Internet Use and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: a Review

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Abstract

The introduction of digital technologies in everyday practices and the reduction of the age of children's access to the Internet creates the need to reflect on the potential benefits and risks associated with digitalization. The article summarizes the main data on the impact of the Internet, in particular social networks, on life satisfaction indicators and symptoms of depression in adolescents. The results of empirical studies conducted in different countries are ambiguous and do not allow to speak about universal effects that apply to all children and adolescents. We assume that the lack of unambiguous conclusions about the impact of digital technologies is due to the nonlinearity and differential effects. In particular, the power of influence depends on the individual characteristics, the intensity of the use of technology, socio-economic characteristics of the child's environment. This review shows the need for a differentiated approach to research the impact of digitalization on the well-being of children and to the practices of supporting the child in his development of the Internet.

General Information

Keywords: Internet, effects of digitalization, social networks, depression, life satisfaction, well-being of children and adolescents

Journal rubric: Theoretical Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/cpse.2019080301

Funding. The study was funded by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (project № 19-18-00271).

For citation: Bochaver A.A., Dokuka S.V., Sivak E.V., Smirnov I.B. Internet Use and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: a Review [Elektronnyi resurs]. Klinicheskaia i spetsial'naia psikhologiia = Clinical Psychology and Special Education, 2019. Vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 1–18. DOI: 10.17759/cpse.2019080301. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Alexandra A. Bochaver, PhD in Psychology, Researcher, Center for Modern Childhood Studies, Institute of Education, National Research University “Higher School of Economics”, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6131-5602, e-mail: a-bochaver@yandex.ru

Sofia V. Dokuka, PhD in Sociology, research fellow of Computational social science laboratory of Institute of education,, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: sdokuka@hse.ru

Elizaveta V. Sivak, Director of the Centre for Modern Childhood Studies of the Institute of Education, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: esivak@hse.ru

Ivan B. Smirnov, PhD, head of Computational social science laboratory of the Institute of Education, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, e-mail: ibsmirnov@hse.ru

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