“I’m a mother, but I’m also a facilitator in her every-day life”: Parents’ voices about barriers and support for internet participation among young people with intellectual disabilities

In general, the Internet is an arena where parents (as well as other adults) have limited insight and possibilities to support the young person. However, several studies indicate that parents are one of the most important facilitators in the every-day life of young persons with intellectual disabilities. Therefore, the aim of the current article is to highlight parents’ perceptions and actions in relation to opportunities and barriers for these young people when using the Internet. The empirical material consists of interviews with 22 parents of intellectually challenged young people in Sweden. The transcribed interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis, which is a method of identifying, analysing and reporting patterns within data sets. The results show that parents’ views are double-edged; on the one hand, they see great possibilities for their children, thanks to the Internet, but on the other hand, they are afraid that due to their disability, their children are more sensitive to different contents and interactions on the Internet. Furthermore, the results indicate that parents believe that the Internet can facilitate participation in social life, but that it precludes young people with intellectual disabilities from being part of society in general when it comes to community functions and services. This article will discuss barriers and support in relation to the individual and her or his support system, which brings into focus the parent’s responsibility and support for young people, helping them to surmount barriers – instead of avoiding or ignoring them – and find ways to take action to do so.

Download Full-text

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT AS A PREDICTOR OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF A LIFE MODEL IN THE FIELD OF PROFESSION

RSUH/RGGU Bulletin Series Psychology Pedagogics Education ◽

10.28995/2073-6398-2021-1-142-159 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 142-159

Author(s):

Mariya М. Odintsova ◽

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Intergenerational Transmission ◽

Career Planning ◽

Young Person ◽

Family Values ◽

The Internet ◽

Professional Activities ◽

The Social ◽

Life Model ◽

The Individual

A lot of modern psychological studies point to the inextricable link between the real and the Internet space in the context of the process of socialization of the individual, structuring the life scenario, in particular in the field of professional development. However, the integration of various predictors associated with the characteristics of the modern labor market and, as a consequence of career planning, life scenario is a methodological problem. To solve it, research design was applied, based on a combination of theoretical and empirical, quantitative and qualitative analysis. The aim of the study was the desire to clarify the role of the content of social networks in the formation of the life model of the professional sphere in the personal life space. It is suggested that the components of life models in the field of the profession broadcast on the Internet may be similar to the constructs already available in young people. The empirical research was carried out in several stages. At the first stage, semantic and content analysis of more than 170,000 posts over the past 2 years from the 20 most popular communities of the social network was carried out using special computer programs. The results of the analysis were the identified features of the components of the life model in the field of the profession, broadcast in the information space. At the second stage, the peculiarities of personal ideas of young people about building their own professional path, as well as the perception of the experience of parents’ professional activities were investigated. The sample consisted of 166 respondents; the average age was 21 years. The results obtained confirm the assumption about the similarity of the characteristics of the components of life models in the field of the profession, presented in the posts of Internet communities and the characteristics of the constructed life scenario in the field of the profession by the respondents themselves. The ideas about professional life and its further construction are probably associated with intergenerational transmission and traditional family values, the personal interests of a young person, his/her abilities, as well as with the tendencies learned in the process of intergenerational transmission of values and certain ideas in the circle of contemporaries presented on the Internet.

Download Full-text

The effectiveness of the prevention of psychoactive substance abuse among adolescents with a mild cognitive impairment. The experiences from “My life, my choice” project

Men Disability Society ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.5017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 79-94

Author(s):

Bartłomiej Walczak ◽

Marcin J. Sochocki

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

World Literature ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Psychoactive Substances ◽

High Demand ◽

Preventive Program ◽

Current Article ◽

The Subject ◽

People With Intellectual Disabilities

The subject of prevention of the use of psychoactive substances by young people with intellectual disabilities is definitely underrepresented, if at all present, both in Polish and world literature. Meanwhile, research shows a high demand for preventive measures in this group. The current article presents the assumptions of the pioneering preventive program “My life, my choice”, addressed to young people with intellectual disabilities and discussion of the results of its evaluation. The analysis focuses in particular on the effectiveness of the actions taken and the perception of individual elements of the program by the recipients. The collected data indicate a significan effectiveness of the program in four of the five areas, as well as the importance of selective preventive interactions.

