Kjartan Ólafsson

Online Social Networking in Adolescence: Patterns of Use in Six European Countries and Links With Psychosocial Functioning

PURPOSE Online communication tools, such as social networking sites (SNS), have been comprehensively embraced by adolescents and have become a dominant daily social practice. Recognizing SNS as a key context of adolescent development, this study aimed to investigate associations between heavier SNS use, and adolescent competencies and internalizing problems. METHODS Data was collected in six European countries: Greece, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, Romania, and Iceland. Participants were 10,930 adolescents aged 14-17 years (F/M: 5,719/5,211; mean age 15.8 ± .7 years); 62.3% were aged 14-15.9 years and 37.7% were aged 16-17.9 years. Participants reported on their use of online communication tools, and their general competencies and internalizing problems (Youth Self Report). RESULTS SNS are both ubiquitous--used by 70% of adolescents--and engaging, given that 40% of users spend 2 or more hours daily on SNS (labeled heavier SNS use). Heavier SNS use was associated with more internalizing problems, and the relation was consistently more pronounced among younger adolescents. Moreover, heavier SNS use was associated with lower academic performance and lower activities scores, especially for younger adolescents. In contrast, among older adolescents heavier SNS use was positively associated with offline social competence. CONCLUSIONS Although heavier SNS use is associated with higher social competence for older adolescents, it is also associated with increased internalizing problems and diminished competencies in academics and activities, especially for younger adolescents. Age, capturing developmental differences in social and regulatory skills, appears to moderate the effects of heavier SNS use on adolescent functioning.

What Makes a Bully a Cyberbully? Unravelling the Characteristics of Cyberbullies across Twenty-Five European Countries

The characteristics of bullies who act face-to-face and those who do so in cyberspace were compared directly in one sample across twenty-five countries. The role of cross-country differences in technological infrastructure was also explored. Cyberbullies compared to face-to-face bullies were more likely to engage in risky online activities, spend more time online, and found it easier to be themselves online. Private access to the internet did not make a difference. Gender differences showed girls more likely to be cyber- than face-to-face bullies if they have a profile on a social networking site. Age and internet ability beliefs were also positively but not independently associated with cyberbullying. Cross-country differences were small and patterns remained mostly stable across countries, suggesting that individual and not country-level characteristics are pivotal in explaining cyberbullying.

The mobile Internet: Access, use, opportunities and divides among European children

Based on data collected through the Net Children Go Mobile survey of approximately 3500 respondents aged 9–16 years in seven European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom), this article examines the diffusion of smartphones among children and contributes to existing research on mobile digital divides by investigating what influences the adoption of smartphones among children and whether going online from a smartphone is associated with specific usage patterns, thus bridging or widening usage gaps. The findings suggest the resilience of digital inequalities among children, showing how social inequalities intersect with divides in access and result in disparities in online activities, with children who benefit from a greater autonomy of use and a longer online experience also reaching the top of the ladder of opportunities.

Towards a digital adolescent society? The social structure of the Icelandic adolescent blogosphere

The adolescent production of blogs has created an adolescent public sphere that transcends both intimate circles of friends and the adolescent communities of specific schools or neighborhoods. Almost all 15—16 year old adolescents in Iceland regularly read blogs and many read blogs on a daily basis. Blogs by best friends and adolescents in the concrete adolescent community are most popular but a third of the population follows blogs that originate in the more abstract adolescent society. About three out of four girls and one out of three boys maintain their own blogpages and read blogs by other adolescents on a regular basis. Adolescents that write blogs are more involved in various activities associated with higher status in adolescent communities but lower status in the adult-controlled school community. The adolescent blogosphere may constitute an emergent digital adolescent society where inequalities in adolescent communities are reproduced.

The effect of smartphone use on trends in European adolescents’ excessive Internet use

ABSTRACT Despite growing public health concerns data on excessive Internet use (EIU) allowing for comparison between countries and over time are scarce. Our study is the first attempt to evaluate the changes and the impact of mobile access on EIU in Europe. It is based on data from 2 surveys of adolescents implemented in 2010 and 2013 in 7 European countries that used identical methodology; a total of 7663 adolescents were recruited by random stratified sampling. The levels of EIU were compared and a regression model was used to assess the impact of smart devices, the number of activities performed online, and the specific online applications. A small but significant increase of EIU levels was observed in Belgium, Denmark, Romania, the UK, and overall. Although smartphone use is a positive predictor of EIU, it is moderated by the increasing number of activities performed online. The increase in levels of EIU is also associated with the daily use of online games and social networking sites.

Migration Intentions of Rural Youth in Iceland: Can a Large-Scale Development Project Stem the Tide of Out-Migration?

Rural communities in Iceland have been profoundly affected by natural resource management policies. As part of a regional development strategy, a large aluminum smelter and 650-megawatt hydroelectric plant were built in the sparsely populated Eastfjords region. This project was aimed at revitalizing the region and creating employment, enabling youth to stay in their home communities. Using surveys from 1992 through 2007, changes in migration expectations are compared among Eastfjords, equally rural Westfjords far from the project, and the urban capital region. The majority of rural youth want to out-migrate and the project had no discernable effect on such intentions. Regardless of employment opportunities, rural youth increasingly want to move to urban areas or abroad. Gender differences disappeared over time as “female flight” became “youth flight.” Findings suggest large-scale natural resource projects alone are not sufficient, and more comprehensive rural development policies are needed to stem the tide of rural youth out-migration.

