Gender, Internet Identification, and Internet Anxiety: Correlates of Internet Use

Pattern of Facebook use by university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: relations with loneliness and resilience

Considering young adults' extensive use of social media since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the present study examined the pattern of Facebook use by university students during the period of hygienic crisis. Specifically, it was investigated students' Facebook intensity use and self-disclosure to unknown online friends, as well as the role of sense of resilience and loneliness in the manifestation of the above Facebook behaviors. Overall, 792 undergraduate and postgraduate university students (48% women) completed online self-report questionnaires regarding the above variables. Undergraduate students, regardless of gender and Department of studies, made more intense Facebook use and self-disclosure to unknown online friends. Sense of loneliness positively predicted students' online self-disclosure not only directly but also indirectly through their Facebook intensity use. Students' resilience negatively moderated the relationship between sense of loneliness and Facebook behaviors. The findings propose a new explanatory model of emotional and behavioral mechanisms, which leads to a less safe pattern of Facebook use. This pattern possibly reflects youth's collective tendency to use this social media platform recklessly as a way out of crisis periods, such as the pandemic period. The emergence of this pattern could be useful for launching or enriching university counselling/prevention actions aimed at strengthening students' psycho-emotional skills, and subsequently their prudent use of social media.

Validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Patient readiness to engage in health information technology (PRE-HIT) instrument

Background

The Patient readiness to engage in health information technology (PRE-HIT) is a conceptually and psychometrically validated questionnaire survey tool to measure willingness of patients with chronic conditions to use health information technology (HIT) resources.

Objectives

This study aimed to translate and validate a health information technology readiness instrument, the PRE-HIT instrument, into the Persian language.

Methods

A rigorous process was followed to translate the PRE-HIT instrument into the Persian language. The face and content validity was validated by impact score, content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR). The instrument was used to measure readiness of 289 patients with chronic diseases to engage with digital health with a four point Likert scale. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to check the validity of structure. The convergent and discriminant validity, and internal reliability was expressed by average variance extracted (AVE), construct reliability (CR), maximum shared squared variance (MSV), average shared square variance (ASV), and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Independent samples, t-test and one-way ANOVA were used respectively to compare the impact of sex, education and computer literacy on the performance of all PRE-HIT factors.

Results

Eight factors were extracted: health information needs, computer anxiety, computer/internet experience and expertise, preferred mode of interaction, no news is good news, relationship with doctor, cell phone expertise, and internet privacy concerns. They explained 69% of the total variance and the KMO value was 0.79; Bartlett's test of sphericity was also statistically significant (sig < 0.001). The communality of items was higher than 0.5. An acceptable model fit of the instrument was achieved (CFI = 0.943, TLI = 0.931, IFI = 0.944, GFI = 0.893, RMSEA ≤ 0.06, χ2/df = 1.625, df = 292, P-value ≤ 0.001). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient achieved a satisfactory level of 0.729. The AVE for all factors was higher than 0.50 except for PMI (0.427) and CIEE (0.463) and also the CR for all factors was higher than 0.7, therefore, the convergent validity of the instrument is adequate. The MSV and ASV values for each factor were lower than AVE values; therefore, the divergent validity was acceptable.

Conclusion

The Persian version of the PRE-HIT was empirically proved for its validity to assess the level of readiness of patients to engage with digital health.

Patterns of Internet Use, and Associations with Loneliness, amongst Middle-Aged and Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Loneliness among older adults is a major societal problem with consequences for health and wellbeing; this has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. The present study investigated associations between internet use, including frequency and type of use, and loneliness in a large UK sample of middle-aged and older adults, aged 55–75 (n = 3500) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) cohort study. Our findings indicated a clear relationship between the frequency of internet use and subjective loneliness. Those who used the internet more than once a day reported feeling less lonely than those who used the internet once a week or less. We also found that those who used the internet for e-mail communication were less lonely. However, individuals indicated higher levels of loneliness when the internet was used for information searches about health. Regarding sociodemographic factors underlying internet usage, less frequent use was seen amongst individuals who lived alone, people who were not employed, who had lower education levels, and lower sociodemographic status. Additionally, gender differences were found in the type of internet use: males report using the internet for e-mail communication more than females, while females’ internet use for health-related information searches was higher than in males. In sum, findings suggest that intervention strategies that promote internet access amongst middle-aged and older people could be useful for tackling loneliness and point to the groups within society that should be the focus of such interventions.

