Social Internet Use Research Articles

Problematic social Internet use and associations with ADHD symptoms in girls: a longitudinal observational study

BackgroundProblematic Internet use (i.e., Internet use that disrupts functioning in other important domains; PIU) is increasingly prevalent worldwide, particularly among youth. One form of PIU relates specifically to interpersonal interaction and communication, deemed social PIU. Social PIU has been linked to various forms of psychopathology, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Yet with limited longitudinal research, the direction of this association remains unclear. Moreover, little research investigates whether social PIU is linked to one or both symptom dimensions of ADHD (inattention vs. hyperactivity/impulsivity).MethodsThe present study utilized data from the largest extant longitudinal study of girls with childhood-diagnosed ADHD (N = 228). Linear regression and structural equation models were used to analyze social PIU as both a prospective predictor and outcome of ADHD symptoms.ResultsInattentive ADHD symptoms were positively associated with concurrent social PIU in initial regression models but were non-significant in path analyses. Social PIU was only marginally significant in predicting subsequent inattention six years later. Symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity were unrelated to social PIU among girls at either time point.ConclusionsInattentive ADHD symptoms were initially positively linked to concurrent problems with social Internet use, but bidirectional associations were non-significant in path analyses. Relations between PIU and ADHD in girls may be less robust than previously thought, although further longitudinal research with clinical samples is needed to clarify which groups of adolescents are particularly vulnerable to social PIU and its long-term effects.

How did COVID-19 pandemic affect the older adults' needs for robot technologies in Japan?: comparison of participatory design workshops during versus after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social technology can improve the quality of social lives of older adults (OAs) and mitigate negative mental and physical health outcomes. When people engage with technology, they can do so to stimulate social interaction (stimulation hypothesis) or disengage from their real world (disengagement hypothesis), according to Nowland et al.'s model of the relationship between social Internet use and loneliness. External events, such as large periods of social isolation like during the COVID-19 pandemic, can also affect whether people use technology in line with the stimulation or disengagement hypothesis. We examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the social challenges OAs faced and their expectations for robot technology to solve their challenges. We conducted two participatory design (PD) workshops with OAs during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, OAs' primary concern was distanced communication with family members, with a prevalent desire to assist them through technology. They also wanted to share experiences socially, as such OA's attitude toward technology could be explained mostly by the stimulation hypothesis. However, after COVID-19 the pandemic, their focus shifted towards their own wellbeing. Social isolation and loneliness were already significant issues for OAs, and these were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, such OAs' attitudes toward technology after the pandemic could be explained mostly by the disengagement hypothesis. This clearly reflect the OA's current situation that they have been getting further digitally excluded due to rapid technological development during the pandemic. Both during and after the pandemic, OAs found it important to have technologies that were easy to use, which would reduce their digital exclusion. After the pandemic, we found this especially in relation to newly developed technologies meant to help people keep at a distance. To effectively integrate these technologies and avoid excluding large parts of the population, society must address the social challenges faced by OAs.

Changing trends of internet use across late childhood: A three-wave longitudinal study

This study examined the changing trend of Internet use types during late childhood and its influencing factors (i.e., trait curiosity, friendship quality, and material parenting). Parallel latent growth model was employed for analysis using a three-year longitudinal dataset of 218 primary students. The findings revealed increased information acquisition, social, and entertainment Internet use throughout late childhood. Trait curiosity was positively related to initial levels of information acquisition and social Internet use but negatively related to their growth rates. Friendship quality was negatively associated with an initial level of social Internet use. Material parenting reward was positively related to an initial level of entertainment Internet use and the growth rate of social Internet use. These findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the changing trends of specific Internet use in late childhood and shed light on the factors that contribute to its changes.

"If you weren't connected to the Internet, you were not alive": experience of using social technology during COVID-19 in adults 50.

