A1 Journal article (refereed)
Adolescents’ online communication and well-being : Findings from the 2018 health behavior in school-aged children (HBSC) study (2022)
Lyyra, N., Junttila, N., Gustafsson, J., Lahti, H., & Paakkari, L. (2022). Adolescents’ online communication and well-being : Findings from the 2018 health behavior in school-aged children (HBSC) study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, Article 976404. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.976404
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Lyyra, Nelli; Junttila, Niina; Gustafsson, Jasmine; Lahti, Henri; Paakkari, Leena
Journal or series: Frontiers in Psychiatry
eISSN: 1664-0640
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 06/10/2022
Volume: 13
Article number: 976404
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Publication country: Switzerland
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.976404
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Open Access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/83517
Abstract
Materials and methods: Data were collected from Finnish adolescents as part of the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study in 2018. The participants were 3,140 Finnish adolescents aged 11–15 years. Descriptive analyses were used to examine the frequency of different forms of online communication behaviors. The associations between online communications and individual factors were analyzed using the X2 test and 95% confidence intervals. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the extent to which adolescents’ online communication behavior explained the variance in adolescents’ well-being indicators.
Results: Overall, 60% of the adolescents reported communicating intensively with close friends, with higher rates of intensive communication reported by girls, higher age groups, and the high health literacy group. 22% of adolescents reported intensive communication with friends they got to know through the internet (online friends), while intensive online communication with unknown people was reported by 13% of adolescents. Overall, around one-fourth of adolescents preferred sharing personal matters online rather than in face-to-face encounters, and 10% of adolescents reported using the internet daily to get to know new people, and to look for like-minded company. The SEM analysis showed that keeping online contact with offline friends was linked to a positive outcome in all the measured well-being indicators; however, intensive communication with people contacted only online (online friends and unknown people) was negatively associated with well-being indicators (lower self-rated health, lower life satisfaction, higher loneliness, and problematic social media use).
Conclusion: Both positive and negative associations were observed between online communication and well-being, depending on the target and content of the communication. The results indicate that online communication has benefits for adolescents who have more offline social life. Overall, one should ensure that the impact of interventions is proportionately greater for adolescents at the bottom end of the health gradient.
Keywords: young people; network communication; well-being; health; loneliness; online communities; social relations; social media
Free keywords: online communication; well-being; health; loneliness; social media; adolescence
Contributing organizations
Related projects
- Lasten ja nuorten mielenterveys vuosina 1984-2022 - WHO-Koululaistutkimus (HBSC-Study) neljä
vuosikymmentä- Paakkari, Leena
- Juho Vainio Foundation
- Koululaisten sosiaalisen median käytön turvataidot: osaamisen kehittäminen ja puheeksi ottamisen tukeminen perusopetuksessa
- Paakkari, Leena
- Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Related research datasets
Ministry reporting: Yes
VIRTA submission year: 2022
JUFO rating: 1