Undergraduate physical therapy students’ attitudes towards using social media for learning purposes at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia

Background

Social media has become an almost essential part of daily life, especially among college students. The wide use of social media by students makes it an attractive tool for educational institutions. Therefore, this study aimed to ascertain physical therapy (PT) students’ attitudes towards using social media for learning purposes, assess the differences in attitudes between genders, and assess the benefits of using social media in the learning process. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, data were collected from 158 undergraduate PT students at King Saud University (KSU) University in Riyadh using a custom self-reported questionnaire.

Results

Results indicate that, in general, PT students have positive attitudes towards using social media platforms for learning purposes. YouTube, Wikis, WhatsApp, and Twitter have been utilized for learning purposes by 82.9%, 44.3%, 30.4%, and 27.4% of the students, respectively. Furthermore, students favorably reported that social media platforms are better than traditional teaching methods. These platforms facilitate finding educational resources, develop writing, listening and social skills, share knowledge, enhance self-independent learning, increase collaborations, and develop creativity.

Conclusion

This study showed that PT students, both males and females, have positive attitudes towards using social media platforms. It is convenient to use social media platforms for learning purposes. It may help enhance the quality of the students’ learning experience and academic performance.

Examining preservice teachers' levels of self-efficacy perceptions regarding Web

Purpose

This study aims to focus on how preservice teachers' academic achievements, their frequencies of connecting to the distance learning management system, their gender and the related sub-scales influence their Web-based self-efficacies (WEB-PCK) and their attitudes towards distance education (WBI).

Design/methodology/approach

In the study, the structural equality model was used. In the path analysis, the maximum likelihood estimation method was used to predict the parameters of the model. This method allows determining the highest values for the population and the probability of the sample value to occur.

Findings

It was found that the sub-scale of Web communication (WEB-C) had a high level of direct and positive influence on the male preservice teachers' self-efficacy perceptions. As for the female preservice teachers, WEB-C did not have any direct influence on their self-efficacy perceptions. For the male preservice teachers, Web pedagogy (WEB-PC) had positive influence on their self-efficacy perceptions (β = 0.193), while the sub-scale of WEB-PC had a high level of influence on the female preservice teachers' self-efficacy perceptions (β = 0.534).

Originality/value

In the study, the purpose of was to examine the effects of the attitudes of the preservice teachers towards Web general (WEB-G), Web-Communication (WEB-C), Web pedagogical knowledge (WEB-PK), Web pedagogical self-efficacy (WEB-PCK) and Web-based instruction (WBI) with the help of the structural equation model with respect to gender, frequency of connection to the internet and academic achievement grades.

Who are you talking about? Contrasting determinants of online disclosure about self or others

Purpose

This paper contrasts the determinants of online disclosures about self and others in social media.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from 216 respondents were collected through an online survey. The formal research model was tested with covariance based structural equation modeling.

Findings

The determinants of online disclosures vary whether the subject is self or others. Social networking site (SNS) users who self-disclose are also more likely to share information about others. Furthermore, there are significant gender effects in the influences of disclosure as revealed by multi-group SEM.

Research limitations/implications

Future research models should incorporate the construct of disclosure about others and examine the intertwining of different types of disclosure on SNS. Future work should include behavioral measures, as this study relied on self-report measures.

Practical implications

The current understanding of information sharing does not accommodate different forms of disclosure. Employers or systems administrators concerned about data sharing may need to tailor interventions to the subject of the disclosure. Furthermore, the significant gender differences in determinants of disclosure suggest that this should be considered in practical applications.

