The Digital Hood: Social Media Use among Youth in Disadvantaged Neighborhoods

Racial discrimination is associated with binge-eating disorder in early adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND

Racial and ethnic discrimination are known stressors and are associated with negative psychological and physical health outcomes. Previous studies have found relationships between racial/ethnic discrimination and binge-eating disorder (BED), though they have mainly focused on adult populations. The aim of this study was to determine associations between racial/ethnic discrimination and BED in a large, national cohort study of early adolescents. We further sought to explore associations between the racial/ethnic discrimination perpetrator (students, teachers, or other adults) and BED.

METHODS

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (N = 11,075, 2018-2020). Logistic regression analyses examined associations between self-reported experiences of racial or ethnic discrimination and binge-eating behaviors and diagnosis, adjusting for potential confounders. Racial/ethnic discrimination measures were assessed based on the Perceived Discrimination Scale, which measures experiences of discrimination based on race/ethnicity and frequency of ethnic discrimination by teachers, adults outside of school, and students. Binge-eating behaviors and diagnosis were based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSAD-5).

RESULTS

In this racially diverse sample of adolescents (N = 11,075, age range 9-12 years), 4.7% of adolescents reported racial or ethnic discrimination and 1.1% met the criteria for BED. In the adjusted models, racial/ethnic discrimination was associated with 3 times higher odds of having BED (OR 3.31, CI 1.66-7.74). Further, experiences of ethnic discrimination by students and adults outside school were associated with significantly increased odds of BED diagnosis (OR 1.36, CI 1.10-1.68 and OR 1.42 CI 1.06-1.90, respectively)., Increased odds of binge eating behaviors were only significantly associated with ethnic discrimination perpetuated by students (OR 1.12, CI 1.02-1.23).

CONCLUSIONS

Children and adolescents who have experienced racial/ethnic discrimination, particularly when discrimination was perpetuated by other students, have higher odds of having binge-eating behaviors and diagnoses. Clinicians may consider screening for racial discrimination and providing anti-racist, trauma-informed care when evaluating and treating patients for BED.

Racial Discrimination is Associated with Binge-Eating Disorder in Early Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Background Racial and ethnic discrimination are known stressors and are associated with negative psychological and physical health outcomes. Previous studies have found relationships between racial/ethnic discrimination and binge-eating disorder (BED), though they have mainly focused on adult populations. The aim of this study was to determine associations between racial/ethnic discrimination and BED in a large, national cohort study of early adolescents. We further sought to explore associations between the racial/ethnic discrimination perpetrator (students, teachers, or other adults) and BED. Methods We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) (N = 11,075, 2018-2020). Logistic regression analyses examined associations between self-reported racial or ethnic discrimination and binge-eating behaviors and diagnosis. Racial/ethnic discrimination measures were assessed based on the Perceived Discrimination Scale, which measures experiences of discrimination based on race/ethnicity and frequency of ethnic discrimination by teachers, adults outside of school, and students. Binge-eating behaviors and diagnosis were based on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSAD-5), adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, parental education, and site. Results In this racially diverse sample of adolescents (N = 11,075, mean age: 11 years), 4.7% of adolescents reported racial or ethnic discrimination and 1.1% met the criteria for BED at the one-year follow-up. In the adjusted models, racial/ethnic discrimination was associated with 3 times higher odds of having BED (OR 3.31, CI 1.66-7.74); when investigating associations between the racial/ethnic discrimination perpetrator (students, teachers, or other adults) and BED, experiencing ethnic discrimination by students and adults outside school were associated with significantly increased odds of BED diagnosis (OR 1.36, CI 1.10-1.68 & OR 1.42 CI 1.06-1.90, respectively); further, increased odds of binge eating behaviors was only significantly associated with ethnic discrimination perpetuated by students (OR 1.12, CI 1.02-1.23). Conclusions Children and adolescents who have experienced racial/ethnic discrimination, particularly when discrimination was perpetuated by other students, have higher odds of having binge-eating behaviors and diagnoses. Clinicians may consider screening for racial discrimination and providing anti-racist, trauma-informed care when evaluating and treating patients for BED.

