scholarly journals Internet Use and Suicidal Ideation among Young People: A Narrative Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tan Zong Yan ◽  
Norhayati Ibrahim ◽  
Normah bte Che Din ◽  
Kok Jin Kuan
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Young People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Internet Suicide ◽  
Use Of The Internet

The Internet is being widely used by many, and it has greatly affected the medical field, especially in terms of the learning and practice of psychiatry. Record-keeping and the transmission of information are facilitated and made available to many through accessibility to the Internet. However, there are some shortcomings following the advancement of the Internet. Suicide, which is regarded as a serious public health issue, has been related to the use of the Internet. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize and assess the existing work on the influence of internet usage over suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among young people. The appropriate studies were identified through four databases, namely Ebscohost, Ovid, PsyArticle and SAGE Publications. The key terms employed in the search were “problematic Internet use”, “Internet use”, “suicidal*” and “adolescent*”, and the publications were limited to the years 2005 to 2015. A total of fourteen studies were included in this review. The results suggested an association between search trends with the suicide-related terms and the suicide rate. In addition, young people also tend to portray their suicidal ideation through the Internet. Besides, the websites that were accessed using the suicide-related terms tended to be both pro- and anti-suicide. Therefore, it is suggested that future research should be aimed at developing websites which can provide assistance to the group at risk.

Accessing Global Information

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-42
Author(s):  
Benina Gould ◽  
Yayah Khisbiyah ◽  
Jeffrey B. Gould
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Young People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Muslim World ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Global Information ◽  
Pluralistic Society ◽  
Muslim Countries ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Use Of The Internet

Internet use, an important portal for globalization, has grown dramatically in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries. Little is known about students’ use of the Internet to obtain information about current Islamic and non-Islamic issues. Sixty-one students ‒ ages fifteen to nineteen from three pesantrens, three madrasahs, and one secular high school in Solo, Indonesia ‒ were surveyed and classified as expressing conservative (twenty-seven), modernist (twenty-four), and moderate (ten) views. They were asked to recommend three Internet sites and the reasons for their choice. We found that regardless of student outlook the Internet was not a major source of Islamic or non-Islamic news. Fifty-five sites were recommended, indicating there were no universally popular sites. Students tended to favor sites that were in keeping with their views. However, all three types of schools had studentswith modernist, conservative, and moderate views.These findings support Indonesia’s uniqueness as a pluralistic society in the Muslim world. Although we found limited use of the Internet and a lack of uniformly popular sites in 2009, the Internet has the potential to influence young people in the future. It will be important to follow the patterns of use by Indonesian youth in pesantrens and other schools to assess if this pluralism persists or extremists’ sites grow in popularity.

Harmful or helpful? The role of the internet in self-harming and suicidal behaviour in young people

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Bell
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Suicidal Behaviour ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Harm

Purpose – The internet plays an important role in the lives of self-harming and suicidal young people yet little is known about how internet use influences this behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to examine the evidence base with a view to determining directions for future research and practice. Design/methodology/approach – Literature relating to self-harming and suicidal behaviour, young people, and the internet is reviewed with a focus on content and methodology. Findings – The internet provides access to: “how-to” descriptions of suicide; unregulated/illegal online pharmacies; forums to spread this information; access to others seeking to end their own lives. Such sites are believed to elevate risk amongst vulnerable individuals. Conversely, the internet provides access to intervention and prevention activity, online support groups, advice, and personal chat. These can be a key resource in helping young people. There is a lack of consensus on what constitutes harmful and helpful online exchange, often evidenced in disparity between the perceptions of professionals and users. Research limitations/implications – Research is needed to map out a more accurate picture of suicide and self-harm resources on the internet and to establish a consensus about what constitutes harmful and helpful exchange. This needs to be based on: a comprehensive and informed range of search terms; a clear distinction between types of resource; a clear and consistent rationale for distinguishing and categorizing sites; a systematic replicable methodology for plotting the scope, content, accessibility, and popularity of web resources at a given point in time; the views of young people who use these sites, as well as practitioners and professionals. Practical implications – Practitioners need to: regularly assess the quantity, quality, and nature of self-harm/suicide focused internet use amongst service users; be aware of which sites are most appropriate for particular individuals; promote sites directed at young people that enhance effective coping. Professional mental health organizations need to find ways of ensuring that: they are consistently well represented amongst search results online; sites are readily accessible; more practitioners are trained in text-based communications. Originality/value – This paper offers a framework and rationale for future research and for those involved in service provision, policy, and practice.

