Adolescents are particularly susceptible to feelings of loneliness and social relationships are therefore an important part of their development. The aim of the present study is to explore the patterns of adolescents' use of Social Network Sites, e.g. Facebook, in relation to friendships, focusing on the differences between teenagers with a high and low level of loneliness. Participants (N=988) were aged 14-22 (M age = 16.32, SD = 1.59) and attended secondary schools in the north of Italy. The "loneliness group" includes more girls, older adolescents and subjects dissatisfied with their online and offline relationships; lonely adolescents consider their online contacts less as "true friends" and meet friends less frequently in person than the "no loneliness" group; the "loneliness" group believe it is easier to relate with peers online. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Biolcati, R., Cani, D. (2015). Feeling alone among friends: Adolescence, social networks and loneliness. WEBOLOGY, 12(2), 1-9.

Feeling alone among friends: Adolescence, social networks and loneliness

BIOLCATI, ROBERTA;CANI, DIANA
2015

Abstract

Adolescents are particularly susceptible to feelings of loneliness and social relationships are therefore an important part of their development. The aim of the present study is to explore the patterns of adolescents' use of Social Network Sites, e.g. Facebook, in relation to friendships, focusing on the differences between teenagers with a high and low level of loneliness. Participants (N=988) were aged 14-22 (M age = 16.32, SD = 1.59) and attended secondary schools in the north of Italy. The "loneliness group" includes more girls, older adolescents and subjects dissatisfied with their online and offline relationships; lonely adolescents consider their online contacts less as "true friends" and meet friends less frequently in person than the "no loneliness" group; the "loneliness" group believe it is easier to relate with peers online. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
2015
Biolcati, R., Cani, D. (2015). Feeling alone among friends: Adolescence, social networks and loneliness. WEBOLOGY, 12(2), 1-9.
Biolcati, Roberta; Cani, Diana
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/537483
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