1. Peer Quality and Inappropriate Photos on Facebook and MySpace Predict Changes in Young Adults’ Psychopathology Introduction David E. Szwedo dszwedo@virginia.edu David E. Szwedo, Amori Yee Mikami, Meredyth Evans, Mary K. Higgins, Anne Dawson, & Joseph P. Allen University of Virginia This study was made possible by funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development awarded to Joseph P. Allen, Principal Investigator (Grant#: 9R01HD058305-11A1) Copies available online at: www.teenresearch.org Discussion Method - Use of social-networking websites is associated with the formation of new relationships (Valkenburg, Peter, & Schouten, 2006) - Individuals with extreme low and high numbers of Facebook friends are perceived as less socially attractive (Tom Tong, Van Der Heide, & Langwell, 2008) - Perception of receiving positive messages from others on social-networking websites is associated with positive social self-esteem (Valkenburg, Peter, & Schouten, 2006) - Time spent emailing and instant messaging predicts lower depression scores (Morgan & Cotten, 2003) - Evidence suggests identity claims made on personal websites convey valid information about personality (Vazire & Gosling, 2004) Hypotheses: 1. Greater number of Facebook/MySpace friends will predict decreased anxious/depressive symptoms and increased social withdrawal 2. Greater number of wall posts indicating a personal connection or support will predict decreased anxious/depressive symptoms and social withdrawal 3. Photos of inappropriate behavior will predict increased alcohol-related problem behaviors Participants Full sample from larger study: N = 184 Gender Race/ethnicity Income 85 males 107 Caucasian Median = $40,000 - $59,000 99 females 53 African American 24 Mixed/Other Online sub-sample (present study): N = 64 Gender Race/ethnicity Income 26 males 43 Caucasian Median = $40,000 - $59,000 38 females 14 African American 7 Mixed/Other Measures Anxious/Depressive Symptoms – (Teen Ages 21-22) Assessed using the 18- item anxious/depressed subscale from the Adult Self Report. Higher scores indicate greater problem severity. Sample item: “I feel lonely” (α =.93;.91). Social Withdrawal – (Teen Ages 21-22) Assessed by a close peer using the 9- item withdrawal scale from the Child Behavior Checklist. Higher scores indicate greater problem severity. Sample items: “Would rather be alone than with others” and “Has trouble making or keeping friends” (α =.67;.60). Problematic Alcohol Use – (Teen Ages 21-22) Assessed with a 6-item subscale from the Alcohol and Drug Questionnaire. Sample items: “During the past 30 days, how many times did you drink so much alcohol that you were really drunk”; “During the past 30 days, how many times did you have a hang-over, feel sick, get into trouble with your family or friends, miss school or work, or get into fights as a result of drinking alcohol?” (α =.89;.89). Social Acceptance – (Teen Age 21) – Perceived social acceptance was assessed using the 4-item social acceptance subscale from the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Sample item: “Some people find it’s pretty easy to make friends” (α =.80). Number of Online Friends – (Teen Age 21) – The total number of individuals in participants’ friendship networks was recorded from their Facebook or MySpace page (ICC =.99). Number of Connection Comments – (Teen Age 21) – Coders recorded the number of comments from the 20 most recent wall posts on participants’ pages indicating a personal connection. Indications of connection included talk about past/future meetings, mutual friends, or shared information (ICC =.80). Number of Supportive Comments – (Teen Age 21) – Supportive comments were recorded from the 20 most recent wall posts on participants’ pages. Indicators included comments reflecting caring, encouragement, or validation. (ICC =.98). Inappropriate Photos – (Teen Age 21) – Participants’ photos were coded for the absence vs. presence of at least one picture indicative of deviant behavior. Examples include explicit alcohol use (shots, keg stand, etc.), provocative dress or gestures, or vandalism (Kappa =.59). Results Online Friends X Social Acceptance Gender Family Income Social Acceptance (21) Figure 1. Hierarchical regression paths from markers of social acceptance and online social behavior to anxious/depressive symptoms at age 22. Covariates include gender, family income, and anxious/depressive symptoms at age 21. Coefficients represent standardized betas at entry to the model (covariates entered first and remaining variables entered from top to bottom). Note. N=64; Teen Age in parentheses; * p ≤.05, ** p ≤.01, *** p ≤.001 Figure 3. Hierarchical regression paths from markers of social acceptance and online social behavior to peer- rated social withdrawal at age 22. Covariates include gender, family income, and peer-rated social withdrawal at age 21. Coefficients represent standardized betas at entry to the model (covariates entered first and remaining variables entered from top to bottom). Note. N=64; Teen Age in parentheses; * p ≤.05, ** p ≤.01, *** p ≤.001 - A greater number of Facebook/MySpace friends may be a protective factor for youth who do not feel socially accepted - Feeling connected to others online may buffer symptoms of anxiety or depression associated with low social acceptance - However, a greater number of Facebook/MySpace friends may also indicate a reliance on online social communication at the expense of in-person interactions - Receiving supportive comments from others may increase social confidence or be a marker of social skill or extraversion - Photos of deviant behavior may be indicators of a disposition toward risk- taking behaviors or social popularity Number of Online Friends (21) Number of Connection Comments (21) Number of Supportive Comments (21) Anxious/ Depressive Symptoms (22) Anxious/ Depressive Symptoms (21).23**.76*** -.24* Gender Family Income Social Acceptance (21) Number of Online Friends (21) Number of Connection Comments (21) Number of Supportive Comments (21) Social Withdrawal (22) Social Withdrawal (21) -.31**.30*.27* Figure 4. Results of a hierarchical regression predicting increased problematic alcohol use at age 22 from the presence of inappropriate photos on participants’ Facebook or MySpace pages at age 21. Covariates include gender, family income, and problematic alcohol use at age 21. Results revealed significant main effects for problematic alcohol use at age 21 ( β =.65***) and the presence of inappropriate photos at age 21 ( β =.20**). Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals around the mean. Note. N=64; * p ≤.05, ** p ≤.01, *** p ≤.001 Figure 2. Interaction between perceived social acceptance and number of online friends at age 21 predicting changes in anxious/depressive symptoms at age 22. Note. * p ≤.05, ** p ≤.01, *** p ≤.001 β =.05 β = -.46***