Gender-Specific Determinants of eHealth Literacy: Results from an Adolescent Internet Behavior Survey in Taiwan

Adolescents’ Internet health information usage has rarely been investigated. Adolescents seek all kinds of information from the Internet, including health information, which affects their Health Literacy that eHealth Literacy (eHL). This study is a retrospective observational study, we have total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, 87% of which were recovered, and we explored the channels that adolescents use to search for health information, their ability to identify false information, and factors affecting the type and content of health information queried. Adolescents believe that the Internet is a good means to seek health information because of its instant accessibility, frequent updating, convenience, and lack of time limits. More boys use the Internet to seek health information than girls in junior high schools (p = 0.009). The Internet is an important source of health information for adolescents but contains extensive misinformation that adolescents cannot identify. Additionally, adolescent boys and girls are interested in different health issues. Therefore, the government should implement measures to minimize misinformation on the Internet and create a healthy, educational online environment to promote Adolescents’ eHealth Literacy (eHL).

Adolescents’ Online Pornography Exposure and Its Relationship to Sociodemographic and Psychopathological Correlates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Six European Countries

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of online exposure to pornography in European adolescents and its relationship to sociodemographic and psychopathological correlates. A cross-sectional school-based survey of 10,930 adolescents (5211 males/5719 females), aged 14–17 years old (mean age 15.8 ± 0.7) was carried out in six European countries (Greece, Spain, Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, and Iceland). Anonymous self-completed questionnaires covered exposure to pornography, internet use and dysfunctional internet behavior, and psychopathological syndromes (measured by Achenbach’s Youth Self-Report). The prevalence of any online exposure to pornography was 59% overall and 24% for exposure at least once a week. The likelihood of online exposure to pornography was greater in male adolescents, heavier internet users, and those who displayed dysfunctional internet behavior. Country-specific analyses confirmed that the gender effect existed in every country, although its strength varied, from an odds ratio of 1.88 in Poland to 14.9 in Greece. Online exposure to pornography was shown to be associated with externalizing problem scale scores, especially rule-breaking and aggressive behavior, but also associated with higher scores in competences, namely activities and social competence. Exposure to pornography is ubiquitous, more relevant to boys, and is associated with both positive qualities/competences and externalizing behavioral problems.

Manifestation of interest of the Russian youth for politicized content on the Internet: towards the holistic analytical model

This article is written in the theoretical-methodological genre. The key goal lies in the revision and systematization of versatile analytical hypotheses proposed by social and human science in order to explain the interest of Russian youth in politicized information content on the Internet. It is noted that the current analytical practice faces a fundamental contradiction between the prevalence of reflections of the scholars on the significant role of the Internet in development of the political moods and attitudes of the Russian youth audience and the absence  the well-established scientific representation on the reasons why there is a need to search  for political information namely on the Internet. This article aims to clarify this contradiction. Theoretical-methodological analysis is conducted on the disparate ideas used by social and human science to explain and interpret the heighted interest of Russian youth in the online politicized content. Procedurally, the work leans on the analysis of relevant current scientific literature for the period from 2015 to 2020 dedicated to examination of the patterns of Internet behavior and political culture of modern Russian youth. The conclusion is made that there are several versions that explain the heightened interest of Russian youth in politicized information on the Internet, which logically correspond with each other, but are usually not being generalized. Having summarized these versions into a single analytical model, the authors indicate the key reason for the heightened interest of Russian youth in political information on the Internet is the low level of trust in the traditional media, which forces them to seek the alternative sources of information on topics of concern online.

Internet Behavior Preferences Predict Pathological Internet Use: A Latent Profile Analysis

Recent research in the underlying structure of pathological Internet use (PIU) has produced considerable debate among academics, in which a new “person-centered” approach of studying PIU has recently gathered support but produced mixed results. This study used the latent profile analysis (LPA) to estimate the types of PIU in a large sample of college students (n = 1,400, aged 17–25 years). Participants provided information on demographics, PIU, and Internet behavior preferences. The adolescent pathological Internet use (APIU), which served as the basis of LPA, was used for searching subgroups that represent participants with PIU. LPA identified the PIU classes, and regressions identified the psychological predictors of class membership. Participants were classified into pathological users, pathological-tendency users, preferential users, and ordinary Internet users. In comparison with pathological Internet users, lower Internet gaming and communication preference were associated with pathological-tendency users, preferential users, and ordinary Internet users. The distinct types of college students belong to each PIU class, suggesting that individual differences may be incorporated into the prevention efforts.

PM2.5 exposure and anxiety in China: evidence from the prefectures

Background Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health concerns today. While numerous factors are known to affect anxiety disorders, the ways in which environmental factors aggravate or mitigate anxiety are not fully understood. Methods Baidu is the most widely used search engine in China, and a large amount of data on internet behavior indicates that anxiety is a growing concern. We reviewed the annual Baidu Indices of anxiety-related keywords for cities in China from 2013 to 2018 and constructed anxiety indices. We then employed a two-way fixed effect (FE) model to analyze the relationship between PM2.5 exposure and anxiety at the prefectural level. Results The results indicated that there was a significant positive association between PM2.5 and anxiety index. The anxiety index increased by 0.1565258 for every unit increase in the PM2.5 level (P < 0.05), which suggested that current PM2.5 levels in China pose a considerable risk to mental health. Conclusion The enormous impact of PM2.5 exposure indicates that the macroscopic environment can shape individual mentality and social behavior, and that it can be extremely destructive in terms of societal mindset.