Originality/value

Disclosure about others has not been examined in prior work. This study contributes by offering empirical data on the contrasting determinants of disclosure as well as gender differences. It improves the understanding of online information sharing, a topic of particular relevance in today's information oriented society.

We are all in this together: The role of individuals' social identities in problematic engagement with video games and the internet

Individuals' engagement with video games and the internet features both social and potentially pathological aspects. In this research, we draw on the social identity approach and present a novel framework to understand the linkage between these two aspects. In three samples (N_study1  = 304, N_study2  = 160, and N_study3  = 782) of young Chinese people from two age groups (approximately 20 and 16 years old), we test the associations between relevant social identities and problematic engagement with video games and the internet. Across studies, we demonstrate that individuals' identification as 'gamers' or 'frequent internet users' predicts problematic engagement with video games and the internet through stronger perceived social support from such groups. Moreover, we demonstrate that individuals' identification as 'students' (Studies 2-3) is negatively associated with problematic engagement via social support from other students. Finally, in Study 3, we examine the articulation between social support from these three groups and subjective sense of loneliness. Findings indicate that, whereas perceived support from students is negatively associated with loneliness, the association between perceived support from gamers and internet users and loneliness is weaker and positive. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are discussed. Taken together, the studies highlight the importance of considering the social context of individuals' problematic engagement with technologies, and the role of different group memberships.

An empirical study of purchase behaviour on social platforms

Purpose

Social media users’ purchasing behaviour is yet to be fully understood by research. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how purchase intention is affected by social media user traits, cognitive factors (such as perceived control and trust) and individual beliefs, such as risk propensity and trustworthiness.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose and empirically test a model of purchase intention on social platforms. The study of over 500 active social media users finds the links between risk propensity, trust, technical efficacy and perceived control and explores the moderating effect of age and gender.

Findings

Purchase intention on social platforms is influenced by demographic factors, cognitive factors and beliefs. Both age and gender moderate the effects of beliefs and cognitive factors: age is a determinant of purchase intention for men, while beliefs are significant for younger women and cognitive factors are significant for older women.

Research limitations/implications

This study involved a cross-sectional design via online survey of social networking users. Gender differences in purchase intentions are found which are, in turn, influenced by age. Further empirical testing of social purchase intention could include less experienced users or non-users.

Practical implications

The results of this study provide guidance for SNS providers and technology developers in social networking commerce in terms of the different drivers of purchase intention.

Originality/value

Social media users’ purchasing behaviour is yet to be fully understood. The study shows that purchase intention antecedents vary between genders and age groups of users. The identified connection between users’ perceptions of social networking sites (SNS) usage of personal information and purchase behaviour has an impact on the likelihood of user engagement in social transactions.

Text You Pictures: The Role of Group Belonging, Race Identity, Race, and Gender in Older Adolescents’ Mobile Phone Use

Prior research underscores the value of social identity in adolescent development. Guided by social identity theory and employing an online survey, this study examined mobile phone use among older adolescents (18–19 years; n = 362), with special emphasis on social identity: group belonging, race identity, and group markers: race and gender. The findings confirmed that social identity markers play a role in popular forms of social mobile use (e.g., texting, phone camera, and music), especially among females. Nonwhite participants were more likely to report using generic phone apps for social compensation, although whites reported higher incidence of use than nonwhites for generic phone apps, texting, and taking pictures.

