Research

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13 pages, 802 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Media Use and Adolescents’ Sleep: A Longitudinal Study on the Protective Role of Parental Rules Regarding Internet Use before Sleep

by Regina J.J.M. van den Eijnden, Suzanne M. Geurts, Tom F.M. ter Bogt, Vincent G. van der Rijst and Ina M. Koning

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(3), 1346; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031346 - 02 Feb 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 11620

Abstract

The popularity of social media use among adolescents has raised concerns about the potentially harmful effects of social media use on adolescents’ sleep. Since longitudinal research considering this relationship is scarce, the present two-wave longitudinal study of 2021 secondary school students (M_age [...] Read more.

The popularity of social media use among adolescents has raised concerns about the potentially harmful effects of social media use on adolescents’ sleep. Since longitudinal research considering this relationship is scarce, the present two-wave longitudinal study of 2021 secondary school students (M_age = 13.86, SD = 1.25) examined whether frequency of social media use and problematic social media use predicted adolescents’ bedtime and quality of sleep. Moreover, the protective role of parental rules regarding Internet and smartphone use one hour before sleep was examined. The findings indicated that strict parental rules about Internet and smartphone use before sleep might prevent negative consequences of social media use on bedtime and sleep quality, but only among less engaged social media users. Once adolescents are highly engaged social media users, strict parental rules do not seem to prevent negative media influences on sleep. This implies that limiting Internet accessibility before bedtime can help prevent adolescents’ sleep problems, but that regulation is less effective for adolescents who are already highly involved in social media use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Impacts of New Technologies and the Internet)

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20 pages, 637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Early Parental Bonding Interact in Shaping Instagram Social Behavior

by Andrea Bonassi, Ilaria Cataldo, Giulio Gabrieli, Jia N. Foo, Bruno Lepri and Gianluca Esposito

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(19), 7232; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197232 - 03 Oct 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4923

Abstract

Human beings engage in multiple social interactions daily, both in person and online. There are, however, individual differences in the frequency and quality of these interactions. This exploratory study focuses on online interactions and aims to model these differences by looking at potential [...] Read more.

Human beings engage in multiple social interactions daily, both in person and online. There are, however, individual differences in the frequency and quality of these interactions. This exploratory study focuses on online interactions and aims to model these differences by looking at potential environmental and genetic factors. The environmental factor is the childhood parental relationship, as reported by the participants in the dimensions of the Parental Bonding Instrument (N = 57, 41 females). At a genetic level, buccal mucosa cell samples were collected to assess participants’ genetic susceptibility, and OXTr regions rs2254298 (G/G homozygotes vs. A-carriers) and rs53576 (A/A homozygotes vs. G-carriers) were analyzed. To capture participants’ online activity, Instagram was probed. The number of people that the individual follows (“followings”), followers, and posts were used as a proxy for the quantity of interaction, and a Social Desirability Index (SDI) was computed as the ratio of followers to followings. An interaction between OXTr groups and parental bonding scores on the number of followings and posts was hypothesized. A gene-environment interaction for OXTr/rs2254298 on the number of Instagram posts was identified. In line with the hypothesis, participants with a genetic risk factor (A-carriers) and a history of low paternal care showed fewer Instagram posts than those without this risk factor (G/G genotype). Moreover, an interaction effect between maternal overprotection and OXTr/rs2254298 on the Instagram SDI was detected. These findings could represent an indirect pathway through which genes and parental behavior interact to shape social interactions on Instagram. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Impacts of New Technologies and the Internet)

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11 pages, 359 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Connectivity as a Mediating Mechanism in the Cybervictimization Process

by Isabel Cuadrado-Gordillo and Inmaculada Fernández-Antelo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(12), 4567; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124567 - 24 Jun 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1920

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between social connectivity and cybervictimization as it is mediated by psychosocial variables such as social identity and self-esteem. Likewise, it analyses the moderating role in that relationship played by adolescents’ perception of cyberbullying. The sample consisted of 2072 [...] Read more.

