ERIC Number: EJ989598
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Dec
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0140-1971
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Friendship 2.0: Adolescents' Experiences of Belonging and Self-Disclosure Online
Davis, Katie
Journal of Adolescence, v35 n6 p1527-1536 Dec 2012
This study explores the role that digital media technologies play in adolescents' experiences of friendship and identity. The author draws on findings from in-depth interviews with 32 adolescents (15 girls, 17 boys) ages 13-18 (M = 15.5 years) attending one of seven secondary schools in Bermuda. The adolescents were asked to describe the nature of their online exchanges with friends and the value they ascribe to these conversations. A thematic analysis of their responses revealed that online peer communications promote adolescents' sense of belonging and self-disclosure, two important peer processes that support identity development during adolescence. At the same time, the unique features of computer-mediated communication shape adolescents' experiences of these processes in distinct ways. Gender and age differences show that adolescents' online peer communications are not uniform; the characteristics that distinguish adolescents offline also shape their online activities. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Adolescents, Age Differences, Friendship, Self Disclosure (Individuals), Computer Mediated Communication, Interviews, Identification (Psychology), Foreign Countries, Secondary School Students, Peer Influence, Social Networks, Gender Differences
Elsevier. 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL 32887-4800. Tel: 877-839-7126; Tel: 407-345-4020; Fax: 407-363-1354; e-mail: usjcs@elsevier.com; Web site: http://www.elsevier.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Bermuda
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

Peer reviewed
Direct link