Online social communication patterns among emerging adult women with histories of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Little is known about adult women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, available evidence suggests that they experience social impairment. Online social networking websites such as Facebook have become endemic outlets through which emerging adults communicate with peers. No study has examined the peer interactions of emerging adults with childhood histories of ADHD in this developmentally relevant online domain. Participants in the current study were an ethnically diverse sample of 228 women, 140 of whom met diagnostic criteria for ADHD in childhood and 88 who composed a matched comparison sample. These women were assessed at 3 time points spanning 10 years (mean age = 9.6 at Wave 1, 14.1 at Wave 2, 19.6 at Wave 3). After statistical control of demographic covariates and comorbidities, childhood ADHD diagnosis predicted, by emerging adulthood, a greater stated preference for online social communication and a greater tendency to have used online methods to interact with strangers. A childhood diagnosis of ADHD also predicted observations of fewer Facebook friends and less closeness and support from Facebook friends in emerging adulthood. These associations were mediated by a composite of face-to-face peer relationship impairment during childhood and adolescence. Intriguingly, women with persistent diagnoses of ADHD from childhood to emerging adulthood differed from women with consistent comparison status in their online social communication; women with intermittent diagnoses of ADHD had scores intermediate between the other 2 groups. Results are discussed within the context of understanding the social relationships of women with childhood histories of ADHD.

Determinants of phubbing, which is the sum of many virtual addictions: a structural equation model

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Phubbing can be described as an individual looking at his or her mobile phone during a conversation with other individuals, dealing with the mobile phone and escaping from interpersonal communication. In this research, determinants of phubbing behavior were investigated; in addition, the effects of gender, smart phone ownership and social media membership were tested as moderators.

METHODS

To examine the cause-effect relations among the variables of the theoretical model, the research employs a correlational design. Participants were 409 university students who were selected via random sampling. Phubbing was obtained via the scales featuring mobile phone addiction, SMS addiction, internet addiction, social media addiction and game addiction. The obtained data were analyzed using a correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis and structural equation model.

RESULTS

The results showed that the most important determinants of phubbing behavior are mobile phone, SMS, social media and internet addictions.

DISCUSSION

Although the findings show that the highest correlation value explaining phubbing is a mobile phone addiction, the other correlation values reflect a dependency on the phone.

CONCLUSIONS

There is an increasing tendency towards mobile phone use, and this tendency prepares the basis of phubbing.

Young adult females' views regarding online privacy protection at two time points

PURPOSE

Risks associated with adolescent Internet use include exposure to inappropriate information and privacy violations. Privacy expectations and policies have changed over time. Recent Facebook security setting changes heighten these risks. The purpose of this study was to investigate views and experiences with Internet safety and privacy protection among older adolescent females at two time points, in 2009 and 2012.

METHODS

Two waves of focus groups were conducted, one in 2009 and the other in 2012. During these focus groups, female university students discussed Internet safety risks and strategies and privacy protection. All focus groups were audio recorded and manually transcribed. Qualitative analysis was conducted at the end of each wave and then reviewed and combined in a separate analysis using the constant comparative method.

RESULTS

A total of 48 females participated across the two waves. The themes included (1) abundant urban myths, such as the ability for companies to access private information; (2) the importance of filtering one's displayed information; and (3) maintaining age limits on social media access to avoid younger teens' presence on Facebook.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings present a complex picture of how adolescents view privacy protection and online safety. Older adolescents may be valuable partners in promoting safe and age-appropriate Internet use for younger teens in the changing landscape of privacy.

Impact of gender on patient preferences for technology-based behavioral interventions

Introduction:

Technology-based interventions offer an opportunity to address high-risk behaviors in the emergency department (ED). Prior studies suggest behavioral health strategies are more effective when gender differences are considered. However, the role of gender in ED patient preferences for technology-based interventions has not been examined. The objective was to assess whether patient preferences for technology-based interventions varies by gender.

Methods:

This was a secondary analysis of data from a systematic survey of adult (≥18 years of age), English-speaking patients in a large urban academic ED. Subjects were randomly selected during a purposive sample of shifts. The iPad survey included questions on access to technology, preferences for receiving health information, and demographics. We defined “technology-based” as web, text message, e-mail, social networking, or DVD; “non-technology-based” was defined as in-person, written materials, or landline. We calculated descriptive statistics and used univariate tests to compare men and women. Gender-stratified multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine associations between other demographic factors (age, race, ethnicity, income) and technology-based preferences for information on specific risky behaviors.

