Hi! My name is Randi Pochtar and I am a junior in the
Her article on self-injury and adolescents as related to Internet-use depicts the impact of message boards on adolescents with self-injurious behavior (http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/dev423407.pdf). The article found that the discussion boards, described by Wallace as asynchronous communication, were firstly a means of support and community for a group of adolescents who otherwise often feel misunderstood. However, the message boards also came to be a means of normalizing self-injury as well as introducing it to adolescents just exploring their identity. I think that it is important to think about, not only how the Internet is impacting adults, but also children and adolescents who are not even yet sure who they are. Adolescents, in trying to develop an identity, will explore their different options by means of clothing, friends, music, and activities. The Internet gives them the ability to be anyone and explore these different identities while maintaining anonymity, but what will be the result?
Those adolescents that have difficulty socializing in school may find it extremely easy to go on the Internet and talk to a stranger, and although this provides social interaction, it may also make the situation worse. Does the Internet space change the way that adolescents explore different areas of their identity since they are not actually socializing in person, but experiencing everything almost second-handedly? Reading other peoples’ blogs about hair-dying and actually dying your hair green are two very different things. I wonder if this could impact the way that adolescents today are realizing their identity. While the Internet certainly allows for easier exploration of different religious, political, and social values, it may also impede their individual growth or introduce them to more dangerous activities they otherwise would not have encountered. I am very interested in learning more about how the Internet space could impact adolescent development as we have learned it thus far.
1 comment:
I think that you made a really interesting point. With children and teens now growing up with the internet and learning how to use the computer at age 3 – what types of consequences does this pose for them in the future? On the one hand, you point out that message boards are kind of therapeutic, acting as a support group and community for teens who felt misunderstood, while on the other hand, the boards also allowed teens to believe that harmful behavior was normal since everyone was doing it. Therefore, even though the teens believe they are getting support, the boards may be more damaging than truly helpful.
With all of the different messages thrown at adolescents today from the media, internet, and parents – who are they supposed to believe and listen to? You hear about internet sites that promote anorexia and chatrooms where teens end up “falling in love” and meeting men who pose as adolescents. The internet can be a very dangerous place for teens who are first trying to figure out who they are and what they stand for - one click can send you in the wrong direction.
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