Download Full-text

The Evaluation of Characteristics of Turkish Z Generation Living Abroad Through Graphology

European Journal of Social Sciences Education and Research ◽

10.26417/ejser.v11i2.p363-363 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 363

Author(s):

Neriman KARA

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Social Life ◽

Empirical Studies ◽

Real Life ◽

The Internet ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Turkish People ◽

The One ◽

The Individual

The characteristics of Z generation individuals constituting the majority of today’s youth are quite different from those of previous generations’ individuals. The individuals of this generation who spend their each and every moment on the internet and live their social life on this environment can shape their real life with this virtual life as well. While the fact that they can reach any information they want at any time enables them to be more brilliant on the one hand, this also prevents their emotional intelligence from improving. These individuals have some features like being rather self-confident, independent, introvert, dissatisfied, communicating only via social media, knowing what they want, expressing themselves quite well and desire to have all the control on their hand. Besides observations and empirical studies, it’s also possible to evaluate the characteristics of the individuals and their lives by means of Graphology, whose validity and reliability have already been proved to be true and which has well-established in literature today. Graphology elicits the characteristics of the individual under the umbrella of the information based on his writing and signature. The aim of this study is to evaluate by means of Graphology whether the characteristics of Z generation living in Turkey and those of living in abroad are similar to each other or not. In this study, a group of 15 Turkish people living in England, who are Z generation individuals, will be investigated with the help of Graphology. Thanks to this study, Z generation individuals’ features already available in the literature in Turkey will be compared with the findings that will be available at the end of our study.

Download Full-text

The use of information and communication technologies by young people with intellectual disabilities in the context of digital inequalities and digital exclusion

E-methodology ◽

10.15503/emet.v5i5.521 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. 11-23

Author(s):

Piotr Plichta

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Research Field ◽

The Internet ◽

Information And Communication ◽

People With Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Use Of The Internet ◽

Digital Exclusion ◽

Independent Functioning

Thesis. Although we have convincing data on the use of the Internet[1] by young people in the general population (also adults), our knowledge about its use by people with disabilities remains a lot more limited. The reasons for this include a shortage of research on access to ICT, the use of such technologies by users with varying disabilities, and the support they receive in this respect. This applies in particular to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Aim. The aim of the paper is to introduce the state of knowledge and selected challenges for the research field and the practice addressing young people with intellectual disabilities. The article is also focused on the different dimensions of inequalities and proposes a model of the areas of implementation of media education practices. Conclusions. The role of ICT in the life of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) should be analysed in the context both of benefits and barriers that may create the risk of exclusion. In terms of benefits, the analysis pertains to the Internet e.g. as a tool for new forms of interactions with the world, as a sphere of freedom and independent functioning as well as a chance for their empowerment. When analysing the context of the risk related to the use of the Internet by young people with ID one should not neglect e.g. various forms of abuse and other threats.

Download Full-text

New Em@ncipatory Landscapes? Young People With Intellectual Disabilities, Internet Use, and Identification Processes

Advances in Social Work ◽

10.18060/21428 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 645-662 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Martin Molin ◽

Emma Sorbring ◽

Lotta Löfgren-Mårtenson

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Social Networking ◽

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Social Networking Sites ◽

Internet Use ◽

The Internet ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Social Work Practitioners ◽

People With Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Identification Processes

Although research on young people’s identification processes on the Internet is a growing field, few studies illustrate conditions for young people with intellectual disabilities (ID). Previous studies have shown that young people with ID are worried about being marginalized, and that many in fact are lonelier than other young people. Internet and social networking sites might be of vital importance as a space for exploring alternative and less stigmatized identities. This article reports findings from individual interviews with 27 young people with ID in Sweden. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using a thematic content analysis. A prominent finding concerned the informants being well aware of both risks and opportunities using Internet and Social Networking Sites. Consequently, the more they interacted with non-disabled peers, the more they experienced negative consequences of Internet use. These circumstances rather lead to downsizing than upsizing Internet use, and less participation on Social Networking Sites. The experiences of the informants are discussed in a conceptual framework of social identity, participation, and emancipation. We recommend that social work practitioners reflect upon the ways that support can be arranged in order to empower young people with ID to participate on the Internet.

Download Full-text