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

1

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

4

5

6

7

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

8

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

9

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

10

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

11

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

12

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

13

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

14

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

15

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

16

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

20

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

23

-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

25

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

26

• 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?

27

Internet and Friendships

28

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

29

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

31

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

32

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

33

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

34

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

35

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

36

Limitations• Non-experimental nature of the data

• Examining a limited number of online behaviors and

psychosocial outcomes

• Gender differences

37

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

38

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

39

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

40

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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submitted for publication.

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