This paper explores the relationship between social connectivity and cybervictimization as it is mediated by psychosocial variables such as social identity and self-esteem. Likewise, it analyses the moderating role in that relationship played by adolescents’ perception of cyberbullying. The sample consisted of 2072 adolescents (48.7% girls) aged between 14 and 18 (Mean = 15.78, Standard Deviation = 1.02) years. Through the use of five questionnaires, an explanatory model is constructed that shows the direct and indirect relationships between the factors analysed, the predictive values that social connectivity can reach when applied to the virtual environment, and the perception of cyberbullying in the victimization processes. The results indicate that self-esteem and social identity are protective factors in the establishment of healthy virtual relationships and avoidance of cybervictimization situations. Moreover, the equation of cyberbullying with aggressive or maladaptive styles of humour has an indirect influence on the link between connectivity and cybervictimization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Impacts of New Technologies and the Internet)

18 pages, 618 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fear of Missing Out, Mental Wellbeing, and Social Connectedness: A Seven-Day Social Media Abstinence Trial

by Lorna Brown and Daria J. Kuss

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(12), 4566; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124566 - 24 Jun 2020

Cited by 52 | Viewed by 23108

Abstract

Smartphones aid the constant accessibility of social media (SM) applications, and these devices and platforms have become a key part of our everyday lives and needs. Previous research has focused on the psychological impact of social media use (SMU) and SM abstinence has [...] Read more.

Smartphones aid the constant accessibility of social media (SM) applications, and these devices and platforms have become a key part of our everyday lives and needs. Previous research has focused on the psychological impact of social media use (SMU) and SM abstinence has only received limited attention. Therefore, employing a combination of an experimental within-subjects mixed methodology using surveys to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data, this study aimed to compare psychosocial factors of fear of missing out (FoMO), mental wellbeing (MWB), and social connectedness (SC) before and after seven days of SM abstinence. Results revealed that participants (N = 61) experienced a significant increase in MWB and SC, and a significant decrease in FoMO and smartphone use following SM abstinence. There was a significant positive relationship between MWB and SC change scores and a significant negative relationship between SC and FoMO change scores. There were no significant differences in levels of SMU before abstinence or across genders in FoMO, MWB, and SC change scores. Thematic analysis revealed coping, habit, and boredom as motivations for SMU, and notification distractions presenting a challenge for successful abstinence from SM. Participants indicated that abstinence resulted in the perceived need to fill their time with non-SM applications. Finally, thematic analysis revealed mixed experiences of perceived connectivity in the absence of SMU. Findings present implications for the importance of unplugging from SM for temporary periods because scrolling through SM to fill time is a key motivator of SMU, and notifications encourage SMU and trigger FoMO. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Impacts of New Technologies and the Internet)

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9 pages, 863 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reactions to Unsolicited Violent, and Sexual, Explicit Media Content Shared over Social Media: Gender Differences and Links with Prior Exposure

by Laura Louise Nicklin, Emma Swain and Joanne Lloyd

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(12), 4296; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124296 - 16 Jun 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5396

Abstract

While there has been extensive research into consumption of “traditional” forms of explicit sexual and violent media (within pornography, videogames and movies), the informal exchange and viewing of explicit real-world violent and sexual content via social media is an under-investigated and potentially problematic [...] Read more.

While there has been extensive research into consumption of “traditional” forms of explicit sexual and violent media (within pornography, videogames and movies), the informal exchange and viewing of explicit real-world violent and sexual content via social media is an under-investigated and potentially problematic behaviour. The current study used an online survey (n = 225: 169f, 55m, 1x, mean age 30.61 (SD 12.03)) to explore self-reported reactions to unsolicited explicit violent and sexual content that participants had received from friends or contacts. In line with our predictions based on previous studies of fictional explicit content, we found effects of both gender and prior exposure on these reactions. Specifically, females rated both sexual and violent explicit content as significantly less funny and exciting and more disturbing than males did. Amongst males, those with high previous exposure rated violent content as more exciting than those with lower or no prior experience. Regardless of gender, participants with higher exposure to sexual content rated it as funnier than those with mild or no exposure, and those with higher exposure to violent content rated it as more amusing and more exciting. However, contrary to what desensitization theories would predict, prior exposure did not attenuate how disturbing explicit content (of either a sexual or a violent nature) was rated. Multiple avenues for further investigation emerged from this preliminary cross-sectional study, and we suggest priorities for further qualitative or longitudinal work on this novel topic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Impacts of New Technologies and the Internet)

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10 pages, 295 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

The Conceptual and Methodological Mayhem of “Screen Time”

by Linda K. Kaye, Amy Orben, David A. Ellis, Simon C. Hunter and Stephen Houghton

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(10), 3661; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103661 - 22 May 2020

Cited by 114 | Viewed by 19063

Abstract

Debates concerning the impacts of screen time are widespread. Existing research presents mixed findings, and lacks longitudinal evidence for any causal or long-term effects. We present a critical account of the current shortcomings of the screen time literature. These include poor conceptualisation, the [...] Read more.

