Is the Internet My Friend? A Look at the Moderating Role of Internet Use in the Social Lives of Adolescents

• In Event: Roundtable Session 84
  In Roundtable Session: Negotiating Adolescent Development

Abstract

There is no doubt that the Internet has taken root as a significant social force poised to developmentally impact the lives of young people (Gross, 2004, Valkenburg & Peter, 2007). The current study considers the impact of both offline and online social life and how they impact General Self-Concept, a broad indicator of well-being during adolescence (Ybrandt, 2008). 733 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 18 (M = 15, SD = 2.33) were surveyed on their online and offline social life. Moderator regression analysis revealed a moderating role of online social life in the relationship between offline social life and general self-concept, consistent with a Rich Get Richer hypothesis of online use.

Authors

• Monique Gagné, The University of British Columbia

• Leigh Mijin Yang, The University of British Columbia

• Shereen Khan, The University of British Columbia

• Jenna D. Shapka, The University of British Columbia