Loneliness and social isolation reduce physical and mental wellbeing. Older adults are particularly prone to social isolation due to decreased connection with previous social networks such as at workplaces. Social technology can decrease loneliness and improve wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted quarantine and social distancing for many people, creating a context of widespread social isolation. In the current study, we interviewed middle-aged and older adults' (n = 20) about their use of social technology when social isolation was common: during the early part of the pandemic while social isolation and masking were still required in the United States, between August 2020 and June 2021.We analyzed the data using three-phase coding. We compare our results against the model of the bidirectional and dynamic relationship between social internet use and loneliness. We found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, our participants experienced decreased social interaction and moved toward online interaction. Participant use of social technology supported the stimulation hypothesis - that is, they used it to maintain existing relationships and social connection. The findings also add novel evidence that the stimulation hypothesis endures for older adults during enforced isolation (in this case due to the COVID- 19 pandemic). Based on our data, we also propose adding the presence or realism of connection via social technology as a main factor to the model and engaging with construal level theory of social presence to fill in critical variables of this relationship. We further find that digital exclusion acts as a barrier to obtaining benefits from stimulation via social technology and recommend that further research examined digital exclusion in relation to the bidirectional and dynamic model. Finally, we discuss recommendations for improving social technology to benefit middle-aged and older adults.

Lonely algorithms: A longitudinal investigation into the bidirectional relationship between algorithm responsiveness and loneliness

This research project addresses the role algorithms play in curating meaningful social connections on social media by examining perceived algorithm responsiveness (PAR) and perceived algorithm insensitivity (PAI) within the framework of the bidirectional model of social internet use and loneliness. In study 1, a cross-sectional survey found that PAR and PAI on Instagram are both associated with loneliness, and that the association for PAR depends upon age. In study 2, a 3-wave longitudinal survey replicates these associations. Online relational maintenance behaviors explained the negative relationship between PAR and loneliness but not the positive relationship for PAI and loneliness. Loneliness at wave t-1 predicted perceptions of algorithm responsiveness at wave t but not vice versa. This research contributes to social media uses and effects by theorizing and empirically testing the connection of algorithms with loneliness, finding that perceptions of social media algorithms are associated with perceived social isolation.

Social Motivation as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Problematic Internet Use and Alcohol Use Among Adolescents in Mexico.

Prior research shows a link between alcohol use and problematic Internet use among adolescents. This relationship likely indicates a vulnerability to addiction; however, little is known about factors that may increase this vulnerability. One potential factor is social motivation. Adolescents often engage in Internet use and alcohol use as a way of connecting socially. This study examines the moderating effects of social motivation for Internet use on the relationship between problematic Internet use and alcohol use among adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 582 adolescents selected randomly from one middle school and one high school in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Participants answered questions related to demographics/background (including reasons for Internet use), problematic Internet use, and alcohol use. Hierarchical regression modeling examined the moderating effects of social Internet use on problematic Internet use and alcohol use, controlling for age and gender. Social Internet use and problematic Internet use accounted for a significant amount of variance in alcohol use (R2 = .126, F(4, 575) = 20.77, p < .001). When the interaction term was entered, social Internet use was found to moderate the relationship between problematic Internet use and alcohol use (β = .525, t = 3.293, p = .001), and the direct effects of social Internet use (β = -.062, t = -0.663, p = .507) and problematic Internet use (β = -.129, t = -1.053, p = .293) were no longer significant. This study highlights the role that social connections may play in contributing to problematic Internet use and alcohol use among adolescents. Interventions aimed at preventing problematic and addictive behaviors among adolescents should address the role of social motivations.

The Role of Impulsivity and Reward Deficiency in "Liking" and "Wanting" of Potentially Problematic Behaviors and Substance Uses.

