ADOLESCENCE Clashing views in Adolescence,

Clashing views in Adolescence,

• Increasing role of the internet sites in everday living.
• Adolescent use increases with age.
• 43% of 10-11 years old versus 86% of 16-17 old use instant messaging programs.

The role of internet in young people’s psychological well-being;

• The associations with the time spent on the internet, number and importance of online and offline friendship and social well-being were examined.
•  15-21 year old participants, total of 336.
•  Self-esteem.
•  Loneliness.
•   Internet use and socia network use.
•   Number of face to face friendship was related to well-being.
• More friends associated with higher self-esteem and lower loneliness.
• Higher number of online friendship were related to lower self-esteem and greater loneliness.
• High levels of internet use brings out sense of emptiness, because of the absence of intimate relationships.
• Too much time online, removes from face to face peer interaction.
• On the other hand, some youngester might benefit from online fiendships.
• Individuals who are highly sociable and extravert can benefit from online communication.
• Introverts who are anxious or lonely, are more likely to communicate online rather than face-to-face.
• So, for these individuals the internet replaced face-to-face interactions.
• Therefore, fort he vulnerable anxious adolescent, online frienships can have negative effects in terms of having healthy peer friendship.

What about facebook?

• Some research results shows that facebook plays an important role in maintaning social capital.
• A way to keep in touch with old friends.
• Mantain and enhance offline friendship, rather than losing touch.
• These researchers argue that, users of facebook are adding people they know to their network of friends more than using the site to from new relationships.