Information sources about face-to-face meetings with people from the Internet : Gendered influence on adolescents’ risk perception and behavior
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | New Media & Society |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14614448211014823 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14614448211014823 |
| Keywords | Adolescence; gender differences; information sources; online socializing; people from the Internet; risk perception |
| Attached files | |
| Description | Adolescents commonly make new social connections online that sometimes result in face-to-face meetings. Despite potential benefits, risk-focused discourse dominates public debates and shapes information shared by sources important for adolescents-news media, preventive programs, peers, parents, and teachers. Our study examines how information about face-to-face meetings from these sources relates to adolescents’ risk perception and engagement in such meetings. Using a sample of 707 Czech adolescents (aged 11–16?years, 46% male), we analyzed these effects for male and female adolescents to reflect the gendered nature of the risk-focused discourse. Male adolescents’ risk perception was not affected by information from any source. Female adolescents’ risk perception was negatively affected by information peers with prior experience with face-to-face meetings but not by other information sources. Female adolescents also perceived face-to-face meetings as riskier in general. We discuss gender differences and the limited impact of information sources on risk perception and provide practical recommendations. |
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