A few studies have examined the changes in substance- and behavior-related “wanting” and “liking” of human subjects, the key properties of Incentive Sensitization Theory (IST). The aim of this study was to examine the dissociation between “wanting” and “liking” as a function of usage frequency, intensity, and subjective severity in individuals across four substances (alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, and other drugs) and ten behaviors (gambling, overeating, gaming, pornography use, sex, social media use, Internet use, TV-series watching, shopping, and work). Also, the potential roles of impulsivity and reward deficiency were investigated in “wanting,” “liking,” and wellbeing. The sex differences between “wanting” and “liking” were also examined. Based on our findings using structural equation modeling with 749 participants (503 women, Mage = 35.7 years, SD = 11.84), who completed self-report questionnaires, “wanting” increased with the severity, frequency, and intensity of potentially problematic use, while “liking” did not change. Impulsivity positively predicted “wanting,” and “wanting” positively predicted problem uses/behaviors. Reward deficiency positively predicted problem uses/behaviors, and both impulsivity and problem uses/behaviors negatively predicted wellbeing. Finally, women showed higher levels of “wanting,” compared to men. These findings demonstrate the potential roles of incentive sensitization in both potentially problematic substance uses and behaviors.

The impact of social interaction and Internet use on rural residents’ willingness to sort domestic waste

The impact of social interaction and Internet use on rural residents’ willingness to sort domestic waste

The mediating role of social internet use on the correlation of parental efficacy, peer influence and social functioning of adolescents in the current era

The goal of this study was to examine the mediating role of social internet use on the correlation of parental efficacy, peer influence and social functioning of adolescents. Methodologically, data was collected from a sample of 496 adolescents (Male = 18.5%; Female = 81.5%, Mage = 15.9), the idea that the relationship between parental efficacy, peer influence and social functioning of adolescents could be influenced by the mediating power of social internet use was tested. Consistent with this hypothesis, the results revealed positive and significant relationships between social functioning, social internet use (r = .373, p < .01), parental efficacy (r = .153, p < .05) and peer influence (r = .170, p < .01). Moreover, when social internet use was introduced as a mediator to determine the strength of the relationships, the prediction of parental efficacy on social functioning increased from 2.33% variance to 13.7%, while that of peer influence improved from 2.88% to 15.23%. Further, the results showed that the indirect effect of parental efficacy was greater than its direct effect on social functioning (IE = .0035> DE = .0033), but that of peer influence was lesser (IE = 0015 < DE = .0033) on the social functioning of adolescents in this current study. In conclusion, findings established that social internet use was a prominent construct in adolescents’ developmental processes for optimal social functioning.

Adolescents' social functioning and its relationships with social Internet use, parental care, and peer influence in this time period

The study examined adolescents' social functioning and its relationships with social Internet use, parental care, and peer influence. Data were collected from a sample of 496 adolescents (Male = 18.5%; Female = 81.5%, Mage = 15.9), and the idea that the relationship between parental care, peer influence. and social functioning of adolescents could be influenced by the mediating power of social internet use was tested. Consistent with this hypothesis, the results revealed positive and significant relationships between social functioning, social Internet use (r = .373, p < .01), parental care (r = .153, p < .05), and peer influence (r = .170, p < .01). Moreover, when social Internet use was introduced as a mediator to determine the strength of the relationships, the prediction of parental care on social functioning increased from 2.33% variance to 13.7%, while that of peer influence improved from 2.88% to 15.23%. In conclusion, findings established that social Internet use was a prominent factor in adolescents' developmental processes for optimal social functioning.

Physical activity disparities across Europe: clustering European regions by health-related physical activity levels.

SummaryIn the context of stagnating global levels of physical activity (PA), this study examines the geographical segmentation of PA at the regional level (196 regions) in Europe. Cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression are applied. Cluster analysis provides a taxonomy of four differentiated groups according to the health-related PA levels of the European regions. This taxonomy shows that there are significant regional disparities among European countries in terms of the regional PA level. The cluster profiles in terms of regional socioeconomic characteristics are described for each group, emphasizing the regional characteristics associated with PA. Regional economic variables, tertiary education and social Internet use are significant variables for characterizing the types of regions. The results emphasize the relevance of a European regional approach for reducing inter-regional PA disparities and improving health through PA in Europe. Practical implications of this research are based on regional European coordination, such as collaborative models of sport infrastructure use, co-financing of inter-regional facilities, mutual physical educational scholar programs and promotion of common inter-regional sport competitions and sporting events. Finally, formal schemes for exchanging of best regional practices to promote health-enhancing PA might increase the perception and the role of PA at the regional level in the European society.

