2013). MMOs are essentially a social activity, but empirical studies are equivocal in identifying whether and to what extent the social factors help develop the addictive gaming habits associated with these applications. The present study seeks to directly identify the role of social factors in online addictive gaming. Survey data from 667 MMO gamers were analysed. Together with an online game addiction scale, the investigated psychological factors included social motivation for gaming, online peer attachment and social self-efficacy. The results revealed that although social motivation was a predictor of addictive gaming, high social motivation was typical for intensive gamers regardless of their level of addiction. However, gamers at-risk of addiction scored lower in their social self-efficacy and interpersonal trust measured by peer attachment. This supports the poor-get-poorer hypothesis, that generally less socially skilled gamers face further problems online. However, social factors were only modestly associated to online addictive gaming which indicates higher relevance of other factors identified by literature, e.g. immersion and in-game rewards systems

Explaining inequalities in vulnerable children’s digital skills: The effect of individual and social discrimination

While the Internet is part of everyday life for many children, inequalities exist in their digital skills, with little known about the influence of perceived discrimination on these inequalities. Building on survey data collected from nationally representative samples of 10,820 children aged 12–16 in 14 European countries, we seek to understand whether and how disadvantaged children may fall behind their more advantaged peers across Europe with respect to digital skills, as well as the role played by perceived individual and social discrimination in acquiring these skills. The findings show that perceived individual and social discrimination affect the relationships of socio-cultural resources (age, gender, preference for online social interaction) and personal resources (self-efficacy) with digital skills. Therefore, even in countries where Internet use is an integral part of children’s lives, interventions should be made to prevent perceived offline discrimination translating into digital inequalities

Detection and identification of engineered nanoparticles in exhaled breath condensate, blood serum, and urine of occupationally exposed subjects

The use of nanotechnology and the fields of application of nanomaterials are growing vastly, but the negative health effects on the exposed employees are not well studied. The standardized methods of monitoring of occupational exposure are still absent. The task of occupational physicians is to find the ways of evaluation of potential risks of exposure to engineered nanoparticles and to determine the biomarkers for early diagnostics and prevention of occupational diseases. The aim of our study was to detect and identify engineered nanoparticles in biological samples received from occupationally exposed subjects and to evaluate the association of findings with the results of external aerosol measurements on the workplace. The study cohort consisted of two groups of subjects. The first group was exposed to engineered nanoparticles containing mainly iron, manganese, and carbon compounds; the second group was exposed to the nanoparticles containing copper oxide. The post-shift biological samples (urine, blood serum, and exhaled breath condensate) were collected. The analysis was performed by transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The nanoparticles were detected in all the biological samples. The most common identified chemical elements were the biogenic ones (carbon, potassium, chlorine, oxygen), but the nanoparticles containing metals were identified in EBC, blood, and urine as well (gold, silver, copper, lanthanum, cerium, and tantalum). Our results demonstrate the possibility of detection of occupational exposure to the engineered nanoparticles in human biological fluids. Further studies are necessary to compare the pre-shift and post-shift burden of samples with engineered nanoparticles and to determine the magnitude of occupational exposure during the shift