Disrupting Patriarchal Illusio to Reduce Violence Against Women and Girls

We apply a Bourdieusian lens to understand the reproduction of a patriarchal illusio that works to maintain violence-supportive attitudes and concurrent low levels of support for gender equality among young people. We analyze interview and focus group data collected with young women and men and conclude that we must disrupt the reproduction of patriarchal norms by: recognizing the intentional operation of backlash by men's rights activist groups that undermine attempts to transform society; ensuring girls' and women's safety on new technologies to reduce their exposure to sexism and violence; and introducing prevention early to disrupt misogynist social norms being internalized.

Developing Public Health Promotion Strategies for Social Networking Sites: Perspectives of Young Immigrant Women in Norway

BACKGROUND

Social networking sites (SNS) have emerged as digital settings for youth participation and health promotion. Understanding the complex dynamic of analog/digital participation has become crucial for settings-based health promotion strategies that aim to enable people to increase control over their health and environments. Previous research demonstrates that SNS influence young people's health in complex ways, but less is known about how processes related to intersectionality are reflected in digital settings. This study asked the following question: how do young women with immigrant backgrounds experience and navigate SNS and how can this inform settings-based health promotion strategies?

METHODS

The study included three focus groups with 15 women aged 16-26 years and used thematic content analysis.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

Young women with immigrant backgrounds reported that transnational networks provided a sense of belonging. However, their presence on SNS strengthened negative social control and had consequences for endeavors to connect with local peers in both digital and analog settings. Both challenges and resources were amplified. The participants reported that sharing strategies to navigate complex networks was useful; they emphasized the importance of anonymous chats, they shared health-related information with extended networks with lower e-literacy, and they saw opportunities for the cocreation of health promotion strategies.

Synthesizing Adaptive Digital Bioethics to Guide the Use of Interactive Communication Technologies in Adolescent Behavioral Medicine: A Systematic Configurative Review

Despite the continuing integration of digital outreach tools into adolescent preventive services, adaptive guidance for their ethical use remains limited. In this configurative review, we synthesize the ad hoc, applied digital bioethics developed in adolescent human immunodeficiency virus prevention science. By focusing on generalizable technological affordances, while balancing privacy and autonomy, we offer strategies for identifying potential technologically mediated harms that can transcend specific platforms, tools, or the knowledge levels of individual clinicians. Clinical vignettes illustrate the application of these strategies.

Reexamining Social Media and Socioemotional Well-Being Among Adolescents Through the Lens of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Theoretical Review and Directions for Future Research

Social media has rapidly transformed the ways in which adolescents socialize and interact with the world, which has contributed to ongoing public debate about whether social media is helping or harming adolescents. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified both the challenges and opportunities of adolescents' social-media use, which necessitates revisiting the conversation around teens and social media. In this article, we discuss key aspects of adolescent social-media use and socioemotional well-being and outline how these issues may be amplified in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We use this as a springboard to outline key future research directions for the field, with the goal of moving away from reductionist approaches and toward a more nuanced perspective to understand the who, what, and when of social-media use and its impact on adolescent well-being. We conclude with a commentary on how psychological science can inform the translation of research to provide evidence-based recommendations for adolescent social-media use.

Social Media Influence Towards Understanding, Awareness and Perception on Royal Institutions: Empirical Study on Young Millennials

Social media currently plays a major role in the lives of young millennials (Gen Z) who primarily use technology to communicate, express their opinions and gather information. From one angle, social media usage brings significant benefits; the failure to use it wisely can lead to negative impacts. In the context of the Royal Institution, the liberty to use social media to express personal and public sentiments has led many youths to disregard protocol and to hurl insults to the Rulers. On the other hand, positive social media usage in this context can boost favourable perceptions of the Royal Institution. Hence, this study aims to examine how the level of understanding and awareness about our Royal Institution amongst young millennials can significantly influence their perceptions about the institution as reflected via social media. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using structured questionnaires distributed to 393 respondents comprising youths born after 1994 to fulfil the research criteria of young millennials (Gen Z). The partial least squares method was adopted for data analysis. It is confirmed that the hypothesis on the significant influence of understanding and awareness gathered from social media has reflected young millennials’ perception of our Royal Institutions. The findings are significantly important to facilitate the government in formulating policies or guidelines towards establishing positive social media usage that can nurture general respect for the Royal Institution and ultimately a harmonious social relationship between the people and the institution.