Reciprocal Social Behavior and Related Social Outcomes in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis

Reciprocal social behavior (RSB) deficits have been noted in formal psychotic disorders and may play a role in the clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) syndrome. The present study examined RSB deficits and clinical and social functioning correlates in 45 individuals meeting criteria for a CHR syndrome and 47 healthy comparisons (HC). Further, this study examined associations with number of friends, problematic social Internet use, and perceived social support. Compared to the HC group, the CHR group exhibited greater deficits in total RSB and in all RSB subdomains. Total RSB deficits were associated with greater negative but not positive symptom severity in the CHR group, and greater social functional impairment. RSB deficits also may have related to fewer friendships, more problematic social Internet use, and less perceived belonging and tangible social support, although relationships with Internet use and perceived social support did not survive FDR-correction. These findings provide further evidence that RSB is impaired in the CHR syndrome and suggest specific social outcomes that may be affected. Further investigations with larger, diverse samples and repeated measures can confirm these findings.

Social Capital, Internet Use and Poverty in West Java Province

Social capital is important because it represents the productive benefits of sociability. The importance of social capital cannot be understated since it relates to every benefit of living in a society rather than as a hermit. Meanwhile, the internet, as a mode of rapid communication, may free the individual from family ties and open opportunities to join new cultures and communities. Since the end of the last century, information and communication technologies (ICTs), and the internet in particular, have been considered essential in providing access to markets, decreasing transaction costs, and increasing income for a significant proportion of people living in developing countries. This paper aims to investigate the effect of bonding and bridging social capital, internet use on poverty in West Java Province. The data used in this study was sourced from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of West Java Province in 2014, namely the National Socio-Economic Survey covering 26 districts/cities analyzed through order logit model. The results showed that social capital and internet use had a negative effect on poverty in West Java.

A cross-cultural study to explore the differential impacts of online social capital on psychosocial outcomes

The nature of the relationship between online social capital and well-being may be impacted by a number of important factors, such as identity motives and self-presentational strategies. Additionally, there are likely to be cross-cultural variations in this respect, given that social internet use can vary considerably cross-nationally. Participants (N ​= ​682) from the UK and Saudi Arabia completed questionnaires which took cross-sectional measures of online social capital (bonding and bridging), identity motives, self-presentational strategies and aspects of well-being. Findings revealed some cross-cultural variations in the extent to which online social capital operated on identity-related factors and well-being. Namely, online bridging was distinctly more prominent for Saudi users compared to UK users, in its relationships with all identity motives and some cascading effects on aspects of well-being. For UK users, online bonding appeared to hold significant relationships with the identity motives of efficacy and belonging, and these mediated the link onto loneliness and life satisfaction. Overall, this suggests that online social capital varies cross-culturally, specifically in respect of how different types of online social resources impact upon well-being via varying presentational efforts.

The Association Between Community Participation and Social Internet Use Among Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury.

To examine the association between social Internet use and real-world societal participation in survivors of moderate-severe traumatic brain injury. Prospective cross-sectional observational study. Ten Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Centers. A total of 331 participants in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, interviewed at any follow-up year between April 2014 and March 2015. Survey on Internet use, including social media and other online socialization; Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective with separate analyses of Productivity, Social Relations, Out and About subscales; covariates included demographics, injury variables, and functional and emotional status at follow-up. Participants were classified as social Internet users (N = 232) or nonusers (N = 99). Users had significantly higher Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective Social Relations scores than nonusers. A similar finding pertained to Out and About scores, with the between-group difference significantly greater for those with greater depressive symptoms severity. Users and nonusers did not differ significantly on Productivity subscale. The positive association between social Internet use and real-world social participation suggests that people with traumatic brain injury do not use social media as an alternative to real-world socialization. Rather, it is likely that similar barriers and facilitators affect both online and real-world social participation following traumatic brain injury. Emotional function should be considered as a moderating factor in further studies.

Influencing Factors for Expatriation Willingness of Chinese Medical Aid Team Members (CMATMs) in Africa: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Chinese medical aid team members (CMATMs) play an important role in the implementation of China’s health assistance strategies in Africa. This paper explored the influencing factors of expatriation willingness for Chinese medical aid team members (CMATMs). We employed a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews with twenty-five participants. Participants included hospital directors and local Health and Family Planning Commission (HFPC) officers who were in charge of CMATMs dispatching, and CMATMs that had returned from medical aid service. Six influencing factors emerged: career advancement, loneliness, living conditions, personal safety, family–work conflict, and doctor–patient relationship. Career advancement is the most important factor and concern for doctor CMATMs. Social use of Internet is on the core of entertainment. Enhancing technical title promotion policies is the most important motivator. This study obtained baseline information that is useful to relevant stakeholders in their attempts to improve CMATMs’ expatriation willingness.

Password Less Authentication

Background/objectives: Passwordless authentication is one of the most highlighted developments. It has gained much attention recently. Methods/findings: Social media and use of internet has been growing day by day, which further needs the security of that level. Security is an important part of the internet world. It is a huge responsibility to provide a level of security for each user. In this study, we aim to a general process of passwordless authentication, we explore some real life cases for a better view of the topic as well as we introduce the techniques of passwordless authentication and the biometric authentication like fingerprint sensors, face recognition, iris recognition, etc. Improvements/applications: This initiative, which includes many methods of overcoming the flaws of attacks done by hackers. These authentication techniques are adopted by many companies and are used in android smartphones and many more.Keywords: Authentication, Security, Multi Factor Authentication, Usability, Magic Link, Mechanism

INTERNET USE AND LONELINESS: CURE OR CAUSE? LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF OLDER ADULTS’ INTERNET USE

The internet provides an indispensable platform for social interaction, entertainment and everyday tasks. Especially older adults might benefit from staying engaged online to counteract loneliness. Yet, current research on how internet use effects loneliness still paints a contradictory picture. The current study investigates the longitudinal influence of social internet use forms as opposed to general internet use on loneliness across three years (2014-2017) separately in two age groups (pre-retirement: 40-64 years and post-retirement: 65-85 years), using data from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS). Structural equation modelling shows, that general web use predicts an increase in loneliness in both age-groups. However, contacting friends and family online seems to protect against loneliness over and above the effect of overall internet use, at least for the younger age-group. Therefore, the current study underlines the importance of investigating what exactly people do online instead of seeing the internet as a homogenous tool.

The Association Between Community Participation and Social Internet Use Among Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury

To assess the relationship between social internet use and a measure of social participation in the community among adults with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The Janus-Face of Digitalization: The Relation Between Internet Use and Civic Engagement Reconsidered

Research on the influence of digital technology on civic engagement debates whether Internet use leads to the decline of civic engagement or enables new social contacts and exchanges. We argue that whether Internet use has positive or negative effects on our civic engagement depends on how we use the Internet: Social Internet use and Internet use for information strengthen civic engagement, while private Internet use and Internet use for entertainment erode civic engagement. Data from the Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social sciences (LISS) Panel and the Swiss Household Panel (SHP) allow us to employ differentiated measures of Internet use. In particular, their panel structure helps diminish the endogeneity problems of cross-sectional studies. By employing an autoregressive cross-lagged panel design, we are able to disentangle the relation between Internet use and associational participation and estimate the causal effect between the two variables in both directions. Analyzing associational participation as a pivotal pillar of the civil society, we show that social Internet use for information, in particular exchanging e-mails, but also being active on social network sites in the SHP, increases the likelihood of becoming or remaining active in an organization. At the same time, we fail to find consistent and robust evidence for the negative effects of Internet use. However, the causal relation also works the other way round: Associational participation was shown to increase the time respondents spend with writing e-mails, leading to a virtuous circle, whereby online and off-line forms of social engagement complement and enhance each other.