Social Consequences of the Internet for Adolescents

TLDR

Adolescents are the primary Internet users, spending more time online and engaging in social interaction than adults, and while early studies warned of negative effects, recent research suggests more positive outcomes. The article reviews the literature on how online communication technologies affect adolescents’ social connectedness and well‑being. The authors explain the divergence by proposing the Internet‑enhanced self‑disclosure hypothesis and outline contingent factors for future research.

Abstract

Adolescents are currently the defining users of the Internet. They spend more time online than adults do, and they use the Internet for social interaction more often than adults do. This article discusses the state of the literature on the consequences of online communication technologies (e.g., instant messaging) for adolescents' social connectedness and well-being. Whereas several studies in the 1990s suggested that Internet use is detrimental, recent studies tend to report opposite effects. We first explain why the results of more recent studies diverge from those of earlier studies. Then, we discuss a viable hypothesis to explain the recent findings: the Internet-enhanced self-disclosure hypothesis. Finally, we discuss some contingent factors that may deserve special attention in future research.