Results:

Of 417 participants, 45.1% were male. There were no significant demographic differences between men and women. Women were more likely to use computers (90.8% versus 81.9%; p=0.03), Internet (66.8% versus 59.0%; p=0.03), and social networks (53.3% versus 42.6%; p=0.01). 89% of men and 90% of women preferred technology-based formats for at least type of health information; interest in technology-based for individual health topics did not vary by gender. Concern about confidentiality was the most common barrier to technology-based use for both genders. Multivariate analysis showed that for smoking, depression, drug/alcohol use, and injury prevention, gender modified the relationship between other demographic factors and preference for technology-based health information; e.g., older age decreases interest in technology-based information for smoking cessation in women but not in men (aOR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.99 versus aOR 1.00, 95% CI 0.97-1.03).

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest ED patients' gender may affect technology preferences. Receptivity to technology-based interventions may be a complex interaction between gender and other demographic factors. Considering gender may help target ED patient populations most likely to be receptive to technology-based interventions.

Media preferences in scenarios involving relationship closeness and information valence: evidence of strategic self-presentation and sex differences

The study investigated strategic self-presentation (relationship closeness, information valence, and sex) on hypothetical choice of media used. 145 participants (73 women, 72 men; M age = 22.3 yr.) were randomly assigned to experimental conditions where they indicated their preference for communicating with either a friend or a stranger using Short Messaging Service (SMS), e-mail, or telephone, compared to face-to-face. Information valence was manipulated as a within-subjects variable by scenarios where information was self-referential and either negative or positive. Preference to mediated channels in the two scenarios was measured as an average of self-reported scores on a scale from 1-5 where 3 indicated face-to-face communication. Relationship closeness and scenario affected media preferences. Participants had higher preference scores for mediated channels when communicating with strangers than with friends and when sharing self-referential and negative information. Only women's preferences appeared to be affected by the manipulation of relationship closeness.

Internet safety education for youth: stakeholder perspectives

BACKGROUND

Internet use is nearly ubiquitous among US youth; risks to internet use include cyberbullying, privacy violations and unwanted solicitation. Internet safety education may prevent these negative consequences; however, it is unclear at what age this education should begin and what group is responsible for teaching this topic.

METHODS

Surveys were distributed to key stakeholders in youth safety education including public school teachers, clinicians, parents and adolescents. Surveys assessed age at which internet safety education should begin, as well as experiences teaching and learning internet safety. Surveys of adults assessed willingness to teach internet safety. Finally, participants were asked to identify a group whose primary responsibility it should be to teach internet safety.

RESULTS

A total of 356 participants completed the survey (93.4% response rate), including 77 teachers, 111 clinicians, 72 parents and 96 adolescents. Stakeholders felt the optimal mean age to begin teaching internet safety was 7.2 years (SD = 2.5), range 2-15. Internet safety was regularly taught by some teachers (20.8%), few clinicians (2.6%) and many parents (40.3%). The majority of teachers, clinicians and parents were willing to teach internet safety, but all groups surveyed identified parents as having primary responsibility for teaching this topic.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest agreement among key stakeholders for teaching internet safety at a young age, and for identifying parents as primary teachers of this topic. Clinicians have a unique opportunity to support parents by providing resources, guidance and support.

Comparing first and second generation digital natives' Internet use, Internet anxiety, and Internet identification

The aim of the study was to compare first and second generation Digital Natives' attitudes toward and use of the Internet. The sample of first generation Digital Natives consisted of 558 students who we surveyed in 2002 and who were born after 1980. The sample of second generation Digital Natives consisted of a sample of 458 students who we surveyed in 2012 and were born after 1993. They completed a questionnaire in the first semester of their first academic year, which consisted of a measure of Internet experience, an Internet anxiety scale, and an Internet identification scale. Second generation Digital Natives had more positive attitudes toward the Internet than first generation Digital Natives. They had higher scores on the Internet identification scale and lower scores on the Internet anxiety scale compared with first generation Digital Natives. Furthermore, we found that second generation Digital Natives used the Internet more than first generation Digital Natives. E-mail was the most popular activity for both generations, although second generation Digital Natives used it significantly more than first generation Digital Natives. Social networking sites emerged as very popular for second generation Digital Natives. Both generations reported low use of Web 2.0 technologies.

