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Relationship with Technology Devices and Social Network: Screening of Psychosocial Wellbeing and Development Challenges in Children and Adolescents

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Adolescents".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 16017

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marta Tremolada

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Guest Editor

Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Department of Child and Woman Health, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: developmental and social psychology; pediatric psychology; psycho-oncology; wellbeing; social networking; technology use in children; illness narratives; family functioning; psychological interventions; parenting; developmental and psychological assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Sabrina Bonichini

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Guest Editor

Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Department of Child and Woman Health, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy
Interests: pediatric psychology; developmental psychology; infant behavior and development; health education and research; children’s psychosocial wellbeing; adaptive behaviors; parenting; developmental assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Technology device use and social network communication are becoming determinant factors influencing children and adolescents’ social relationships, development, health, and adaption to their daily life. Appropriate knowledge regarding how these variables interact with the different developmental areas and domains are challenging for all caregivers who support a healthy development. For this purpose, we are collecting contributions for a Special Issue about psychosocial wellbeing and development challenges in children and adolescents in relation to technology and social media. We invite submissions of original research papers, reviews, notes, comments, which will be published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health by MDPI. Qualitative or quantitative contributions, from basic or applied research, that will extend the knowledge in this filed are welcomed.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to publish relevant research dealing with children’s wellbeing and healthcare during infancy, childhood, and adolescence in relation to technology devices and social networks. Parental behaviors towards their children’s education to technology use is an important topic too. The issue aims to cover the emotive, psychological, and social development of children relevant for their education, health, care, and wellbeing.

Dr. Marta Tremolada
Dr. Sabrina Bonichini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

children
adolescents
technology devices
social network
communication
adaptation
developmental skills
health
wellbeing
psychopathology
psychological interventions
parenting

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 887 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differences in Screen Addiction in the Past 15 Years

by Núria Aragay, Vicenç Vallès, Irene Ramos-Grille, Gemma Garrido, Enric Gamundi Grimalt, Elena Miranda Ruiz and Esther Jovell-Fernández

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21010001 (registering DOI) - 19 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1444

Abstract

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has become widespread in recent years, leading to an increase in addiction cases. A total of 118 patients who attended the Behavioral Addictions Unit of Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa (Barcelona, Spain) between October 2005 and December 2021 were included in the study. The sample was divided into three groups according to the time period in which they started treatment: between 2005 and 2010 (before the rise in new technologies, named the pre-ICT period), between 2011 and 2019 (a time of major ICT development, named the ICT period) and between 2020 and 2021 (with massive use of the internet due to effects of the pandemic, named the COVID-19 period). We found an increase in the incidence of screen addiction cases related to the development of technology throughout the study years, and this increase was accentuated during the COVID-19 period. This increase was not equal for all types of content consumed via the internet, with patients with video game addiction increasing to a greater extent than patients with internet/social network addiction. In addition, patients with video game addiction were younger and had started gaming at a younger age than those with internet/social network addiction. These results contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon of technology addiction and to the design of appropriate treatment protocols and preventive programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship with Technology Devices and Social Network: Screening of Psychosocial Wellbeing and Development Challenges in Children and Adolescents)

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15 pages, 959 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enjoyment or Indulgence? Social Media Service Usage, Social Gratification, Self-Control Failure and Emotional Health

by Yan Liu, Hongfa Yi and Crystal Jiang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1002; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021002 - 05 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2148

Abstract

Social networking site smartphone applications have been widely used among Chinese young adults. However, less is known about their effects on emotional health and the mechanisms through which they function. This study analyzes the relationship between college students’ smartphone social networking service use patterns, social gratification, social media self-control failure, and emotional health. Data was collected from 360 college students in China via application log tracking and a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modeling results showed that, after controlling for demographic variables, the use of video social networking site smartphone applications was associated with decreased social gratification, and ultimately, adverse emotional health. Using social networking site smartphone applications late at night exhibited worse emotional health via more social media self-control failure. The implications for designing and using social media applications are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship with Technology Devices and Social Network: Screening of Psychosocial Wellbeing and Development Challenges in Children and Adolescents)

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Figure 1

14 pages, 1699 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Did They Deserve It? Adolescents’ Perception of Online Harassment in a Real-Case Scenario

by Clarissa Cricenti, Alessandra Pizzo, Alessandro Quaglieri, Emanuela Mari, Pierluigi Cordellieri, Cristina Bonucchi, Patrizia Torretta, Anna Maria Giannini and Giulia Lausi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17040; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417040 - 19 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2063

