Application use, Online Relationship Types, Self-Disclosure, and Internet Abuse among Children and Youth: Implications for Education and Internet Safety Programs

Abstract

This study explores the relationships between Internet abuse (IA)—self-disclosure, online application usage, and relationship types—traditional long-distance, purely virtual, and migratory mixed-mode. An online questionnaire was administered to 2884 children and youth. According to the hypotheses, applications differed in their relationships with participant IA and self-disclosure: the usage of some applications was related to both IA and self-disclosure; the usage of others related only to IA or neither to IA nor self-disclosure. IA and self-disclosure correlated with problematic participant online activities (e.g., sending photos of one to online acquaintances, visiting sites with inappropriate contents), but did not affect educational activities (e.g., studying online with classmates, preparing homework, or getting information). Participants reported the highest level of online communication in traditional long-distance relationships, lower level in purely virtual, and the lowest level in migratory mixed-mode relationships. Participant IA and self-disclosure positively influenced online communication, but not interactions with the relationship type.