Cyberkids or divided generations? Characterising young people’s internet use in the UK with generic, continuum or typological models

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1104-1122 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Empirical Basis ◽  
Latent Class Analyses ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
The Uk

Young people are often characterised as cyberkids in reference to an assumed intense engagement and natural affinity with the internet. This article critiques the empirical basis for such claims and explores two alternative perspectives: namely, continua of use and typologies of use. Using UK data on 12–15 year old home internet users, a series of descriptive and latent class analyses of young people’s internet use is presented. Results show there is little support for cyberkid characterisations and a proposed continuum of use is also shown to not fit the data. A three-way typology of use is instead presented which suggests a third of young home internet users make only limited use of the internet and the remaining two-thirds diverge into informational and creational/communicative users. These findings are used to argue that Mannheim’s notion of generational units may be a useful way to characterise young people’s internet use.

scholarly journals Awareness of eSafety and Potential Online Dangers among Children and Teenagers

10.28945/3864 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 319-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gila Cohen Zilka
Keyword(s):  
Internet Use ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Individual Case ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Aim/Purpose: Awareness of eSafety and potential online dangers for children and teenagers. Background The study examined eSafety among children and teenagers from their own perspectives, through evaluations of their awareness level of eSafety and of potential online dangers. Methodology: This is a mixed-method study with both quantitative and qualitative elements. The study includes questionnaires and interviews. A total of 345 participants from Israel completed questionnaires; 90 children and teenagers were interviewed from among the participants. Contribution: The study examined the awareness of children and youths of safe online surfing. It also examined the degree of exposure of children and youths to positive and negative aspects of the Internet. This study illustrates the dual potential of Internet use within the context of eSafety, as seen through the eyes of children and teenagers. Characteristics of use of the Internet are liable to increase the danger to and the bullying of youths and by youths in the digital domain. It also demonstrates the promises of using the Internet for productive learning and leisure activities. Findings: Findings show that the children and teenagers who participated in the study reported a medium-high level of awareness. Issues that participants were concerned about included avoiding contact with strangers and cyberbullying, not necessarily by strangers, but also by friends. Recommendations for Practitioners : It is important to examine how children perceive online events for the purpose of examining their statements regarding eSafety and the way they view problematic or dangerous online events, as well as how they believe they can cope with them. Recommendation for Researchers: The study recommends incorporating in future studies individual case studies and allowing participants to express how they perceive complex online situations. Impact on Society: This study illustrates the dual potential, positive and negative aspects, of Internet use within the context of eSafety, as seen through the eyes of children and teenagers. Future Research: Future studies should track changing eSafety awareness and behavior longitudinally to identify the impact of maturation and experience on their behavior and attitudes.

scholarly journals Images on the internet: A systematic review of studies on the impact of on-line sharing and viewing of self-harm related videos and photographs in young people. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Marchant ◽  
Keith Hawton ◽  
Lauren Burns ◽  
Anne Stewart ◽  
Ann John
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
On Line ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
User Perspectives ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Impacts

