David E. Szwedo, Amori Y. Mikami, & Joseph P. Allen
University of Virginia
1
• 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
• 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
• 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
4
5
6
7
• 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
8
Sample
• 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
9
• “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
10
Number 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
11
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
12
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
13
• 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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• 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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• 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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Change in Depressive Symptoms
1.8
1.6
-.34*
1.4
1.2
1
High
Depression
0.8
Low
Depression
0.6
0.4
0.2
.02
0
-0.2
Low
High
Number of Friends
17
Change in Depressive Symptoms
2.5
2
-.43**
1.5
High
Depression
Low
Depression
1
.12
0.5
0
Low
High
Number of Different People Posting
Positive Qualities
linked to Decreased
Symptoms for Youth
who began the study
more Depressed
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Change in Depressive Symptoms
2.5
2
.58**
1.5
High
Depression
1
Low
Depression
0.5
-.19
0
-0.5
Low
High
Deviant Behavior in Photos
Deviant Photos linked
to Increased
Symptoms for Youth
who began the study
more Depressed
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• For youth with greater Depressive Symptoms:
• Positive online qualities predict decreased Depression
• Negative online qualities predict increased Depression
20
• Online friend network size → fewer deviant comments from peers
• Offline literature:
Positive friendships may reduce externalizing behavior
Expect similar results for positive online relationships
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• 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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Change in Intrusive Behavior
1.2
1
0.8
-.49**
0.6
0.4
High Intrusive
Behavior
0.2
Low Intrusive
Behavior
0
-0.2
.31*
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
Low
High
Number of Friends
Positive Qualities
linked to Decreased
Intrusive Behavior for
Youth who began the
study more Intrusive
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Change in Intrusive Behavior
0.6
0.4
0.2
.35*
0
-0.2
High Intrusive
Behavior
-0.4
Low Intrusive
Behavior
-0.6
-.15
-0.8
-1
Low
High
Number of Deviant Talk Comments
Deviant Comments
linked to Increased
Intrusive Behavior for
Youth who began the
study more Intrusive
24
• For youth with greater Intrusiveness:
• Positive online qualities predict decreased Intrusiveness
• Negative online qualities predict increased Intrusiveness
25
• 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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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
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Change in Friendship Competence
5.5
.38*
High
Depression
4.5
Low
Depression
-.40
3.5
Low
High
Number of Friends
More Friends linked to
Increased
Competence for Youth
who began the study
less Depressed
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Change in Friendship Competence
6
5.8
5.6
5.4
.45**
5.2
High Intrusive
Behavior
5
4.8
Low Intrusive
Behavior
-.16
4.6
4.4
4.2
4
Low
High
Number of Different People Posting
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
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Change in Friendship Competence
6
5.8
5.6
.21
5.4
5.2
High Intrusive
Behavior
5
4.8
-.60**
Low Intrusive
Behavior
4.6
4.4
4.2
4
Low
High
Number of Deviant Talk Comments
More Deviant
Comments linked to
Decreased
Competence for Youth
who began the study
more Intrusive
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• 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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• 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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• 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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• 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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• Non-experimental nature of the data
• Examining a limited number of online behaviors and
psychosocial outcomes
• Gender differences
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• 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
Copies of this and related papers available at:
www.TeenResearch.org
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• 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
Copies of this and related papers available at:
www.TeenResearch.org
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Collaborators
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
Social Networking Website Coders
Meredyth Evans
Katy Higgins
Maggie Poandl
Jessica Van Atta
Anne Dawson
April Reeves
Caroline White
Kelly McVicar
Copies of this and related papers available at:
www.TeenResearch.org
40
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9 Ando, R., & Sakamoto, A. (2008). The effect of cyber-friends on loneliness and social anxiety: Differences between high and low selfevaluated physical attractiveness groups. Computers in Human Behavior, 24, 993-1009.
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.
Copies of this and related papers available at:
www.TeenResearch.org
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