Debates concerning the impacts of screen time are widespread. Existing research presents mixed findings, and lacks longitudinal evidence for any causal or long-term effects. We present a critical account of the current shortcomings of the screen time literature. These include poor conceptualisation, the use of non-standardised measures that are predominantly self-report, and issues with measuring screen time over time and context. Based on these issues, we make a series of recommendations as a basis for furthering academic and public debate. These include drawing on a user-focused approach in order to seek the various affordances gained from “screen use”. Within this, we can better understand the way in which these vary across time and context, and make distinction between objective measures of “screen time” compared to those more subjective experiences of uses or affordances, and the differential impacts these may bring. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Impacts of New Technologies and the Internet)

16 pages, 1339 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selfie-Viewing and Facial Dissatisfaction among Emerging Adults: A Moderated Mediation Model of Appearance Comparisons and Self-Objectification

by Jing Yang, Jasmine Fardouly, Yuhui Wang and Wen Shi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(2), 672; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020672 - 20 Jan 2020

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 7625

Abstract

With the visual turn in online communication, selfies have become common on social media. Although selfies as a way of self-representation provide people with more chances to express themselves, the adverse effects selfies could bring to users’ body image need to be treated [...] Read more.

With the visual turn in online communication, selfies have become common on social media. Although selfies as a way of self-representation provide people with more chances to express themselves, the adverse effects selfies could bring to users’ body image need to be treated seriously. This study tested whether selfie-viewing behaviour on social media was related to facial dissatisfaction and whether appearance comparisons played a mediating role. Moreover, the self-objectification was examined as a moderator between selfie-viewing behaviour and facial dissatisfaction via appearance comparisons. Results showed that more selfie-viewing was associated with higher facial dissatisfaction, and this relationship was mediated by appearance comparisons. The study also found that self-objectification moderated the indirect relation between selfie-viewing and facial dissatisfaction via appearance comparisons. Gender differences were also found to affect the mediation model. Our research provides new insights into the interactions between social media use and perception of body image. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Impacts of New Technologies and the Internet)

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Review

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16 pages, 585 KiB

Open AccessReview

Understanding the Phenomenon of Binge-Watching—A Systematic Review

by Jolanta A. Starosta and Bernadetta Izydorczyk

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(12), 4469; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124469 - 22 Jun 2020

Cited by 60 | Viewed by 25130

Abstract

Binge-watching is a relatively new behaviour pattern whose popularity has been increasing since 2013, ultimately to become one of the most popular ways of spending free time, especially among young people. However, there is still a dearth of research on this phenomenon. The [...] Read more.

Binge-watching is a relatively new behaviour pattern whose popularity has been increasing since 2013, ultimately to become one of the most popular ways of spending free time, especially among young people. However, there is still a dearth of research on this phenomenon. The aim of this study is to present the current understanding and psychological conditions of binge-watching, as provided in the research papers published between 2013 and 2020. This systematic review, including 28 articles, addresses different approaches to defining this behaviour, diverse motivations, personality traits, and risks of excessive binge-watching. Its results imply that there are two perspectives in understanding binge-watching. The first is related to entertainment, positive emotions, cognition, and spending free time. However, the second perspective emphasises the negative outcomes of excessive binge-watching and symptoms of behavioural addiction. There is undoubtedly a need for further research to be conducted on diversified populations to reach more profound understanding of binge-watching behaviour patterns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Impacts of New Technologies and the Internet)

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19 pages, 622 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nomophobia: An Individual’s Growing Fear of Being without a Smartphone—A Systematic Literature Review

by Antonio-Manuel Rodríguez-García, Antonio-José Moreno-Guerrero and Jesús López Belmonte

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(2), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020580 - 16 Jan 2020

Cited by 113 | Viewed by 25154

Abstract

This review examines the current literature focused on nomophobia (objectives, methodological design, main variables, sample details, and measurement methods) in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. To this end, we conducted a systematic literature review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items [...] Read more.

This review examines the current literature focused on nomophobia (objectives, methodological design, main variables, sample details, and measurement methods) in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. To this end, we conducted a systematic literature review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines. The initial sample consisted of 142 articles, of which 42 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed in detail. The findings show that the current research is in an exploratory phase, with a greater predominance of descriptive, nonexperimental, and cross-sectional studies that explore the prevalence of nomophobia mainly in adolescents and university students. The most widely used measurement instrument is the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) proposed by Yildrim and Correia. In addition, the research suggests that nomophobia negatively affects personality, self-esteem, anxiety, stress, academic performance, and other physical and mental health problems. We are therefore faced with a health problem, which negatively affects a person, causing psychological problems and physical and behavioral changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Psychosocial Impacts of New Technologies and the Internet)

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