Gender, internet experience, Internet identification, and internet anxiety: a ten-year followup

In 2002, we found gender differences in the use of the Internet. Since then, however, the Internet has changed considerably. We therefore conducted a follow-up study in 2012. The study involved 501 students (389 females and 100 males, 12 participants unspecified gender) and we measured Internet use, Internet anxiety, and Internet identification. We found that males had a greater breadth of Internet use; they used the Internet more for games and entertainment than females. The differentiation between males and females in terms of Internet use is evident, and in some ways is even more distinct than 10 years ago. In our previous research we had found no gender differences in the use of the Internet for communication, whereas in the current study we have found that females use the Internet for communication than males and were using social network sites more than males. We also found, consistent with our previous study, that Internet identification and Internet anxiety were related to Internet use.

Internet addiction in the island of Hippocrates: the associations between internet abuse and adolescent off-line behaviours

BACKGROUND

  To investigate the phenomenon of internet addiction and concurrent social (off-line) behaviours of an adolescent population a cross-sectional survey of the entire adolescent student population (N = 1270, aged 14-18) of the island of Kos in Greece was conducted.

METHOD

  Completion by the survey participants of a demographic questionnaire, the 8-question YDQ (Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction) and the 20-question IAT (Internet Addiction Test), followed by comparative analysis between and within usage groups.

RESULTS

  Results demonstrate that 7.2% of male and 5.1% of female internet users present addictive behaviours while using the internet.

CONCLUSIONS

  Anti-social, aggressive behaviours were significantly correlated with an increase to the pattern of abusive internet use in both sexes. Boys and girls had distinct profiles of off-line and online preferences. Boys tended to favour interest-driven online activities as their levels of addictive behaviour increased while girls favoured communication-driven online activities.

A Household Internet Adoption Model Based on Integration of Technology Acceptance Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Uses and Gratifications Theory

Existing theories in the technology acceptance and Internet adoption fields have examined the adoption among users, which can be classified into two categories: technological and behavioral perspectives. In this paper, the authors propose an integrated household Internet adoption model combining both perspectives to provide a holistic view on the subject. For this purpose, the three primal models of technology acceptance and usage behavior, the technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of planned behavior (TPB), and uses and gratifications theory (U&G), are selected to construct the integrated model. In this way, based on the dimensions of the studied theories, specific constructs are defined to integrate these dimensions according to their similarities and appropriateness. The relationship between the proposed model’s constructs are then hypothesized based on the literature findings, and examined in a case study of household Internet adoption among Iranian households. Also, structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to illustrate the relationships’ coefficients between proposed model constructs, and derived implications for the Internet adoption among Iranian households are discussed based on the research findings.

Internet-based self-assessment after the Tsunami: lessons learned

BACKGROUND

In the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster in 2004, an online psychological self-assessment (ONSET) was developed and made available by the University of Zurich in order to provide an online screening instrument for Tsunami victims to test if they were traumatized and in need of mental health care. The objective of the study was to report the lessons learnt that were made using an Internet-based, self-screening instrument after a large-scale disaster and to discuss its outreach and usefulness.

METHODS

Users of the online self-assessment decided after finishing the procedure whether their dataset could be used for quality control and scientific evaluation Their answers were stored anonymously only if they consented (which was the case in 88% of the sample), stratified analyses according to level of exposure were conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 2,914 adult users gave their consent for analysis of the screenings. Almost three quarter of the sample filled out the ONSET questionnaire within the first four weeks. Forty-one percent of the users reported direct exposure to the Tsunami disaster. Users who were injured by the Tsunami and users who reported dead or injured family members showed the highest degree of PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSION

ONSET was used by a large number of subjects who thought to be affected by the catastrophe in order to help them decide if they needed to see a mental health professional. Furthermore, men more frequently accessed the instrument than women, indicating that Internet-based testing facilitates reaching out to a different group of people than "ordinary" public mental health strategies.

