The effect of social network sites on adolescents' social and academic development: Current theories and controversies
Abstract
Teenagers are among the most prolific users of social network sites (SNS). Emerging studies find that youth spend a considerable portion of their daily life interacting through social media. Subsequently, questions and controversies emerge about the effects SNS have on adolescent development. This review outlines the theoretical frameworks researchers have used to understand adolescents and SNS. It brings together work from disparate fields that examine the relationship between SNS and social capital, privacy, youth safety, psychological well‐being, and educational achievement. These research strands speak to high‐profile concerns and controversies that surround youth participation in these online communities, and offer ripe areas for future research.
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Only very recently, the focus has shifted toward younger population groups.
“Only very recently, the focus has shifted toward younger population groups [22-26].”
From Internet use and access, behavior, cyberbullying, and grooming: Results of an investigative whole city survey of adolescents (2017) · cites this paper as [23]
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- Authors
- Ahn, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ahn, June
- ORCID
- Ahn, June
- Venue
- Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-04-26
- Volume
- 62
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1435-1445
- ISSN
- 1532-2882 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-2890
- OpenAlex
- W2044496027
- Cited by
- 356
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 40 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 40 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 61.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Education › Child Development and Digital Technology
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Keywords
- social network sites, adolescents, adolescent development, social capital, online privacy, youth safety, psychological well-being, academic performance, social media use, theoretical framework
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