Online Behaviour Flashcards
Has online communication changed how we interact with other people?
- Internet use was negatively related to “social connectedness” and well-being
- Internet improved social connectedness and well-being in adolescents
- However, only applied to adolescents that use the internet mostly for existing friendships
Why online communication affects us?
- Online communication stimulates online self-desclosure
- Less inhibition to disclose intimate information due to reduced visual, auditory and contextual cues - Online self-disclosure enhances relationship quality
- Both face-to-face an online disclosure are related to closeness and friendship formation - High quality relationships promote wellbeing
- Online communication improved quality of adolescent friendship and life situation
Who benefits most from Online use?
People who use technology to talk to existing friends
Solitary online activities have no effects on well-being
- Adolescent boys seem to benefit more than girls from online communication with existing friends
Mental Health & Internet Use
Social anxiety & the internet
2 key hypothesis:
Social compensation hypothesis:
- Mainly socially anxious people that use online communication (due to reduced cues)
The “rich-get-richer” hypothesis:
- It is mostly the socially competent people that use online communication
–> Most studies support the “rich-get-richer” hypothesis, but more anxious people prefer online to offline self-disclosure
Internet Use: benefits for people suffering from mental health disorders
Online support groups & forums
- reading about social anxiety disorder and participating in online support groups found to be effective in treatment of social anxiety disorder
Therapy delivered online
- Internet based behavioural therapy (ICBT) was found to be as effective as group CBT delivered in a psychiatric setting
Online social support in physical health
People used internet support groups particularly for stigmatised illnesses such as AIDS & prostate cancer
- Joining peer support groups led to as much improvement in physiological, behavioural and mental health as did conventional diabetic management
Online dating facts
- A woman’s desirability online peaks at 21
- At 26, women have more online pursuers than men
- By 48, men have twice as many pursuers than women
Men lie most about
- Age
- Height
- Income
Women lie most about
- Weight
- Physical Build
- Age
Online dating photographs
- Online daters rated their photos as relatively accurate
- Independent judges rated approx 1/3 of photos as inaccurate
- Female photos less accurate (more likely to be older, retouched, taken professionally etc)
- Online daters struggle to balance need to appear attractive and risk of being perceived as deceitful in face-to-face meetings
Effects of cyber bullying on victims
Average 20-40% have been victims
Effects depend on frequency, length and severity of the malicious acts and include:
Academic problems
- Drop in grades
- Perceptions on school as not safe
- Accumulating suspensions and even carrying guns at school
Psychological problems
- Depression
- Social anxiety
- Decreased self-esteem
- Affective disorders
- Suicide attempts
Social problems
- Detachment
- Externalised hostility
- Delinquency
Malicious Trolling
Widespread activity of online provocation intended to cause psychological harm
Example:
- Effort to place offensive materials on memorial sites (RIP trolling) - defaced by placing offensive commentary and imagery that mocks the deceased person, intended to cause suffering to grieving persons visiting the site
- Motivations are difficult to understand (mostly due to anonymity)
Seems to have more in common with pseudo-terrorism acts such as bomb hoaxes rather than schoolyard bullying
Issues posed by the lack of identifiability of perpetrators
- The prospect of strong online retaliation serves to facilitate rather than inhibit aggression
- Enrages responses from victims are likely to encourage further provocation by signally that the provocation has hit the mark
- Issues of identity integrity
- Some memorial sites for grieving teenagers are created by trolls that they can control and refuse to take down
Online Behaviour and Acculturation
Maintenance + Adoption = Integration
Maintenance = Separation
Adoption = Assimilation
None = Marginalisation
