What Protects Adolescents with Youth Subculture Affiliation from Excessive Internet Use?
Keywords
adolescence
youth subcultures
excessive Internet use
protective factors
Slovakia
Publication details
| DOI: | 10.3390/ijerph15112451 |
| Issued: | 2018 |
| Language: | English |
| Volume: | 15 |
| Issue: | 11 |
| Start Page: | 2451 |
| End Page: | 2458 |
| Editors: | |
| Authors: | Filakovska Bobakova D.; Holubcikova J.; Madarasova Geckova A.; Dankulincova Veselska Z. |
| Type: | Journal article |
| Journal: | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
| Publisher: | MDPI AG |
| Topics: | Internet usage, practices and engagement; Risks and harms; Online safety and policy regulation |
| Sample: | A total of 10,179 adolescents from the 5th to 9th grades of these schools (response rate: 78.8%) participated in the study. The cleaned dataset comprised 1596 11-year-old adolescents, 2200 13-year-old adolescents and 144915-year-old adolescents. The final sample for this study consisted of adolescents who responded to questionnaires thatincluded measures on EIU and SA. These measures were used only among 15-year-old adolescents(N= 1449) in 50% of the questionnaires administered (N= 683). |
Abstract
Youth subculture affiliation (SA) appears to be an important risk factor with regard to adolescents’ problem behavior. Excessive Internet use (EIU) has emerged as a new type of problem behavior; however, it has not yet been studied in adolescents affiliated with youth subcultures. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the association between SA and EIU and to explore the role of selected protective factors. We used data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study conducted in 2014 in Slovakia. The final sample for this study comprised 532 adolescents (mean age: 15.4; 49.6% boys). Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations of EIU with SA. Adolescents with SA were more likely to report EIU. Adjustment for protective factors decreased the association between EIU and SA. From all tested interactions, only the interaction of SA with family support was found to be significant. The relationship between family support and EIU was mediated via Monitoring by the mother only in adolescents without SA. Our findings imply that the risk of EIU is higher in adolescents with SA. There was a difference in how protective factors worked in adolescents with and without SA.
Outcome
"Based on descriptive statistics, statistically significant differences between adolescents with subculture affiliation (SA) and without were found regarding extensive internet use (EIU), the amount of time they spent on a computer and monitoring by the mother." (Filakovska Bobakova, et al., 2018) No statistically significant differences were found regarding family well off, monitoring by the father and family support.
Based on significant interaction of SA with Family support, the research shows that the relationship between Family support and EIU was mediated by Monitoring by the mother, but only in adolescents without SA.