Positive digital communication among youth: The development and validation of the digital flourishing scale for adolescents

Abstract

Research has extensively studied the negative effects of digital communication on adolescents’ well-being. However, positive digital experiences and behavior in adolescence are still poorly understood. The recently developed Digital Flourishing Scale addresses this gap and focuses on the positive perceptions of a user’s experiences and behaviors in digital communication among adults. In this paper, we developed an adolescent version of this scale. Study 1 demonstrated the internal consistency of the scale and the same factor structure for adolescence as for adulthood: connectedness, civil participation, positive social comparison, authentic self-presentation, and self-control. Study 2 confirmed the identified factor structure with a second sample of adolescents and established measurement invariance across genders. The construct validity of the scale was confirmed by investigating associations with related constructs, including the basic psychological needs from self-determination theory (competence, autonomy, and relatedness), secure attachment to a close friend, Internet aggression, social media-induced inspiration, authenticity of posted positive content, and social media self-control failure. The results indicated that not all adolescents flourish equally online. Differences occurred depending on the adolescents’ gender and socioeconomic status. The paper concludes that the newly developed scale is a valid and reliable measure for assessing adolescents’ perceptions of digital thriving and digital empowerment.

Problematic Smartphone Use in Adolescents: Parental Structure and Parental Psychological Control as Predictors

“…We hypothesized that parental structure and psychological control could influence problematic smartphone use in adolescents because parental control plays an important role in reducing risky behavior during adolescence (Harris-McKoy, 2016). This finding might be explained by the fact that parental impact gradually diminishes over time as adolescents become more independent and experience individuation (Rosič et al, 2022;Shek et al, 2018). This finding contradicts previous studies, which have suggested that parental mediation (the parental structure that directly monitors smartphone usage) affects appropriate smartphone usage among children and reduces their impulsiveness (Hwang & Jeong, 2015).…”

Components of Outpatient Child and Youth Concurrent Disorders Programs: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis: Composantes des programmes de troubles concomitants des enfants et des jeunes ambulatoires : une synthèse interprétative critique

“…Through outreach with Canadian programs and websites, we identified seven additional programs from which formal and informal documents could be obtained describing program structure and components. In the end, the 11 programs and 2 theoretical models from which data could be abstracted to develop an integrated framework were as follows: Fraser Health Regional Youth Concurrent Disorders Program (Fraser Health Authority, British Columbia), 37,38 Concurrent Addiction and Mental Health Program (Edmonton, Alberta), 39,40 Youth Substance Use and Mental Health Services (Calgary, Alberta), 41,42 Young Adult Substance Use Program (Hamilton, Ontario), 43,44 Youth Addiction and Concurrent Disorders Service (Toronto, Ontario), 45,46 Transitional Aged Youth Service (Ottawa, Ontario), 30,31,47,48 IWK Concurrent Disorders Specific Care Clinic (Halifax, Nova Scotia), 49 Addiction Recovery Management Service (Boston, Massachusetts), 50,51 East Tennessee Assertive Adolescent Family Treatment Program (Multisite, Tennessee), 32 Integrated Co-occurring Treatment Model (Multisite, Ohio), 33,52-55 Sound Health (Multisite, Washington), 34,56 and theoretical models proposed by Hulvershorn et al 35 and Spencer et al 36…”

“…Broad health system factors influenced not only the program components but also the clinical service structure, program development methods and community partnerships that each further informed the program components. Clinical service factors influencing program activities included clinician number and composition, clinical setting (hospital-based, 43,45,50 community-based, 32,38,40,42,46,49,56 or home-based 33,52 ), duration of funded service provision (ranging from approximately three months 43,44,52-55 or one year, 39,40,44,46,49 to several years or until aging out 48,51 ), and patient age (pediatric programs versus older adolescent and young adult programs).…”

New Media as Modern Communication Technologies: The Digital Dimension

“…"Media" is a qualitative change in the communication system, the addition and expansion of the range of information activities, the achievement of what was impossible in the form of oral communication: recording an event, transmitting information, avoiding the interpretation of its immediate carrier (Rosič et al, 2022).…”