Online communities and early adolescents
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The chapter focuses on the role of online communities in the lives of early adolescents. This developmental stage is typical for many changes, including identity development as well as the expansion of social life beyond family boundaries. Children gain new experiences in new social groups, which introduce them to diverse attitudes, opinions, and behavioral patterns. Currently, one of these new groups can take the form of an online community (i.e., a group of people who regularly interact in a specific place on the internet). In the chapter, current knowledge about online communities is reviewed and processes by which online communities may affect children´s development are described. Specific focus is given to the form of interaction with community members: whether it is only online, partly offline, or mostly offline. Using the sample of Czech early adolescents (aged 11–14), empirical evidence depicting the character of community membership and how it differs across the three types of communities is presented. Findings show that online communities with partly offline contact are most distinct – they are typical for the highest sense of belonging but also the highest perceived influence on children´s behavior and attitudes. |
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