The effect of gender, ethnicity, and income on college students' use of communication technologies

Because campus officials are relying on personal communication technologies to communicate with students, a question arises about access and usage. Although communication technologies are popular among college students, some evidence suggests that differences exist in ownership and use. We examined patterns of student ownership and use of cell phones and use of instant messaging, focusing on three predictors of digital inequality: gender, ethnicity, and income. Logistic and hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to analyze results from 4,491 students. The odds that female and white students owned cell phones were more than twice as high as for men and African-American students. Students in the $100,000-$149,000 per year income bracket were more than three times as likely to own a cell phone than those from the median bracket. However, being female, African-American, and/or from the highest income brackets was positively predictive of the number of text messages sent and the amount of time spent talking on a cell phone per week. We found no differences between students on the use of instant messaging. Implications of these results, as well as areas for further research, are provided.

Adolescent peer relationships and behavior problems predict young adults' communication on social networking websites

This study examined online communication on social networking web pages in a longitudinal sample of 92 youths (39 male, 53 female). Participants' social and behavioral adjustment was assessed when they were ages 13-14 years and again at ages 20-22 years. At ages 20-22 years, participants' social networking website use and indicators of friendship quality on their web pages were coded by observers. Results suggested that youths who had been better adjusted at ages 13-14 years were more likely to be using social networking web pages at ages 20-22 years, after statistically controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and parental income. Overall, youths' patterns of peer relationships, friendship quality, and behavioral adjustment at ages 13-14 years and at ages 20-22 years predicted similar qualities of interaction and problem behavior on their social networking websites at ages 20-22 years. Findings are consistent with developmental theory asserting that youths display cross-situational continuity in their social behaviors and suggest that the conceptualization of continuity may be extended into the online domain.

Older adolescents' motivations for social network site use: the influence of gender, group identity, and collective self-esteem

This study assessed motives for social network site (SNS) use, group belonging, collective self-esteem, and gender effects among older adolescents. Communication with peer group members was the most important motivation for SNS use. Participants high in positive collective self-esteem were strongly motivated to communicate with peer group via SNS. Females were more likely to report high positive collective self-esteem, greater overall use, and SNS use to communicate with peers. Females also posted higher means for group-in-self, passing time, and entertainment. Negative collective self-esteem correlated with social compensation, suggesting that those who felt negatively about their social group used SNS as an alternative to communicating with other group members. Males were more likely than females to report negative collective self-esteem and SNS use for social compensation and social identity gratifications.

Access to and use of Internet by adolescents who have a physical disability: a comparative study

The purpose of this study was to examine access to and use of Internet by 97 physically disabled adolescents. Four main objectives were to: (1) explore frequency and nature of Internet use and the role of care givers, (2) compare these results with non-disabled adolescents, (3) explore associations between access to and use of Internet and adolescents variables, and (4) examine differences between care givers in the guidance of adolescents concerning their Internet use. Outcomes on a questionnaire were compared to those from a control group consisting of 1566 non-disabled adolescents. No differences in access to Internet between physically disabled and non-disabled adolescents were found. In addition, the most common online activities were similar for both groups. Physically disabled adolescents were more often warned by their parents about the risks of Internet and more often had rules at home than their non-disabled peers. Among the group of physically disabled adolescents, gender and environmental setting were found to be related to online activities. In addition, age was found to be related to the amount of rules at home. No associations were found between IQ and the access to and use of Internet. Finally, parents of physically disabled more often warn adolescents and more often check their use of Internet than care staff.

eHealth as a challenge to 'expert' power: a focus group study of internet use for health information and management

OBJECTIVE

To investigate current use of the internet and eHealth amongst adults.

