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A longitudinal examination of the psychosocial predictors of online self-disclosure

Wed, April 7, 10:15 to 11:15am EDT (10:15 to 11:15am EDT), Virtual

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescents often express their thoughts and experiences across various online settings. Online self-disclosure occurs when a person reveals aspects of themselves to others via an online platform (Volkova & Bachrach, 2015). While online self-disclosure has been found to increase intimacy and closeness among peers (Lin & Utz, 2017; Utz, 2015) and foster a sense of belonging in social groups (Quinn & Oldmeadow, 2013; Special & Li-Barber, 2012), it also comes with a number of potential risks when information is over-shared. One consequence is increased cyberbullying and cybervictimization (Tokunaga, 2010). Another risk of online self-disclosure involves negative emotionality and rumination. For example, although depressed adolescents are motivated to go online to improve their moods, they actually experience more negative emotions after spending time online (Radovic, Gmelin, Stein & Miller, 2017). Additionally, in a correlational study of adolescents’ Facebook use, the researchers found that girls high in internalizing symptoms use Facebook in ways that mirror co-rumination (Ehrenreich & Underwood, 2016).

Objectives: While previous research has outlined some of the negative outcomes that are associated with over-sharing personal information online, few studies have examined the longitudinal predictors of online self-disclosure and its potential impact on early depression for adolescents. Accordingly, the current study aims to fill this gap by examining predictors of changes in online self-disclosure over time, including demographics, early cell phone ownership, early time spent online, depression, and rumination.

Methods: Participants were recruited from schools in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia from, with a total of 728 adolescents (50.1% girls) in Grade 6 and 7 taking part in the current study. Participants self-reported their demographic background and online self-disclosure (14 items). Hierarchical Linear Regression analysis were used to predict self-disclosure over time. The first step (Block 1) included demographic information. The second step (Block 2) included self-disclosure factors followed by adding in cell phone ownership and time spent online (Block 3). Depression onset was examined in the final steps (Block 4, 5, and 6). Rumination was added in Block 5. Interaction terms of rumination and time spent online were explored in Block 6.

Results: As seen in Table 1, online self-disclosure was related to later online self-disclosure over time, after adjusting for age, gender, and ethnicity. Participants’ reports about online self-disclosure was significantly linked to higher reported levels of late depression. Rumination was significantly related to online self-disclosure overtime.

Conclusion: Although online self-disclosure is ubiquitous for many adolescents, the link between self-disclosure and later depression is especially concerning. This makes designing youth-friendly interventions a top priority for educators and mental healthcare professionals. Furthermore, the current findings highlight how additional research is needed to further explore the relationship between online self-disclosure and internalizing mental health concerns. Implications of these findings can inform youth-friendly services and programs to shift how youth approach sharing information online and the content that they share in an effort to promote positive mental health outcomes.

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