The Role of Pet Companionship in Online and Offline Social Interactions in Adolescence

Abstract

Adolescence is a prime developmental period to explore human-pet relationships and social competence, given that teens are becoming more autonomous, focusing on other attachment figures such as peers, romantic partners, and pets. Social technology is another salient developmental forum for enacting socially competent behaviors. Given the amount of time spent with social technologies (e.g., texting, gaming, browsing) in the adolescent years, we predicted strong associations between the quality of human-pet relationships, social competence, and social technology use. We analyzed a sample of 700 middle school students aged 11–16 (average age = 12.7) in the Northeast. We used logistic and linear regression models to explore how pet companionship is associated with social technology use and the quality of online social connections Adolescents with dog companions were more likely to check social media more frequently, give and receive online social support, and feel less social isolation. The more time spent with a pet, the more likely the adolescent played online games for leisure and browsed the Internet about animals. The more attached one was to a pet companion, the more likely an adolescent provided and received online social support.