david e. szwedo, amori y. mikami, & joseph p. allen university of virginia 1
TRANSCRIPT
Psychological and Interpersonal Implications of Peer Interactions on Social Networking Websites for Troubled Youth
David E. Szwedo, Amori Y. Mikami, & Joseph P. AllenUniversity of Virginia
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Overview
• Current state of Internet use, online social communication,
and social networking websites
• Observational social networking website coding
methodology
• Review theory and findings between online social
communication and:
- Internalizing symptoms
- Externalizing behavior
- Friendships
2
Overview
• Examine associations between youths’ observed online
behavior and future:
- Depressive symptoms
- Intrusive behavior
- Friendship competence
• Consider the significance of youths’ initial offline psychosocial
functioning for predicting these future outcomes
3
Current Social Landscape of the Internet
• 93% of adolescents (ages 13-17) are currently online5
- 77% of 15-17 year-olds use social networking websites6
- 75% of 18-24 year-olds use social networking websites6
• Daily communication with friends6:
- 42% send messages through social networking websites
- 26% send instant messages
- 16% send email
- 29% spend time with friends in person outside of school
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Social Networking Websites
• Teens and adults use social networks to make and maintain
friendships6:
• Stay in touch with friends: - 91% of teens and 89% of adults
• Make plans with friends:
- 72% of teens and 57% of adults
• Make new friends:
- 49% of teens and 49% of adults
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MethodologySample
• 63 young adults • Drawn from larger study of adolescents, their parents, and friends
• 25 males / 38 females
• Assessed at ages 20 & 21
• Socio-economically diverse (median family income: $40-$60K)
• 67% Caucasian; 22% African-American; 11% other/mixed
ethnicity
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Social Network Website Coding
• “Friended” participants to gain access to personal profile
• Or viewed participants’ profiles in the public domain
• Examined:• Size of online friend network• Quality of comments received from peers• Quality of photos posted on profile
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Positive QualitiesNumber of Friends – Total number of online “friends” in
youths’ online social network
Number of Different Friends Posting – How many different people leave messages on youths’ wall
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Negative Qualities
Deviant Talk Comments – Comments reflecting profanity, indirect or direct mention of alcohol or drug use, delinquency, or sex
Deviant Behavior in Posted Photos – Examples include explicit alcohol use (e.g. taking shots, doing kegstands), provocative dress or gestures, or vandalism
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Outcome Measures
Depressive Symptoms
Beck Depression Inventory
Self-report
Intrusive Behavior
Adult Behavior Checklist
Close-peer report
Close Friendship Competence
Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents
Close-peer report
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Internet and Depressive Symptoms
• Early studies suggested a positive relationship between
Internet use and depressive symptoms1,2
• Suggested that time spent online may take time away from
face-to-face social relationships1,3
• Some early evidence indicated that these effects may
disappear as Internet use becomes more normative4
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Internet and Depressive Symptoms
• More recent forms of online social communication may be
associated with lower depressive symptoms• - May be easier for youth with offline difficulties to communicate • online
• Associations may depend on initial levels of youths’
offline psychosocial functioning7,8,9,10
• Positive interactions may help less well-adjusted youth
whereas negative interactions may exacerbate problems of
less well-adjusted youth
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Analyses• Regression
1. Gender
Family income
2. Time 1 offline psychosocial functioning
3. Time 1 social-networking website behavior
4. Time 1 offline psychosocial functioning X
Time 1 social-networking website behavior
• Outcomes (Time 2)
• Depressive symptoms• Intrusive behavior• Friendship competence
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17
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
Ch
ang
e in
Dep
ress
ive
Sym
pto
ms
Number of Friends
High Depression
Low Depression
High Low
-.34*
.02
18
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Ch
ang
e in
Dep
ress
ive
Sym
pto
ms
Number of Different People Posting
High Depression
Low Depression
Low High
-.43**
.12Positive Qualities
linked to Decreased Symptoms for Youth who began the study
more Depressed
19
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Ch
ang
e in
Dep
ress
ive
Sym
pto
ms
Deviant Behavior in Photos
High Depression
Low Depression
Low High
.58**
-.19
Deviant Photos linked to Increased
Symptoms for Youth who began the study
more Depressed
Summary
• For youth with greater Depressive Symptoms:
• Positive online qualities predict decreased Depression
• Negative online qualities predict increased Depression
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Internet and Intrusive Behavior
• Online friend network size → fewer deviant comments from peers
• Offline literature:
Positive friendships may reduce externalizing behavior
Expect similar results for positive online relationships
21
22
Internet and Intrusive Behavior
• Offline delinquency → later hostility online
• Offline delinquency → deviant behavior in posted photos online
• Online deviant comments/photos → increased offline alcohol use
Negative online behavior may increase offline externalizing behavior
Less well-adjusted youth may be more influenced
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-0.8
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Ch
ang
e in
Intr
usi
ve B
ehav
ior
Number of Friends
High Intrusive Behavior
Low Intrusive Behavior
Low High
-.49**
.31*
Positive Qualities linked to Decreased Intrusive Behavior for Youth who began the study more Intrusive
24
-1
-0.8
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
Ch
ang
e in
Intr
usi
ve B
ehav
ior
Number of Deviant Talk Comments
High Intrusive Behavior
Low Intrusive Behavior
Low High
.35*
-.15Deviant Comments linked to Increased Intrusive Behavior for Youth who began the study more Intrusive
Summary
• For youth with greater Intrusiveness:
• Positive online qualities predict decreased Intrusiveness
• Negative online qualities predict increased Intrusiveness
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Internet and Friendships • Initially thought that Internet use might reduce social
relationships
• Online communication not as satisfying as face-to-face
• Recent evidence:
Social networking websites may stimulate friendships
Online relationships may be as satisfying as offline
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• Youth who are more socially skilled offline:• - More online friends• - More connection online from friends• - More support online from friends
Will better adjusted youth who engage in positive online communication be seen as more competent friends?