Excessive Internet Use and its association with negative experiences

The EIU scale is suitable short tool for use in large epidemiological surveys.The EIU score of 2.6 doubles the probability of behavioral and psychological problems.In adolescence, certain levels of EIU may rather be a symptom than primary disorder. Prevalence data on Internet addiction in Europe are rather scarce due to the lack of agreement on the definition and measurement of the concept. We define Excessive Internet Use (EIU) as such use of online applications that puts the user at risk of adverse consequences. In this paper, we present a cross-country quasi-validation of the five-item Excessive Internet Use scale that is suitable for use in general population surveys. We worked with EU Kids Online II data for children aged 11-16 in 25 European countries and used a set of regression models to assess the probabilities of various negative consequences for each EIU score. A consistent pattern was identified across Europe when controlling for country differences, suggesting good psychometric properties of the scale. Moreover, our results indicate that EIU in children may be a symptom of broader behavioral difficulties rather than a condition, per se.

Community participation and environment of children with and without autism spectrum disorder: parent perspectives

Abstract Aim: This study explored parent perspectives of participation patterns and environmental supports and barriers for high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within their communities compared with a group of children without ASD. Method: The Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth was used to gather online data from parents of 99 children with ASD and 241 children without ASD. Mann–Whitney U test and chi-square tests were used to explore differences between groups and Cohens d was calculated to examine effect sizes. Results: Significant differences between children with and without ASD were observed for all participation and environment summary scores. Children with ASD participated less frequently, were less involved, and their parents were less satisfied with their child’s participation in community-based activities. Parents of children with ASD also identified fewer supports for their child’s participation and more environmental barriers than other parents. Conclusion: Children with ASD participated less in community-related activities than children without ASD as perceived by their parents. Barriers limiting community participation included features of the social and physical environment and limited resources. Significance: Occupational therapists should focus on decreasing environmental challenges in their efforts to facilitate participation of children with ASD in the community.

Underage Use of Social Network Sites: It's About Friends

European self-regulation to ensure childrens safety on social networking sites (SNS) stipulates that children should be old enough to use their services. However, a growing number of children are not. Drawing on data from the Net Children Go Mobile (NCGM) project (2012-2014), this study focuses on children aged 9-12 years, among whom 42% have a profile on Facebook, many with the explicit permission of their parents, despite the explicit policy allowing only children aged 13 years and older. Yet, such parental influence is not the only factor contributing to an underage child having a profile. Hierarchical logistic regressions were conducted in which the odds of having a profile on Facebook among children aged 9-12 years (N=1,723) were predicted. After controlling for demographic variables, Facebook use was connected to daily use of the Internet from home (bedroom and other places), looking for new friends online, and online disinhibition (e.g., being able to talk about different things on the Internet than when speaking to people face-to-face). In terms of parental mediation, restrictions lower the probabilities of an underage child having a SNS profile, while active parental mediation increases the odds. In addition to parental mediation, peer mediation increases the chances of underage Facebook use, indicating that children play a significant role in influencing each other in adoption of new technologies and applications. Finally, digital skills related to communication have a significant effect, suggesting an integrated adoption of communicative practices online. Daily use of mobile devices had no effect in the model.

Editorial: A child-centred perspective on risks and opportunities in cyberspace

In the first decade of the 21st century, the context of children’s media use has changed almost beyond recognition. The expansion of the Internet and other digital media has raised many important questions. Some focus on the potential risks of this development (such as exposure to inappropriate material), while others focus on how this might be related to (or even driving) social change in general. This special issue has grown from the work of the EU Kids Online research network, which since 2006 has been a focal point for new findings and the critical evaluation of children’s use of digital media. In its first phase, the network identified and critically evaluated the findings of around 400 studies, drawing substantive, methodological and policy-relevant conclusions (see for example Livingstone & Haddon, 2009). The network found that the number of studies on children and the Internet has grown steadily since 2000, but these studies have been conducted in many countries, using diverse methods, and have been published in many different languages (see Donoso, Olafsson & Broddason, 2009). With the aim of strengthening the comparative aspect of studies on children and the Internet, the EU Kids Online network surveyed children and parents in 25 European countries in 2010 (see for example Livingstone, Haddon, Gorzig & Olafsson, 2011). The rationale behind this special issue was to serve as a publishing platform for articles addressing the overall topic of children in cyberspace. Researchers from the EU Kids Online network and beyond were invited to submit articles focussing on online opportunities, risks and safety. It is encouraging for future efforts in collecting comparative data on this topic to see how the authors of the seven articles in this volume have employed the data and findings of the EU Kids Online survey. Two of the articles make direct use of the unique EU Kids Online data and the other articles use the survey findings either as a point of departure or for comparison. In the first decade of the 21st century, the context of children’s media use has changed almost beyond recognition. The expansion of the Internet and other digital media has raised many important questions. Some focus on the potential risks of this development (such as exposure to inappropriate material), while others focus on how this might be related to (or even driving) social change in general. This special issue has grown from the work of the EU Kids Online research network, which since 2006 has been a focal point for new findings and the critical evaluation of children’s use of digital media. In its first phase, the network identified and critically evaluated the findings of around 400 studies, drawing substantive, methodological and policy-relevant conclusions (see for example Livingstone & Haddon, 2009). The network found that the number of studies on children and the Internet has grown steadily since 2000, but these studies have been conducted in many countries, using diverse methods, and have been published in many different languages (see Donoso, Olafsson & Broddason, 2009). With the aim of strengthening the comparative aspect of studies on children and the Internet, the EU Kids Online network surveyed children and parents in 25 European countries in 2010 (see for example Livingstone, Haddon, Gorzig & Olafsson, 2011). The rationale behind this special issue was to serve as a publishing platform for articles addressing the overall topic of children in cyberspace.