SORROW AND SCREENS: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND GENDER IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS AND ONLINE SELF-DISCLOSURE

Abstract

This study attempts to answer the question whether emotional problems are predicting online self-disclosure, and whether there is a moderating role of social support (parents, teachers, and classmates) and gender in this relationship among Dutch youth. Previous studies found relationships between emotional problems (e.g. depressed moods, anxiety) and online selfdisclosure. However, the role of offline support and gender has not been studied before, which is a scientific gap. To answer these questions, I used the 2017 data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, which has a sample of Dutch youth (N = 8980) aged between 10 and 20 years old (M = 13.62, SD = 1.92). As expected, emotional problems predict a preference for online self-disclosure, and this relationship is moderated by teacher support and gender. Contradicting the hypotheses, parental support and classroom environment do not moderate the relationship between emotional problems and (preference for) online self-disclosure. Concludingly, Dutch youth experiencing emotional problems are more likely to talk about their experiences online. Receiving more support from teachers makes people experiencing emotional problems less likely to disclose themselves online, and girls with emotional problems are more likely to disclose themselves online compared to boys. Therefore, interventions for youth with emotional problems could focus on improving teacher-student relationships or online types of therapy. Furthermore, there should be more attention for interventions for girls.