Positive and Negative Online Experiences and Loneliness in Peruvian Adolescents During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Lucía Magis-Weinberg; Christopher L. Gys; Estelle L. Berger; Sarah E. Domoff; Ronald E. Dahl

doi:10.1111/jora.12666

Positive and Negative Online Experiences and Loneliness in Peruvian Adolescents During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Lucía Magis-Weinberg, Christopher L. Gys, Estelle L. Berger, Sarah E. Domoff, Ronald E. Dahl

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Global COVID-19 lockdowns have disrupted adolescents’ in-person social networks, increasing likelihood of loneliness. Social media can help adolescents maintain and develop peer relationships across distance. In this short longitudinal study with 735 Peruvian adolescents (ages: 11–17) from low-to-middle-income urban settings, we investigated whether online experiences relate to loneliness during initial stages of lockdown. Loneliness remained constant between week 6 and 11 of lockdown, was higher for females and similar across school-grades. Positive and negative online experiences were more frequent for older students, and females experienced more negative online experiences than males. Greater positive online experiences related to lower loneliness, with the reverse pattern for negative online experiences. Our results suggest that positive online experiences may mitigate loneliness during physical isolation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	717-733
Number of pages	17
Journal	Journal of Research on Adolescence
Volume	31
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12666
State	Published - Sep 2021

Keywords

COVID-19
Global South
adolescents
loneliness
social media

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10.1111/jora.12666

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title = "Positive and Negative Online Experiences and Loneliness in Peruvian Adolescents During the COVID-19 Lockdown",

abstract = "Global COVID-19 lockdowns have disrupted adolescents{\textquoteright} in-person social networks, increasing likelihood of loneliness. Social media can help adolescents maintain and develop peer relationships across distance. In this short longitudinal study with 735 Peruvian adolescents (ages: 11–17) from low-to-middle-income urban settings, we investigated whether online experiences relate to loneliness during initial stages of lockdown. Loneliness remained constant between week 6 and 11 of lockdown, was higher for females and similar across school-grades. Positive and negative online experiences were more frequent for older students, and females experienced more negative online experiences than males. Greater positive online experiences related to lower loneliness, with the reverse pattern for negative online experiences. Our results suggest that positive online experiences may mitigate loneliness during physical isolation.",

keywords = "COVID-19, Global South, adolescents, loneliness, social media",

author = "Luc{\'i}a Magis-Weinberg and Gys, {Christopher L.} and Berger, {Estelle L.} and Domoff, {Sarah E.} and Dahl, {Ronald E.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors appreciate Karina Valdespino{\textquoteright}s assistance with literature review. The authors would like to thank adolescents and their families for their involvement in the study as well as our school partners who made data collection possible. This research was supported by funding from Carlos Rodriguez‐Pastor and the Bezos Family Foundation. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Society for Research on Adolescence",

year = "2021",

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doi = "10.1111/jora.12666",

language = "English",

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AU - Domoff, Sarah E.

AU - Dahl, Ronald E.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors appreciate Karina Valdespino’s assistance with literature review. The authors would like to thank adolescents and their families for their involvement in the study as well as our school partners who made data collection possible. This research was supported by funding from Carlos Rodriguez‐Pastor and the Bezos Family Foundation. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Society for Research on Adolescence

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Positive and Negative Online Experiences and Loneliness in Peruvian Adolescents During the COVID-19 Lockdown

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