Internet experiences and exposures of children and adolescents: implications for mental health

Ybarra, Michele. (2008, April). Internet experiences and exposures of children and adolescents: implications for mental health. Presented at the Western Psychological Association Conference, Irvine, CA.

Summary:

This presentation reviews the fundamentals of online communication (e.g., what is Instant Messaging?); examines how young people use and experience the Internet in positive ways as well as how the Internet is sometimes used in negative ways(e.g., Internet harassment, exposure to violent material); and discusses emerging evidence that links some of these behaviors and experiences with concerning psychosocial health indicators concurrently reported by youth.

Findings include:

1. The majority of youth who use the Internet have positive experiences and report that none of these types of exposures occur.

2. There are many similarities in the types of problems youth are reporting across types of Internet experiences and exposures. In general, those having problems online are more likely to have problems offline.

3. We need to focus on the child, not the online application.

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