Current Trends in Internet Based Help-Seeking Behavior by Youth and Implications for Drug Abuse Treatment

Ybarra, Michele. (2010, April). Current Trends in Internet Based Help- Seeking Behaviors by Youth and Implications for Drug Abuse Treatment. Presented at the Digital Media & Comminication Technologies in Adolescent Drugs Abuse Treatment, Washington, DC.

Summary:

This presentation analyzes data from three waves of data of the Growing up with Media study collected in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Specific research questions addressed include:

1) What do we know about how youth use the internet and cell phones?

2) What are their online health information seeking behaviors?

3) What are the implications of this use in terms of interventions?

4) What have other fields (e.g., mental health, HIV) done that may have application for drug abuse treatment.

Findings include:

- More and more, technologies such as the Internet and text messaging are where young people “are”. This is particularly true for older youth, and older girls specifically.

- Race does not seem to be a big factor in text messaging use (although income may be).

- With web-enabled phones, the distinction (and choice between) online and text messaging are blurring.

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