Will poorly adjusted youth who engage in negative online communication be seen as less competent friends?
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Internet and Friendships
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Will better adjusted youth who engage in positive online communication be seen as more competent friends?
• Examine interactions:
Positive Online Behavior X Depressive Symptoms
Positive Online Behavior X Intrusive Behavior
Internet and Friendship Competence
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3.5
4.5
5.5
Ch
ang
e in
Fri
end
ship
Co
mp
eten
ce
Number of Friends
High Depression
Low Depression
Low High
.38*
-.40
More Friends linked to Increased
Competence for Youth who began the study
less Depressed
30
4
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5
5.2
5.4
5.6
5.8
6
Ch
ang
e in
Fri
end
ship
Co
mp
eten
ce
Number of Different People Posting
High Intrusive Behavior
Low Intrusive Behavior
Low High
.45**
-.16
More People Posting linked to Increased
Competence for Youth who began the study
less Intrusive
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Will poorly adjusted youth who engage in negative online communication be seen as less competent friends?
• Examine interactions:
Negative Online Behavior X Depressive Symptoms
Negative Online Behavior X Intrusive Behavior
Internet and Friendship Competence
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4
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5
5.2
5.4
5.6
5.8
6
Ch
ang
e in
Fri
end
ship
Co
mp
eten
ce
Number of Deviant Talk Comments
High Intrusive Behavior
Low Intrusive Behavior
Low High
.21
-.60**
More Deviant Comments linked to
Decreased Competence for Youth who began the study
more Intrusive
Summary
• Predicting Depressive Symptoms & Intrusive Behavior:
• Positive and negative qualities of social networking website communication appear to be more important for highly-depressed and highly-intrusive youth
• Positive qualities may decrease symptoms
• Negative qualities may increase symptoms
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Summary• Depressive Symptoms & Friendship Competence:
Less depressed → positive qualities → more competent
• Intrusive Behavior & Friendship Competence:
Less intrusive → positive qualities → more competent
More intrusive → negative qualities → less competent
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Summary• Depressive Symptoms & Friendship Competence:
Less depressed → positive qualities → more competent
• Intrusive Behavior & Friendship Competence:
Less intrusive → positive qualities → more competent
More intrusive → negative qualities → less competent
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Summary• Depressive Symptoms & Friendship Competence:
Less depressed → positive qualities → more competent
• Intrusive Behavior & Friendship Competence:
Less intrusive → positive qualities → more competent
More intrusive → negative qualities → less competent
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Limitations• Non-experimental nature of the data
• Examining a limited number of online behaviors and
psychosocial outcomes
• Gender differences
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Conclusions• Online social-networking behavior may have implications for
youths’ offline behavior
• These implications may depend on both the quality of
youths’ online social behavior and their initial levels of
offline psychosocial functioning
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Copies of this and related papers available at:www.TeenResearch.org
Conclusions• Online communication may provide opportunities for less
well-adjusted youth to feel connected to others
• However, it may also provide opportunities to exacerbate
pre-existing problems
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Copies of this and related papers available at:www.TeenResearch.org
Thank you!!!
Joseph P. Allen, Ph.D.
Amori Yee Mikami, Ph.D.
Nell Manning
Amanda Hare
Emily Marston
Erin Miga
Joanna Chango
Megan Schad
Claire Stephenson
Jen Heliste
Amanda LeTard
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Meredyth EvansKaty HigginsMaggie PoandlJessica Van AttaAnne DawsonApril ReevesCaroline WhiteKelly McVicar
Collaborators Social Networking Website Coders
Copies of this and related papers available at:www.TeenResearch.org
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10 Szwedo, D.E., Mikami, A.Y., & Allen, J.P. (2009). Social networking site use predicts changes in youths’ psychological adjustment. Manuscript
submitted for publication.
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Copies of this and related papers available at:www.TeenResearch.org