Personal Relations in the Internet Age

Transcription

1 Personal Relations in the Internet Age PARIS Research Colloquium, 28 June 2016 Erik van Ingen

2 OTHER RESEARCH Civic and Political Participation > Van Ingen & Van der Meer (2016). Schools or Pools of Democracy? A Longitudinal Test of the Relation Between Civic Participation and Political Socialization. Pol. Beh. > Van Ingen & Wilson (accepted). I volunteer, therefore I am? Factors affecting volunteer role identity. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly Religiosity > Dingemans & Van Ingen (2015). Does religion breed trust? A cross-national study of the effects of [religion] on social trust. J. Scientific Study of Religion > van Ingen & Moor (2015). Explanations of changes in church attendance between 1970 and Social Science Research Inequality and Health > Van Deurzen, Van Ingen & Van Oorschot (2015). Income Inequality and Depression: The Role of Social Comparisons and Coping Resources. European Sociological Review > Van Deurzen, Van Oorschot & Van Ingen (2014). The link between inequality and population health in low and middle income countries: Policy myth or social reality? Plos One 2 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

3 What do we gain?

4 TECHNODETERMINISM, TECHNOPHILY, TECHNOPHOBIA 4 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

5 SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL RELATIONS Does the Rise of the Internet Bring Erosion of Strong Ties? Together with Eva Vriens Fear: rise of social media harms quality relationships e.g. Sherry Turkle Fewer high-quality relationships or less face-to-face talk Study: Changes in Core Discussion Network (CDN) and SNS use (Two waves NELLS) Findings: Positive relation SNS use and # strong ties (cross-sect. + long.) No negative effects of SNS use on talking to strong ties SNS use associated with # ties lost but also # ties acquired 5 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

6 Negative Life Events & online coping N= How do individuals use the Internet in response to their problems (online coping)? defined as thoughts and behaviors - facilitated by the Internet - that help to manage stressful situations (cf. Folkman & Moskowitz 2004) 6

7 How to measure online coping? What is the prevalence of online coping?

8 ONLINE COPING: 7 DIMENSIONS 1. Mental disengagement I turned to the Internet to take my mind off things 2. Active coping I used the Internet to take action to make the situation better 3. Planning I consulted the Internet to come up with a strategy about what to do 4. Emotional support I got emotional support from others through the Internet 5. Instrumental support I got help and advice from other people through the Internet 6. Venting of emotions I expressed my negative feelings on the Internet 7. Positive reinterpretation Or more parsimonious: 1. Disengagement 2. Problem-focused strategies With aid of the Internet I looked for something good 3. in Socioemotional what happened strategies 8 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

9 Venting of Emotions

10 HOW DO PEOPLE USE THE INTERNET? Online Offline Van Ingen, Utz & Toepoel. Online Coping after Negative Life Events: Measurement, Prevalence, and Relation with Internet Activities and Well-Being. Soc. Sc. Comp. Rev. (Online first) 10 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

11 What Internet activities provide coping resources?

12 ONLINE SUPPORT GROUPS Very steep growth All kinds of diseases, disorders, addictions, etc. Much more successful than offline support groups 12 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age 12

13 WHAT S THEIR SECRET? Connecting to similar others > Tailored support, empathy, role modelling > Especially relevant when offline network lacks resources Online disinhibition effect > Especially beneficial for stigmatized health problems people [ ] loosen up, feel less restrained, and express themselves more openly [on the Internet] (Suler 2004) 13 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

14 STIGMATIZATION AND QUALITY OF SUPPORT Van Ingen & Wright. Working paper. Contacting similar others & online disinhibition 14 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

15 BEYOND SUPPORT GROUPS Examples online coping: Youtube - Looking for group (video clip 0:00 2:33m) Our findings: OSGs are positively related to all coping strategies SNSs as well (although some effects are weaker) Online gaming only related to mental disengagement 15 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

16 Does Internet use lead to more or less inequality?

17 DATA COLLECTION Development of digital divide research Access to the Internet Internet skills Internet usage Internet benefits: online coping resources Van Ingen & Matzat. Mobilizing beneficial coping resources online: The role of education, digital skills, and capital-enhancing Internet use for digital inequality. Under review. 17 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

18 RESEARCH QUESTIONS Focus on education: Does educational attainment explain differences in mobilized online coping resources? Why? > What s the role of digital skills? > What s the role of different types of Internet activities? 18 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

19 TOTAL EFFECTS EDUCATION ON COPING Table 3 Total Effects of Education on Mobilized Online and Offline Coping Resources (standardized effects and Z scores) Online Offline Educ Disengament.022 (1.08).008 (0.02) Educ Problem-focused coping.076 **.123 ** (3.99) (4.67) Educ Socioemotional coping (-1.39).072 * (2.88) Follow up paper (Matzat & Van Ingen): Making new online contacts that help you get a job in the Internet age (under review) Higher educated better resources online and offline Similar extent * p<.05; ** p< Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

20 Are social support theories applicable to the Internet?

21 OFFLINE 1. Support domain of strong ties (parents, partners, close friends) > Trust, effort 2. Those with good social relations and skills are advantaged, mobilizing more (effective) coping resources 3. Women mobilize more support Van Ingen & Wright (2016). Predictors of Mobilizing Online Coping versus Offline Coping Resources after Negative Life Events. Computers in Human Behavior Wright & Van Ingen. What determines the quality of relationships in health-related online support groups? Under review 21 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

22 PUZZLE OF ONLINE SUPPORT Social support needs strong ties? > (High) Trust, Effort Relations online support groups short-lived, weak (?) Yet Findings: - Participants online support groups report fairly highquality relationships (depth, supportiveness) # Het begint met een idee Faculty / department / title presentation Het begint met een idee Online support groups very popular (> offline support groups)

23 THINGS DIFFERENT ONLINE? Fewer interactions required when mobilizing support Interactions feel safer (online disinhibition) Those disadvantaged offline in terms of social relations and skills should be less disadvantaged online when mobilizing coping resources > Social compensation hypothesis 23 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

24 FINDINGS Some individuals put more online coping resources in the mix Online coping can be a compensations for those who are > Lonely > Socially isolated > (have) low self-esteem Men mobilize more online coping resources than women 24 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

25 FUTURE RESEARCH THE ELDERLY Does Social Network Site Use Buffer against Well-Being Loss among Older Adults with Reduced Functional Ability? > Together with Steve Rains and Kevin Wright Functional disability Mood, Social Loneliness SNS use 25 Erik van Ingen Personal Relationships in the Internet age

26 Thank you for your attention!