The effects of Internet use on adolescents' first romantic and sexual relationships in Taiwan

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2355422
AutoresSimon Cheng (0000-0002-6304-0259, University of Connecticut), Josef Ma (0000-0002-4977-1231, University of Connecticut), Stacy Missari (0000-0001-6882-4952, Quinnipiac University)
Ano2014
Volume29
Fascículo4
Páginas324-347
Data de publicação2014-07-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInternational Sociology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0268-5809 • E-ISSN: 1461-7242
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0268580914538084
OpenAlexW2043434450
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7
Referências citadas61

Internet use and digital networking are increasingly an integral part of adolescents' social lives. This study examines the influences of Internet use in Taiwan on two important adolescent social behaviors: first romantic relationship and sexual debut. Using data from the Taiwan Youth Project (TYP), 2000-2009, the results of event history analyses suggest that adolescents' Internet use for educational purposes reduces the rates of having a first romantic relationship and a sexual debut in adolescence, whereas using the Internet for social networking, visiting internet cafés, and surfing pornographic websites increase the rates. There are gender differences in the effects of these Internet activities on adolescents' intimate experiences. Logistic analyses further show that Internet activities also affect the likelihood of whether adolescents have a sexual debut before a first romantic relationship. The implications of these findings are discussed in the conclusion

Developmental psychology · Romance · The Internet · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology