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Weigle PE, Shafi RMA. Social Media and Youth Mental Health. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2024; 26:1-8. [PMID: 38103128 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-023-01478-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We review recent evidence regarding the relationship between the social media (SM) habits, experiences, and the mental health of youth. We examine effects of social media use (SMU) on specific diagnoses including depression and anxiety. The relationship between psychiatric illness, specific SM experiences, and the issue of SM mental health contagion is also explored. RECENT FINDINGS Youth engagement in SMU has increased dramatically in recent years, concurrent with increases in prevalence of depression and anxiety. The relationship between SMU and mental illness is complex and depends on characteristics of the user (e.g., social comparison and fear of missing out (FOMO) and their SM habits and experiences (e.g., cyberbullying, and sexting,). SM engagement has distinct impacts on anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Growing evidence documents how SM may be a medium for psychiatric contagion. Research findings are largely correlational and dependent on subjective report, limiting their interpretation. The mental health of youth is increasingly tied to their SMU, depending greatly on how youth engage with SM and resultant feedback. Future research must look to establish causality in relationships between SM and mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Weigle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 06032, USA.
- Quinnipiac University School of Medicine, North Haven, USA.
- Hartford Healthcare, 189 Storrs Road, Mansfield Center, CT, 06250, USA.
| | - Reem M A Shafi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Cairns, QLD, Australia
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Svedin CG, Donevan M, Bladh M, Priebe G, Fredlund C, Jonsson LS. Associations between adolescents watching pornography and poor mental health in three Swedish surveys. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023; 32:1765-1780. [PMID: 35524827 PMCID: PMC10460300 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-022-01992-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the association between watching pornography and poor mental health in three repeated cross-sectional surveys in Sweden (2004, 2009, 2014) among high school seniors (13,277 students) with an average age of 18 years. The same index questions concerning ever having watched pornography and the frequency of watching pornography during the last year were combined with three different measures of psychological health and background control variables in multiple logistic regression and forward stepwise logistic regression models. The repeated cross-sectional surveys did not find any consistent associations across years between poor mental health and ever having watched pornography or the frequency of watching pornography. Having watched deviant pornography (containing violence, children and/or animals) was associated with poor mental health among boys in two surveys but only in one survey among girls. Other characteristics, such as mother's unemployment (especially boys), parenting style (especially high controlling parents among boys) and experiences of sexual abuse (especially penetrating abuse among girls), were more consistently and strongly associated to poor mental health across the three surveys. This study stresses the importance of controlling for multiple background variables when studying the association between watching pornography and mental health, since the association might primarily be explained by underlying confounding variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. G. Svedin
- Department of Social Sciences, Marie Cederschiöld University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M. Donevan
- Department of Social Sciences, Marie Cederschiöld University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - M. Bladh
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - G. Priebe
- Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Social and Psychological Studies, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - C. Fredlund
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - L. S. Jonsson
- Department of Social Sciences, Marie Cederschiöld University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Dully J, Walsh K, Doyle C, O'Reilly G. Adolescent experiences of sexting: A systematic review of the qualitative literature, and recommendations for practice. J Adolesc 2023. [PMID: 37157169 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sexting among adolescents continues to garner interest across disciplines due to its prevalence in the lives of young people and the potential for extremely negative outcomes associated with the behavior. The present review aimed to integrate the existing qualitative research on adolescent sexting experiences, to provide empirically-supported recommendations for professionals working with adolescents. METHODS A search of four databases relating to adolescent experiences of sexting was conducted, resulting in the inclusion of 28 studies in the review. Quality appraisal of these studies was completed in line with the Critical Appraisal Skills Profile qualitative checklist. RESULTS Major themes in the qualitative studies were synthesized to generate recommendations for professionals. These recommendations are categorized as (a) "proactive" (enhancing positive and contextualized education and attempting to mitigate the likelihood of young people having negative experiences with sexting), (b) "responsive" (management of disclosures of distressing experiences with sexting, including image-based sexual abuse [IBSA]), and (iii) "clinical" (increasing awareness among clinicians of pertinent issues concerning intervention with young people who are engaging in sexting, or who have been victimized by IBSA). CONCLUSIONS The qualitative literature was found to provide rich insight into adolescent experiences of sexting, thus allowing for the generation of evidence-based recommendations which are consistent with young peoples' own interests and preferences. Limitations in the existing literature base were discussed (e.g., lack of specificity in methodological reporting), and suggestions were given for future research (including the need to explore sexting experiences of LGBTQ + adolescents in more depth).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dully
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- National Inter-Agency Prevention Project (NIAPP), Dublin, Ireland
| | - Kevin Walsh
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Caoimhe Doyle
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gary O'Reilly
- School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Træen B, Kvalem IL. Gender Differences in Sending Nude Pictures and Videos Across Multiple Relationship Contexts in the Adult Norwegian Population. SEXUALITY & CULTURE 2022; 27:570-590. [PMID: 36211529 PMCID: PMC9526388 DOI: 10.1007/s12119-022-10028-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This article aims to determine the prevalence of sending nude pictures/videos in the Norwegian population and investigates gender differences regarding consensual, unsolicited, and coerced experiences. Data were obtained from a probability-based web survey of 2181 men and 1967 women between 18 and 89 years old. The majority of participants expressed relatively accepting attitudes toward sending nude pictures/videos, and men expressed more positive attitudes than women. Twenty-nine percent of participants reported having lifetime experience with sending nude pictures/videos, and sending nude pictures/videos was more common in younger individuals than older individuals. More women than men claimed that they sent their most recent nude picture to a committed partner, and twice as many men than women had sent a nude picture to a stranger or a person they only had contact with on the Internet. In addition, more than twice as many women than men reported consensual sending nude pictures/videos, and more men than women sent unsolicited pictures/videos. Consensual sending nude pictures/videos was characterized by the presence of men and women within committed relationships. In Norway, sending nude pictures/videos seems to be a way of being sexual in the context of committed relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bente Træen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingela Lundin Kvalem
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
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Personal Cell Phones among Children: Parental Perception of Content-Related Threats and Attempts to Control Them in a Lithuanian Sample. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12060185. [PMID: 35735395 PMCID: PMC9219742 DOI: 10.3390/bs12060185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Various content-related threats such as provocative content, disinformation, cyberbullying, or sexual and commercial messages might reach children by phone and have a negative effect on their health. Amongst parents who are able to control it, we aimed to assess parental attitudes towards the use of mobile phones among children and control measures taken. Materials and Methods: A total number of 619 parents of primary school children from a middle-sized town in Lithuania participated in this study. Parents anonymously filled out our original questionnaire. Distribution of the respondents was assessed according to control measures taken, threat awareness, and sociodemographic factors. Results: Most of the respondents (79.8%) thought that personal mobile phones might be harmful to children’s health, 99.5% of the parents used at least one control measure. Further, 91.9% of the respondents did not think that children might receive messages from strangers. Respectively, 85.5% and 95.2% of the parents thought that children do not receive offensive or sexual content messages. Many parents (25.5%) helped their children register to social networks. Parents with lower education and parents of younger children had lower awareness of threats (p < 0.05). Fathers, higher educated, single, and unemployed parents indicated application of fewer control measures (p < 0.05). Other sociodemographic factors were not related with threat awareness or control measures taken (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Nearly all parents of primary school children take measures in order to control their children’s usage of mobile phones but most of them underestimate content-related threats brought by mobile phones.
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Andrie EK, Sakou II, Tzavela EC, Richardson C, Tsitsika AK. Adolescents' Online Pornography Exposure and Its Relationship to Sociodemographic and Psychopathological Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six European Countries. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 8:children8100925. [PMID: 34682190 PMCID: PMC8534324 DOI: 10.3390/children8100925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of online exposure to pornography in European adolescents and its relationship to sociodemographic and psychopathological correlates. A cross-sectional school-based survey of 10,930 adolescents (5211 males/5719 females), aged 14-17 years old (mean age 15.8 ± 0.7) was carried out in six European countries (Greece, Spain, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Iceland). Anonymous self-completed questionnaires covered exposure to pornography, internet use and dysfunctional internet behavior, and psychopathological syndromes (measured by Achenbach's Youth Self-Report). The prevalence of any online exposure to pornography was 59% overall and 24% for exposure at least once a week. The likelihood of online exposure to pornography was greater in male adolescents, heavier internet users, and those who displayed dysfunctional internet behavior. Country-specific analyses confirmed that the gender effect existed in every country, although its strength varied, from an odds ratio of 1.88 in Poland to 14.9 in Greece. Online exposure to pornography was shown to be associated with externalizing problem scale scores, especially rule-breaking and aggressive behavior, but also associated with higher scores in competences, namely activities and social competence. Exposure to pornography is ubiquitous, more relevant to boys, and is associated with both positive qualities/competences and externalizing behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth K. Andrie
- Adolescent Health Unit, Second Department of Pediatrics, P. & A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (I.I.S.); (E.C.T.); (A.K.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-210-771-0824
| | - Irene Ikbale Sakou
- Adolescent Health Unit, Second Department of Pediatrics, P. & A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (I.I.S.); (E.C.T.); (A.K.T.)
| | - Eleni C. Tzavela
- Adolescent Health Unit, Second Department of Pediatrics, P. & A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (I.I.S.); (E.C.T.); (A.K.T.)
| | - Clive Richardson
- Department of Economic and Regional Development, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, 17671 Athens, Greece;
| | - Artemis K. Tsitsika
- Adolescent Health Unit, Second Department of Pediatrics, P. & A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece; (I.I.S.); (E.C.T.); (A.K.T.)
