Cyber Behaviour and Mental Health

Question 1

What is screen use in infancy associated with?

Answer 1

• Social-emotional delays
• Lagged influence on social skills and behaviours
• Passive screen use (negative associations with math and science achievement, executive functioning, and social skills)
• Active screen use (positively associated with receptive language skills and science knowledge)

Question 2

How is screen time associated with children’s mental health? (Robertson et al.)

Answer 2

• More than 2 hours daily of screen media predicted more likelihood of depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation/attempts
• Anxiety disorders associated more strongly with digital media than screen use generally

Question 3

How is screen time associated with children’s suicidal behaviour? (Chu et al.)

Answer 3

• 4.0 hours average screen time daily
• 1.38% reported suicidal behaviour(s) at 2 years
• Additional 1.09% for each additional hour daily

Question 4

Self-effects (in social media) (Valkenburg)

Answer 4

How creating or sending messages for the purpose of communicating to others may effect oneself. Self-effects may be more prevalent and potent online than offline.

Question 5

What are the five types of problem social media activity? (Ahuja & Alavi)

Answer 5

1. Expressive
2. Impatient
3. Connected
4. Impersona
5. Knowledgeable

Question 6

How is social media use associated with quality of life for older adults? (Nam; Nguyen et al.)

Answer 6

• Social media use has positive association with quality of life, and is mediated by social support
• Greater use of social media and perceived social support in (males vs. females; younger seniors (65-74) vs. older seniors (75+); more educated; higher income)
• Online social engagement positively correlated with social capital
• Internet skills moderate the social engagement - social capital relationship

Question 7

What are the four levels of internet/social media use?

Answer 7

1. Appropriate use
2. Heavy use
3. Problem use
4. Addiction

Question 8

What are the effects of frequent social media use?

Answer 8

• Increased loneliness, frustration, anger
• Decreased life satisfaction and sense of well-being
• Increased depression
• Decreased satisfaction with offline relationships
• Negative body image (youth)

Question 9

Why does frequent social media use have negative effects?

Answer 9

• Poorly developed social skills
• Distorted self-presentation
• Social comparison

Question 10

What is internet use in teens associated with? (van der Aa et al.)

Answer 10

• Some studies have linked teen internet use with feelings of loneliness, depression and compromised well-being
• This study shows the problem to be compulsive internet use
• -E, -A, +N predicted compulsive internet use, and compulsive use predicted feelings of loneliness and depression

Question 11

Compensation Hypothesis

Answer 11

• Social media replaces face-to-face interaction
• Potential face-to-face relationships weakened
• Loneliness increased

Question 12

Social Enhancement Hypothesis

Answer 12

• Online interaction complements existing face-to-face based social relationships
• Existing relationships strengthened
• Loneliness decreased

Question 13

How do online relationships compare to face-to-face based relationships?

Answer 13

• Progress faster
• Become intimate faster
• Deteriorate and end faster
• Include more identity management
• Lead to more disappointment face-to-face