BACKGROUND Given recent moves to remove or blur self-harm imagery or content posted online, it is important to understand the impact on young people of posting, viewing and reposting self-harm images. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to systematically review research related to the emotional and behavioural impact on children and young people of viewing or sharing self-harm related videos or images online. METHODS We searched databases (including EMBASE, Psychinfo and MEDLINE) from January 1991 to February 2019. Search terms were categorised into: internet use; images non-specific and specific to the internet; self-harm and suicide. Stepwise screening against specified criteria and data extraction were completed by two independent reviewers. Eligible articles were quality assessed and a narrative synthesis conducted. RESULTS 19 independent studies (20 articles) were included. Four studies focused on images, ten (11 articles) on videos and five on both. There were four quantitative, nine qualitative and seven mixed methods articles. Eleven articles were rated as high quality. There has been an increase in graphic self-harm imagery over time. Potentially harmful content congregated on platforms with little moderation, anonymity and easy searches for images. A range of reactions and intentions were reported in relation to posting or viewing images of self-harm: from empathy, a sense of solidarity and the use of images to give or receive help; to potentially harmful ones suggesting new methods, normalisation and exacerbation of self-harm. Viewing images as an alternative to self-harm or a creative outlet were regarded in two studies to be positive impacts. Reactions of anger, hostility and ambivalence were reported. There was some evidence of a role of imitation and reinforcement, driven in part, by numbers of comments and wound severity but this was not supported by time series analyses. CONCLUSIONS While the results of this review support concerns related to safety and exacerbation of self-harm through viewing images of self-harm, the potential for positive impacts should not be underestimated. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness and any potential harms of current posting restrictions, incorporate user perspectives and develop recovery-oriented content. Clinicians assessing distressed young people should ask about internet use, including access to self-harm images, as part of their assessment.

Accessing Global Information

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-42
Author(s):  
Benina Gould ◽  
Yayah Khisbiyah ◽  
Jeffrey B. Gould
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Young People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Muslim World ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Global Information ◽  
Pluralistic Society ◽  
Muslim Countries ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
Use Of The Internet

Internet use, an important portal for globalization, has grown dramatically in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries. Little is known about students’ use of the Internet to obtain information about current Islamic and non-Islamic issues. Sixty-one students ‒ ages fifteen to nineteen from three pesantrens, three madrasahs, and one secular high school in Solo, Indonesia ‒ were surveyed and classified as expressing conservative (twenty-seven), modernist (twenty-four), and moderate (ten) views. They were asked to recommend three Internet sites and the reasons for their choice. We found that regardless of student outlook the Internet was not a major source of Islamic or non-Islamic news. Fifty-five sites were recommended, indicating there were no universally popular sites. Students tended to favor sites that were in keeping with their views. However, all three types of schools had studentswith modernist, conservative, and moderate views.These findings support Indonesia’s uniqueness as a pluralistic society in the Muslim world. Although we found limited use of the Internet and a lack of uniformly popular sites in 2009, the Internet has the potential to influence young people in the future. It will be important to follow the patterns of use by Indonesian youth in pesantrens and other schools to assess if this pluralism persists or extremists’ sites grow in popularity.

scholarly journals Feelings of Loneliness: Understanding the Risk of Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents with Internet Addiction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugénie Khatcherian ◽  
Daniele Zullino ◽  
Diego De Leo ◽  
Sophia Achab
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Made In

The Internet has become an essential tool for adolescents. It is part of their social integration within peers and supports their identity construction. The Internet can also become a source of addiction; especially when used as a coping strategy towards unpleasant life situations. The feeling of loneliness is an emotion present during the adolescence. However, when in excess, it can lead to suicidal ideations. We questioned ourselves on the impact of an excessive use of the Internet by adolescents, with their feeling of loneliness and the risks of suicidal ideations. We attempted to find an answer to this question by performing a literature review. We found one result matching our search criteria’s, which is itself a literature review. We noted the absence of studies with regards to the interaction between the feeling of loneliness, the addiction to the Internet, and the risk of suicidal ideations amongst adolescents. We established a theoretical model which could be used as a lead for future research. We insist on the importance that studies are made in this domain, in order to enable us to establish efficient preventive measure on the risks of suicidal ideations amongst adolescents.

scholarly journals Awareness of eSafety and Potential Online Dangers among Children and Teenagers