Working for your own folks: the microeconomics of social media

This paper uses a comparative ethnographic approach to explore the ways in which social media enables new economic strategies that capitalize on women's traditional forms of reliance within their local communities. We use ethnographic examples from northern Chile, southeast Italy, and south India to show how women are successful in establishing small but prestigious entrepreneurial activities by using social media to respond to local social and cultural needs. Women use social media to transform both conventional work practices and individuals' notions of work in ways that overcome important structural constraints they face in their respective communities. These findings contrast with optimistic analyses that suggest online platforms decrease global inequalities through bringing disadvantaged people into global economic flows. This article demonstrates the effective ways in which individuals use social media to gradually change local norms related to gender and work while making small but important gains towards economic stability. This process is related to important shifts in sociality that have resulted from social media use within local communities. By focusing on entrepreneurship and gendered aspects of online economic exchange, we develop an understanding of what happens when longstanding expectations for gendered work meet commerce made possible through new media.

Reexamining Social Media and Socioemotional Well-Being Among Adolescents Through the Lens of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Theoretical Review and Directions for Future Research

Social media has rapidly transformed the ways in which adolescents socialize and interact with the world, which has contributed to ongoing public debate about whether social media is helping or harming adolescents. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified both the challenges and opportunities of adolescents' social-media use, which necessitates revisiting the conversation around teens and social media. In this article, we discuss key aspects of adolescent social-media use and socioemotional well-being and outline how these issues may be amplified in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We use this as a springboard to outline key future research directions for the field, with the goal of moving away from reductionist approaches and toward a more nuanced perspective to understand the who, what, and when of social-media use and its impact on adolescent well-being. We conclude with a commentary on how psychological science can inform the translation of research to provide evidence-based recommendations for adolescent social-media use.

Impact of Racial Discrimination on the Mental Health of Minoritized Youth

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The impacts of racism and discrimination on developing minoritized youth are increasingly shown as having the potential to create long-lasting adverse outcomes on children's developmental trajectories.

RECENT FINDINGS

From the quality of the schools they attend, to the level and amount of toxicants in the air they breathe, to equitable access to health care, and within interpersonal relationships and experiences with their peers, multiple forms of racism, systemic/structural, interpersonal/personally mediated, and internalized shape the health status of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPoC) youth. Accordingly, it is exceedingly important to use a developmental lens to distinguish the various outcomes these multiple forms of racism have on the health of minoritized youth. Critically, the time is now for rapid identification of these harms in all of the mediums and spaces in which they present followed by prevention and intervention strategies that are effective in equitably ensuring the healthy development for all of America's children.

Patterns of sexting and sexual behaviors in youth: A Latent Class Analysis

INTRODUCTION

A sizable minority of youth are sexting; however there are likely large individual differences in sexting and sexual behaviors, yet to be captured. A Latent Class Analysis was used to identify subgroups of youth characterized by differential engagement in sexting and sexual behaviors.

METHODS

Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of 894 youth (55.8% female; Mage = 17.04, SD = 0.77) from a longitudinal survey study in southeast Texas. Latent classes were identified through participants' responses to the following indicator variables: sending, receiving, and requesting sexts, sexual activity, contraception use, ≥ three partners, and substance use prior to sexual activity. Gender, ethnicity, impulsivity, and living situation were analyzed as predictors, and depressive symptoms as an outcome, of class membership.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed four distinct classes: No sexting-Low sex (42.2%), Sexting-Low sex (4.5%), No sexting-Moderately risky sex (28.3%), and Sexting-Moderately risky sex (24.9%). Gender and ethnicity predicted class membership wherein females and ethnic minority youth were less likely to be in groups displaying higher rates of sexting. Impulsivity and living situation predicted class membership, such that youth reporting higher impulsivity and living in a situation other than with two biological parents were less likely to be in classes displaying low sexting and sexual behaviors. Group membership predicted depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that not all youth who are sexting are having sex, and not all youth who are having sex are sexting. Evidence of individual differences in youth sexual behaviors should inform educational initiatives aimed at teaching youth about sexual and online health.

Mobile Phone Use and Acceptability for the Delivery of Mental Health Information Among Perinatal Adolescents in Nigeria: Survey Study

BACKGROUND

There are several barriers that may hamper adolescent mothers' utilization of available health interventions for perinatal depression. Innovative treatment approaches are needed to increase adolescent mothers' access to mental health care for improved maternal and child health outcomes. Mobile phones have the potential to serve as important conduits to mental health care in Africa. However, mobile phone use patterns and needs among young mothers in Nigeria are not well documented.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to determine the prevalence of mobile phone use among perinatal adolescents and report patterns of use, as well as to assess the openness of young mothers to mobile health (mHealth) mental health interventions.

METHODS

We surveyed 260 adolescent mothers (ages 16-19 years) in their perinatal or postnatal periods of pregnancies in 33 primary health care clinics in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria in 2020. Respondents were included if they were pregnant with a gestation age of greater than or equal to 4 weeks, or had babies (which they had birthed) that were younger than 12 months.

RESULTS

The total study sample consisted of 260 adolescent mothers with a mean age of 18.4 (SD 0.88) years. The majority of the respondents (233/260, 89.6%) owned mobile phones (eg, keypad, keypad and internet, smartphones); 22 (8.5%) of the 260 mothers had access to phones that belonged to relatives who lived in the same household, while 5 (1.9%) had access only to public paid phones. Only 23% (54/233) of phone owners (which is 20.5% of the total study population) had smartphones. On average, respondents reported first using mobile phones at 15.5 (SD 2.06) years old. The majority of respondents (222/260, 85.4%) reported using their phones for an average of 45 minutes daily for calls to family members. Facebook was the social media platform that was most often used among respondents who had phones with internet access (122/146 minutes per day, 83.4%). The majority of the sample responded as being "interested" and "very interested" in the use of mobile phones for preventive interventions (250/260, 96.2%) and treatment (243/260, 93.5%) information on mental illness such as depression and "hearing voices." Half of the respondents (126/233, 50.4%) preferred to receive such information in the form of text messages.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study suggest that the vast majority of perinatal adolescents in Nigeria own and use mobile phones and that they are interested in leveraging these devices for prevention, treatment, and informational campaigns focused on mental health. The use of smartphones in this population is relatively low, and health intervention through text messages were favored by the women.

Evaluation of the Sexual Health Behaviors of Black Male Adolescents and Young Adults Through Social Media Platforms: Web-Based Survey Study

Background

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, which have millions of users who interact and communicate every day, have been effective in promoting sexual health interventions and in disseminating reproductive health education. They have also been shown to be useful in health promotion and have been used to track several key metrics (eg, comments, posts) among users of all demographics. However, there is a lack of research on the impact and reach of these social media platforms as a community-based tool for disseminating sexual health information and for increasing engagement among Black adolescents and young adults, which is a targeted high-risk population.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine the social media platforms and banner advertisements that affected engagement among Black male adolescents and young adults in participating in web-based health surveys.

Methods

A web-based survey was conducted from March 2019 to July 2019 to assess sexual health and health behaviors in a convenience sample of Black male adolescents and young adults in the age range of 18-24 years (N=170). Social media metrics from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were monitored. This cross-sectional survey comprised several categories, including basic personal information, drug-related risk behaviors, health care, sexual reproductive health questions, attitudes, norms, and perceived control, mental health, violence-related risk behaviors, and social media preferences.

Results

Social media advertisements on the Black Male Opinion survey reached approximately 146,412 individuals. Our primary finding of the web-based survey engagement was that referral (eg, group chat, indirect social media sharing) led to as the greatest proportion of recruitment, with Twitter and YouTube as the preferred sites to receive sexual health information.

Conclusions

Recognizing the variety of technologies being used among Black male young adults and adolescents can help the community, researchers, and health care providers understand the web-based engagement of this high-risk population. This information may also promote culturally sensitive, customized marketing on sexual health information for this population.

Risk and Protective Factors of Current Opioid Use Among Youth Living on or Near American Indian Reservations: An Application of Machine Learning

Opioid use among youth, particularly among American Indian (AI) youth, is rising, resulting in a large number of accidental overdoses and deaths. In order to develop effective prevention strategies, we need to use exploratory data analysis to identify previously unknown predictors of opioid use among youth living on or near reservations. The present study is an application of Machine Learning, a type of exploratory data analysis, to the Our Youth, Our Future epidemiological survey (N = 6482) to determine salient risk and protective factors for past 30-day opioid use. The Machine Learning algorithm identified 11 salient risk and protective factors. Importantly, highest risk was conferred for those reporting recent cocaine use, having ever tried a narcotic other than heroin, and identifying as American Indian. Protective factors included never having tried opioids other than heroin, infrequent binge drinking, having fewer friends pressuring you to use illicit drugs, initiating alcohol use at a later age, and being older. This model explained 61% of the variance in the training sample and, on average, 24% of the variance in the bootstrapped samples. Taken together, this model identifies known predictors of 30-day opioid use, for example, recent substance use, as well as unknown predictors including being AI, Snapchat use, and peer encouragement for use. Notably, recent cocaine use was a more salient predictor of recent opioid use than lifetime opioid use.

#digital hood: Engagement with Risk Content on Social Media among Black and Hispanic Youth

The digital neighborhood is the amalgamation of the spaces online where youth connect with others. Just as Black and Hispanic youth live in neighborhoods that influence their health, they are also influenced by online digital neighborhoods. Youth are exposed to social media content featuring substance use, sexual risk, and violence, yet little is known about the extent to which youth engage with such content. Using a modified venue sampling strategy, we administered CASI surveys to 145 Black and Hispanic youth aged 13-24 living in low-income urban neighborhoods. Across social media platforms, respondents reported high levels of exposure to sexual, alcohol, drug, and violence-related content (65-84%). Users reported lower levels of engagement with risk-related content (on an engagement continuum), ranging from passive exposure to dissemination. While negative risks may be amplified in the digital neighborhood, youth appear to strategically limit their engagement with that content. However, because risk behavior messaging is common in these digital neighborhoods, these spaces provide opportunities for health promotion interventions.

Social Media Use and Sexual Risk Reduction Behavior Among Minority Youth: Seeking Safe Sex Information

BACKGROUND

Sexual health is an important area of study-particularly for minority youth and youth living in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the research was to examine the sources of sexual health information associated with youth adopting sexual risk reduction behaviors.

METHODS

Data collection took place in a small city in the Northeastern United States using cross-sectional behavioral surveys and modified venue-based sampling. Participants included 249 African American and Latino youth aged 13-24. Participants reported their sources of information about contraception and human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted disease, such as TV/movies, parents, social media; their intentions to have sex; and condom and contraception use during their last sexual activity. Social media use, past pregnancy experience, past sexual history, age, and gender were also measured. Standard tests of bivariate association (chi-square and F tests) were used to examine initial associations between sexual risk reduction behavior and exposure to sexual risk reduction information on social media. Logistic regression models were used to test multivariate relationships between information sources and sexual risk reduction behavior.

RESULTS

Youth who were exposed to sexual health messages on social media were 2.69 times (p < .05) and 2.49 times (p < .08) more likely to have used contraception or a condom at last intercourse, respectively. Parents, schools, or traditional media as information sources were not significantly associated with contractive use or condom use at last intercourse.

DISCUSSION

Youth sexual behavior is increasingly informed by social media messages. Health practitioners should utilize social media as an important health promotion tool.