Gender-related consequences of Internet use perceived by parents in a representative quota sample of adolescents
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Gender-related consequences of Internet use perceived by parents in a representative quota sample of adolescents. / Wartberg, Lutz; Kammerl, R; Bröning, Sonja; Hauenschild, Michaela ; Petersen, Kay Uwe; Thomasius, Rainer.
In: BEHAV INFORM TECHNOL, Vol. 34, No. 4, 2014, p. 341-348.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Gender-related consequences of Internet use perceived by parents in a representative quota sample of adolescents
AU - Wartberg, Lutz
AU - Kammerl, R
AU - Bröning, Sonja
AU - Hauenschild, Michaela
AU - Petersen, Kay Uwe
AU - Thomasius, Rainer
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Only few studies have investigated gender differences in consequences of adolescent Internet use in a general population sample. In this study, we surveyed a representative German quota sample of N=1744 adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years and their caregivers with standardised questionnaires. Parents’ reports showed significant differences between male and female youth in 8 out of 10 problem areas (summarised in a ‘difficulties index’, Cronbach's alpha=0.89) caused by adolescent Internet use. According to parents’ assessment, male adolescents neglected school obligations and friendships outside the Internet more frequently than female adolescents. Compared to girls, boys spent more time and money using the Internet, regarded media use as more important, set wrong priorities in selecting online content, and rather ran into cost traps or legal consequences. More parents of boys than of girls observed adverse effects on adolescents’ physical and mental development. Both parents and adolescents consistently reported excessive media use more frequently for boys. By conducting a multiple linear regression analysis for the full sample, approximately one-third (34%) of the variance in the ‘difficulties index’ was explained by frequency of excessive Internet use. The results highlight the importance of gender-related analyses regarding the consequences of adolescent Internet use.
AB - Only few studies have investigated gender differences in consequences of adolescent Internet use in a general population sample. In this study, we surveyed a representative German quota sample of N=1744 adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years and their caregivers with standardised questionnaires. Parents’ reports showed significant differences between male and female youth in 8 out of 10 problem areas (summarised in a ‘difficulties index’, Cronbach's alpha=0.89) caused by adolescent Internet use. According to parents’ assessment, male adolescents neglected school obligations and friendships outside the Internet more frequently than female adolescents. Compared to girls, boys spent more time and money using the Internet, regarded media use as more important, set wrong priorities in selecting online content, and rather ran into cost traps or legal consequences. More parents of boys than of girls observed adverse effects on adolescents’ physical and mental development. Both parents and adolescents consistently reported excessive media use more frequently for boys. By conducting a multiple linear regression analysis for the full sample, approximately one-third (34%) of the variance in the ‘difficulties index’ was explained by frequency of excessive Internet use. The results highlight the importance of gender-related analyses regarding the consequences of adolescent Internet use.
U2 - 10.1080/0144929X.2014.928746
DO - 10.1080/0144929X.2014.928746
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
VL - 34
SP - 341
EP - 348
JO - BEHAV INFORM TECHNOL
JF - BEHAV INFORM TECHNOL
SN - 0144-929X
IS - 4
ER -