10.28945/3683 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gila Cohen Zilka
Keyword(s):  
Internet Use ◽  
Individual Case ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Violent Content ◽  
Teenagers And Young Adults ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
High Level ◽  
Awareness Level

Aim/Purpose: Awareness of eSafety and potential online dangers for children and teenagers. Background: The study examined eSafety among children and teenagers from their own perspectives, through evaluations of their awareness level of eSafety and of potential online dangers. Methodology: This is a mixed-method study with both quantitative and qualitative elements. The study includes questionnaires and interviews. A total of 345 participants from Israel completed questionnaires; 90 children and teenagers were interviewed from among the participants. Contribution: The study examined eSafety among children and teenagers from their own perspectives, through evaluations of their awareness level of eSafety; potential online dangers; level of privacy online; the degree to which using the Internet facilitates their day-to-day life; exposure to positive, useful, enriching and productive content online; exposure to violent content; the degree to which they communicate or refrain from communicating with strangers online; the degree to which participants feel they require tools to cope with online dangers; the degree to which they define themselves as cautious and prudent Internet users; how they feel online dangers may be avoided – all while accounting for differences in gender, age, and socio-demographic background. Findings: Our findings show that the children and teenagers who participated in the study reported a high level of awareness. After computing a general variable expressing participants’ eSafety awareness level by averaging their responses to various statements, the study found that participants’ awareness level is medium-high. Issues that participants were concerned about included avoiding contact with strangers and cyberbullying, not necessarily by strangers, but also by friends. Recommendations for Practitioners: It is important to teach safe practices for Internet use and ways of coping with cyberbullying in order to maximize the potential inherent in the use of the Internet, and to avoid exposure to online dangers. Recommendation for Researchers: The study examined eSafety awareness by assessing and questioning children and teenage participants regarding their eSafety awareness level, as well as which aspects of Internet use they regard as either positive or negative. The study recommend incorporating in future studies, individual case studies and allowing participants to express how they perceive complex online situations. Impact on Society: This study illustrates the dual potential of Internet use within the context of eSafety, as seen through the eyes of children and teenagers. Future Research: Future studies should analyze differences between children, teenagers, and young adults (up to the age of 24), for the purpose of characterizing eSafety awareness and the effects of abiding by eSafety practices over the years, even after the age of 18, when participants have been using the Internet for relatively many years.

scholarly journals Rethinking Cyberreligion?

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Lövheim
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
To Come

Abstract Since the coming of the Internet scholars have been discussing its implications for the future of religion. With its high levels of Internet use and low levels of religious practice Sweden represents an interesting case for studying these issues. This article presents findings from the first online survey of Swedish teenager’s use of the Internet for religious purposes, conducted at one of the largest social networking sites LunarStorm. The results show that more young people seem to come into contact with religion via the Internet than through local religious communities. However, the findings also challenge several early expectations about the Internet as a new arena for religion in contemporary society. Thus the article initiates a critical discussion of what conclusions may be drawn from these results, and where future research on young people, religion and the Internet should be directed.

The Effect of Suicide-Related Internet Use on Users’ Mental Health

Crisis ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 348-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hajime Sueki
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Psychological Effects ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Suicide Methods ◽  
Internet Users

Background: Previous studies have shown that suicide-related Internet use can have both negative and positive psychological effects. Aims: This study examined the effect of suicide-related Internet use on users’ suicidal ideation, depression/anxiety tendency, and loneliness. Method: A two-wave panel study of 850 Internet users was conducted via the Internet. Results: Suicide-related Internet use (e.g., browsing websites about suicide methods) had negative effects on suicidal ideation and depression/anxiety tendency. No forms of suicide-related Internet use, even those that would generally be considered positive, were found to decrease users’ suicidal ideation. In addition, our results suggest that the greater the suicidal ideation and feelings of depression and loneliness of Internet users, the more they used the Internet. Conclusion: Since suicide-related Internet use can adversely influence the mental health of young adults, it is necessary to take measures to reduce their exposure to such information.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document