Online communication with different types of friends can affect teens' mental well-being
In a study in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, researchers found that online communication with friends was associated with adolescents' mental well-being, but patterns varied by both frequency of communication and the type of friendship.
A recent study published in Child and Adolescent Mental Health has found that the type of online communication that teens engage in can significantly impact their mental well-being. Researchers analyzed data from 3,034 15-year-olds participating in the Swedish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children surveys conducted in 2017/2018 and 2021/2022.
The study revealed that intense online communication with close friends and larger groups was associated with better mental well-being, while moderate or intense communication with online-only friends was linked to poorer well-being, particularly among girls and adolescents who perceived their families as less wealthy. The study's corresponding author, associate professor Viviane S. Straatmann of Stockholm University, emphasized the importance of considering the social context of online interactions when discussing their implications for adolescent well-being, highlighting that it's not only how much adolescents communicate online that matters, but also who they communicate with.
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