Citation

Harman JP, Hansen CE, Cochran ME, Lindsey CR. Cyberpsychol. Behav. 2005; 8(1): 1-6.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA 71497, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Mary Ann Liebert Publishers)

DOI

10.1089/cpb.2005.8.1

PMID

15738687

Abstract

Misuse of the Internet can affect various aspects of children's social lives. It was predicted that children who misrepresent themselves on the Internet would have less well-developed social skills, lower levels of self-esteem, and higher levels of social anxiety and aggression. The frequency of Internet use was also assessed. Students aged 11-16 years were recruited for the study from classes after obtaining consent. Questionnaires included a query of Internet behaviors, the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters Appropriate Social Skills and Inappropriate Assertiveness subscales, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and the Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised. It was found that children who reported the most faking behavior on the Internet (e.g., pretending to be older) had poorer social skills, lower levels of self-esteem, higher levels of social anxiety, and higher levels of aggression. Frequency of use, however, did not affect these factors in the current study.

Language: en