DESIGN

Focus groups were conducted to explore participants' attitudes to and reasons for health internet use.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The focus group data were analysed and interpreted using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three superordinate themes exploring eHealth behaviours were identified: decline in expert authority, pervasiveness of health information on the internet and empowerment. Results showed participants enjoyed the immediate benefits of eHealth information and felt empowered by increased knowledge, but they would be reluctant to lose face-to-face consultations with their GP.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings illustrate changes in patient identity and a decline in expert authority with ramifications for the practitioner-patient relationship and subsequent implications for health management more generally.

The Use of Internet Cancer Support Groups by Ethnic Minorities

Recent studies have indicated that Internet Cancer Support Groups (ICSGs) tend to serve highly educated, high-income Whites at an early stage of cancer. Why do very few ethnic minority cancer patients, especially ethnic minority women, participate in ICSGs? In this article, the possible answers to this question are explored through a literature review from a feminist perspective. The potential reasons identified through the review include (a) gender and ethnic differences in attitudes toward ICSGs, (b) gender and ethnic differences in need for help, and (c) gender- and ethnic-specific contexts. Based on the discussion, implications for future research are proposed.

Nursing students' behavioral intention to use online courses: a questionnaire survey

BACKGROUND

The development of network communication science and technology has accorded a special benefit to learning. Online courses have also become the most popular and important learning resource among students.

OBJECTIVES

Overall, this research aims to explore what are the important factors making students use online courses.

DESIGN

The research combines the technology acceptance model and the innovation diffusion theory, and adds four research variables, computer anxiety, computer self-efficacy, perceived financial cost and perceived information quality to propose a new hybrid technology acceptance model to study students' behavioral intention to use online courses.

SETTINGS

Based on 228 questionnaires collected from nursing students in Taiwan.

METHODS

The structural equation modeling technique was used to evaluate the causal model and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to examine the reliability and validity of the measurement model.

PARTICIPANTS

The survey began with e-mail and telephone interviews in January 2006. The interviewees were 348 students of Taiwan's universities. Because some of the replying subjects have never taken those courses and some did not complete the questionnaires, there were 228 valid questionnaires from students of Taiwan's universities who have taken online courses. The responding rate was 65.52%.

RESULTS

This research found that computer anxiety had a negative effect on the behavioral intention to use online courses (gamma=-0.21, P<0.01). Computer self-efficacy had a positive effect on the behavioral intention to use online courses (gamma=0.37, P<0.01). Compatibility had a positive effect on both the behavioral intention to use online courses (gamma=0.18, P<0.01) and perceived usefulness (gamma=0.3, P<0.01). Perceived usefulness had a positive effect on the behavioral intention to use online courses (beta=0.14, P<0.05). Perceived ease of use had a positive effect on perceived usefulness (gamma=0.23, P<0.01), the behavioral intention to use online courses (gamma=0.24, P<0.01). Perceived financial cost had a negative effect on the behavioral intention to use online courses (gamma=-0.16, P<0.01). Perceived information quality had a positive effect on the behavioral intention to use online courses (gamma=0.11, P<0.05). The findings of this research help to develop more user friendly online courses for students.

CONCLUSIONS

(1) Computer anxiety, computer self-efficacy, compatibility, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived financial cost, and perceived information quality were the critical factors that impacted on students' behavioral intention to use online courses. (2) Computer anxiety and perceived financial cost had a negative effect on the behavioral intention to use online courses. (3) The present study added four new research constructs (computer anxiety, computer self-efficacy, perceived financial cost, and perceived information quality) to the research model so that it would be more complete; this improved the fit of the whole model. (4) Computer self-efficacy, compatibility, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived information quality had a positive effect on the behavioral intention to use online courses. By explaining students' behavioral intention from a user's perspective, the findings of this research help to provide insight into the best way to promote new e-learning tools for students.