Abstract

Online harassment, particularly cyberbullying and the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, is a widespread phenomenon among adolescents and young adults. Descriptive research was carried out to investigate any differences among Italian school classes in the perception of cybercrime through a real-case scenario. Following the Italian school system, the final sample of 1777 adolescents (Mage = 15.37, SD = 1.65; Male = 52%) was divided into three groups based on the school class attended: middle school (N = 562; Mage = 13.37, SD = 0.48); high school biennium (N = 728; Mage = 15.55, SD = 0.50), and triennium (N = 487, Mage = 17.40, SD = 0.71). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire investigating the use of the Internet and the perception of a real case scenario involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images and cyberbullying received by the National Centre for Combating Child Pornography Online (NCPO). Results showed differences among the three groups’ perceptions of the event’s features, motivations underlying the offense, victim-blaming and harassment justification (e.g., cyberbullying, in particular non-consensual sharing of intimate images, is recognized as a crime as age increases). The findings provide significant insights for future research and age-specific factors to consider when developing prevention programs for online risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship with Technology Devices and Social Network: Screening of Psychosocial Wellbeing and Development Challenges in Children and Adolescents)

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12 pages, 747 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Do Adolescents Use Social Networks and What Are Their Potential Dangers? A Qualitative Study of Gender Differences

by Giulio de Felice, Jessica Burrai, Emanuela Mari, Fabrizio Paloni, Giulia Lausi, Anna Maria Giannini and Alessandro Quaglieri

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5691; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095691 - 07 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4774

Abstract

The rapid development of software applications and the increasing use of the Internet have raised many questions about the impact of this technology on the lives of adolescents, especially on “digital natives.” The advent of social networks (SNs) restructures their relationships in various ways, affecting both adolescents’ development and mental health. The present study aims to investigate uses and dangers of SNs according to a sample of 296 (166 female and 130 male) Italian middle and high schools adolescents (age range 13–18) and build a model of how SNs can turn out to be dangerous. To achieve this, twenty-four audio-recorded focus groups of Italian male and female adolescents were investigated by a Grounded Theory approach, abstracting from the transcripts the main uses and dangers of SNs and proposing a final model for the interpretation of the whole set of categories. The results highlighted two main dangers of SNs: (a) the desperate search for popularity, and (b) the exhibition of violent or offensive behavior facilitated by the sense of protection and anonymity derived from being hidden behind a virtual account. Finally, a psychological model of how SNs can turn out to be dangerous is presented. This study could be useful in developing prevention procedures against the risks of SNs (e.g., cyberbullying, internet addiction) without demonizing the use of social media as such. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship with Technology Devices and Social Network: Screening of Psychosocial Wellbeing and Development Challenges in Children and Adolescents)

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9 pages, 351 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Psychometric Validation of the Internet Gaming Disorder-20 Test among Ecuadorian Teenagers and Young People

by Livia I. Andrade, Marlon Santiago Viñán-Ludeña and Julio Alvarado

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5109; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095109 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2262

Abstract

Excessive internet gaming in high prevalence is a very common problem that has been increasing in recent years, especially in teenagers and university students. However, there is a lack of psychometric evaluation for Internet Gaming Disorder in the Latin American context, particularly in Ecuador. This paper aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Internet Gaming Disorder test (IGD-20 test) in university and high school students (

n = 2931, M_{a g e} = 15.99,

57.22% male and 42.51% female). The validation process was performed using one, two, five and six factors taking into account the Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Arabic and Turkish contexts. After checking the models proposed to date, the best fit model was the one with a single factor. Using two samples according to gender (male, female), the invariance has been confirmed with an excellent internal consistency. All,

α = 0.94

; Male,

α = 0.93

; Female,

α = 0.93

). Furthermore, we performed correlation analyses between the IGD-20 Test and socio-demographic variables, and finally, the IGD-20 Test applied to Ecuadorian teenagers and young people demonstrated good psychometric properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship with Technology Devices and Social Network: Screening of Psychosocial Wellbeing and Development Challenges in Children and Adolescents)

15 pages, 345 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Networking in Adolescents: Time, Type and Motives of Using, Social Desirability, and Communication Choices

by Marta Tremolada, Lucio Silingardi and Livia Taverna

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2418; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042418 - 19 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2379

Abstract

The evolution of digital media has changed the patterns and motives for its use among adolescents and has impacted their communication choices within their family and social networks. The objectives of this study are to understand whether peers communicate through a social network (SN) or by voice and their view of the relative social desirability of these alternatives. After the informant’s consent signature, adolescents completed a series of self-report questionnaires on the use of SN, communication preferences, and social desirability online. Most of the adolescents belonged to the 17–19 age group (83.6%) and were female (68.9%). Adolescents spent more than 3 h/day on Whatsapp and more than 2 h/day on Instagram, while the use of Facebook was on average only 35 min/day. Females used digital media longer than males. Adolescents aged 17–19 years choose more Facebook and voice modes compared to adolescents aged 14 and 16 years. Alternative modes of Whatsapp and voice were chosen more than social networks in their communication strategies, especially for negative topics. Motives for use were, in addition to boredom, related to maintaining one’s social sphere with peers. Some educative considerations were made based on these results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship with Technology Devices and Social Network: Screening of Psychosocial Wellbeing and Development Challenges in Children and Adolescents)

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Relationship with Technology Devices and Social Network: Screening of Psychosocial Wellbeing and Development Challenges in Children and Adolescents

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