Features of On-Line Behavior in Adolescents with Different Levels of Self-Concept Clarity

Abstract

The article presents the results of an empirical study, focusing on the association between self-concept clarity, online behavior and self-presentation in adolescence. The study was conducted in the framework of the research project “Digital Portrait of Contemporary Adolescents”, operated by the Center for Inter- disciplinary Research on Contemporary Childhood in Moscow State University of Psychology and Education. The data was collected in February 2020. 52 adolescents, studying in School № 27 in Mitischi (Russia, Moscow Region) took part in the survey. The following methods were used: Self-Concept Clarity Scale (SCCS, J. Campbell); The Presentation of Online Self-Scale (POSS, C. Fullwood); Face- book Intensity Scale (FIS, N.B. Ellison); Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS, S.W. Chen); Online Activity Questionnaire (O.V. Rubtsova, T.A. Poskaklova). Data shows that strategies of adolescents’ interaction and self-presentation in social networks relate to their self-concept clarity. Adolescents with low self-concept clarity tend to experiment in virtual space: they often provide inaccurate information about themselves and create numerous cyber-identities. This group of adolescents is also inclined to risky online behavior and Internet-addiction. All these indicators improve with the increase of self-concept clarity. The data testifies that contemporary adolescents use social networks as platforms for experimenting (e.g. with roles), in the process of which they resolve important age challenges, related to the development of agency and formation of self-concept.

Cyberspace and Sex Trafficking Through Social Media in Cantilan, Surigao Del Sur, Philippines: The Moderating Role of Self Concept

“…This suggests that, on average, individuals who are more frequently exposed to cybersex trafficking content on social media are more likely to participate in these activities. This finding reinforces the notion that exposure alone is a critical predictor of participation, aligning with previous research that highlights the substantial impact of exposure to online sexual content on risky behaviors (Rubtsova, Poskakalova, & Shiryaeva (2021).…”

The Needs of Adolescents to Communicate with Their Parents in Online and Offline Formats: The Creation and Validation of a Questionnaire

“…A number of studies have been devoted to the problem of the transformation of the friendship phenomenon during online communication (Pogorelov, & Rylskaia, 2022;Rubtsova, et al, 2021;Twenge, 2019). Teenagers distinguish positive and negative sides of online communication with peers.…”

“…e positive ones include: the ability to communicate at a distance, as well as the opportunity to socialize and get acquainted. Among the negative sides are: the possibility of building a false image, the di culty in understanding individual messages, and the addictive nature of online communication (Rubtsova et al, 2021).…”

Psychological Problems of Adolescents in Real and Virtual Environments: Questionnaire Standardization

“…В современных условиях подростки широко используют Интернет для экспериментирования (в том числе ролевого), в процессе которого они решают важные возрастные задачи, связанные с развитием самосознания и формированием «образа Я». Причем уровень сформированности образа Я обнаруживает связь с рискованным поведением в социальной сети и зависимостью от Интернета [16].…”