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Doyle C, Douglas E, O'Reilly G. The outcomes of sexting for children and adolescents: A systematic review of the literature. J Adolesc 2021; 92:86-113. [PMID: 34454257 DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Given associated risks, sexting among children and adolescents has yielded significant interest in recent years. Several previous reviews have examined data on the prevalence, determinants, and correlates of sexting behaviour, however, in an ever-changing digital media context, a comprehensive overview of findings regarding its outcomes is warranted. This novel review aimed to systematically identify and conduct a narrative synthesis of empirical evidence regarding the outcomes of sexting involvement for children and adolescents. METHODS Four databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature on sexting, and 54 articles were identified for inclusion in the review. The quality of included studies was appraised using Dixon-Woods et al. (2006) five question prompts. RESULTS Four 'outcomes' categories were derived, namely, psychological (victimisation; sexual abuse/victimisation; mental health and quality of life; and emotional outcomes), behavioural (sexual activity, risk behaviours, and perpetration of abuse and harassment), relational (personal connections with others & reputational outcomes), and systems-level (distribution/public exposure of sexting content). CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that the outcomes of sexting for children and adolescents (aged ≤19 years) are wide-ranging, some positive and desirable, others negative and unwanted. Furthermore, identified outcomes were located along a continuum spanning benefits for adolescents' well-being and relationships, stigma and associated difficulties, and serious harm or trauma. Limitations (e.g., methodological constraints of studies) and implications (e.g., informing harm prevention/intervention initiatives; further large-scale and replication studies) are discussed within.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caoimhe Doyle
- University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, 4, Ireland; Health Service Executive, Ireland.
| | - Ellen Douglas
- University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, 4, Ireland; Health Service Executive, Ireland.
| | - Gary O'Reilly
- University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, 4, Ireland.
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School-Based Prevention of Screen-Related Risk Behaviors during the Long-Term Distant Schooling Caused by COVID-19 Outbreak. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18168561. [PMID: 34444307 PMCID: PMC8392870 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak and related restrictions meant a higher incidence of screen-related risk behaviors in both children and adolescents. Our goal was to assess the perceived importance and extent of school-based preventions related to these risks during the long-term, nation-wide distant schooling period in the Czech Republic. The online survey was responded to by the school-based prevention specialists (N = 1698). For the analysis, within-subject analysis of variance (ANOVA) and binominal logistic regression were used. At-risk internet use and cyber-bullying were perceived as pressing, but other risks, for example, excessive internet use or the use of cyberpornography, received substantially less priority. The differences in all grades were significant and moderate to large (η2G between 0.156 and 0.288). The proportion of schools which conducted prevention interventions of screen-related risks was low (between 0.7% and 27.8%, depending on the grade and the type of the risk). The probability of delivering prevention intervention was in all grades significantly predicted by the presence of screen-related problems in pupils (OR 3.76–4.88) and the perceived importance of the screen-related risks (OR 1.55–1.97). The limited capacity of schools to deliver prevention interventions during distant schooling as well as the low awareness and impaired ability to recognize the importance of some screen-related risks should be addressed.
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Boer S, Erdem Ö, de Graaf H, Götz H. Prevalence and Correlates of Sext-Sharing Among a Representative Sample of Youth in the Netherlands. Front Psychol 2021; 12:655796. [PMID: 34040564 PMCID: PMC8143518 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.655796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many adolescents use their electronic devices to send each other sexually explicit texts, photos, and videos of themselves-commonly known as sexting. This can be fun and is not usually problematic. However, if the intended recipient decides to share these sexts with a broader audience, the consequences for the depicted can be detrimental. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of (non-consensual) sext-sharing among Dutch adolescents and explore the characteristics of those who do, to gain a better understanding of factors involved in dissemination. We used data from "Sex under the age of 25," a representative national survey on sexual health among a sample of 20,834 Dutch 12-24-year-olds. The prevalence of sext-sharing was estimated using Complex Samples. Logistic regressions were used to assess associations between demographics, school-based sexting education, sexual- and online behavior, and mental health and sext-sharing. About 4% of the adolescents reported having shared someone else's sext in the last six months. Being male, aged 12-14 years, frequent social media usage, watching online porn, sexual experience, and being subjected to sext-sharing themselves associated most strongly with sext-sharing. Our findings show that the likelihood of sext-sharing is lower in older adolescents and that it associates with the extent of adolescents' sexual curiosity and online activity. The overlap between sharing sexts of others and having one's own sext shared suggests that dissemination of personal sexual content might be normalized or used as an act of retribution. Further research could be helpful to explain the mechanisms underlying this overlap. The results of this study illustrate the importance of exposing adolescents to evidence based preventive educational interventions on sexting from 12 years onwards and not just within the context of traditional school-based sex education, but also as a part of the (online) media-literacy curriculum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Boer
- Public Health Service Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Özcan Erdem
- Public Health Service Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Hannelore Götz
- Public Health Service Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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