Information sources about face-to-face meetings with people from the Internet : Gendered influence on adolescents’ risk perception and behavior

MÝLEK, Vojtěch, Lenka DĚDKOVÁ and David ŠMAHEL. Information sources about face-to-face meetings with people from the Internet : Gendered influence on adolescents’ risk perception and behavior. New Media & Society. London: SAGE Publications, 2023, vol. 25, No 7, p. 1561-1579. ISSN 1461-4448. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14614448211014823.

Basic information

• Original name: Information sources about face-to-face meetings with people from the Internet : Gendered influence on adolescents’ risk perception and behavior
• Authors: MÝLEK, Vojtěch (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution), Lenka DĚDKOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and David ŠMAHEL (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: New Media & Society, London, SAGE Publications, 2023, 1461-4448.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 50800 5.8 Media and communications
• Country of publisher: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 5.000 in 2022
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14230/23:00133990
• Organization unit: Faculty of Social Studies
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14614448211014823
• UT WoS: 000670379300001
• Keywords in English: Adolescence; gender differences; information sources; online socializing; people from the Internet; risk perception
• Tags: rivok
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

Adolescents commonly make new social connections online that sometimes result in face-to-face meetings. Despite potential benefits, risk-focused discourse dominates public debates and shapes information shared by sources important for adolescents-news media, preventive programs, peers, parents, and teachers. Our study examines how information about face-to-face meetings from these sources relates to adolescents’ risk perception and engagement in such meetings. Using a sample of 707 Czech adolescents (aged 11–16 years, 46% male), we analyzed these effects for male and female adolescents to reflect the gendered nature of the risk-focused discourse. Male adolescents’ risk perception was not affected by information from any source. Female adolescents’ risk perception was negatively affected by information peers with prior experience with face-to-face meetings but not by other information sources. Female adolescents also perceived face-to-face meetings as riskier in general. We discuss gender differences and the limited impact of information sources on risk perception and provide practical recommendations.

Links

• GX19-27828X, research and development project: Name: Pohled do budoucnosti: Porozumění vlivu technologií na “well-being” adolescentů (Acronym: FUTURE)

Investor: Czech Science Foundation