@article{663c3e67a2824754ac6115027a136ab8,
title = "“TikTok Is My Life and Snapchat Is My Ventricle”: A Mixed-Methods Study on the Role of Online Communication Tools for Friendships in Early Adolescents",
abstract = "Early adolescents are frequent users of online communication tools (OCTs). Yet, we have limited knowledge about how OCTs influence this population and their friendships. We sought opinions of 938 Austrian early adolescents on the role of OCTs for their friendships via a questionnaire and 207 focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the focus groups. We found that despite the emergence of some online-specific aggression, OCTs are perceived as beneficial for friendships. Early adolescents use online spaces naturally and differentiate little between online and offline communication. Only when it comes to high levels of intimacy, early adolescents also need an offline setting to fulfill their communication need. Online communication tools, especially newer forms such as online gaming, can surpass a mere communicative function and provide a space for building and maintaining friendships. In the future, OCTs should be considered as a tool to facilitate positive development in early adolescents.",
keywords = "academic/school transitions, communication, friendship, media & technology, peer relationships",
author = "Gloria Mittmann and Kate Woodcock and Sylvia D{\"o}rfler and Ina Krammer and Isabella Pollak and Beate Schrank",
note = "Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by Ludwig Boltzmann Society and Karl Landsteiner University. Funding Information: The D.O.T. (Die OffeneT{\"u}r—The Open Door) team of co-investigators—Adam Barnard (playwright and theater director), Jo{\~a}o Dias (computer scientist), Marija Mitic (medical doctor), Beate Schrank (practicing & research psychiatrist), and Kate Woodcock (research psychologist)—grew during a sandpit event organized by the Open Innovation Center of Ludwig Boltzmann Society and facilitated by Know Innovation. The team would like to thank these organizations for their role in its formation. D.O.T teamwork is jointly conceived and led by the co-investigators. The team sees this as a fully meaningful interdisciplinary collaboration. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by Ludwig Boltzmann Society and Karl Landsteiner University. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2021.",
year = "2022",
month = feb,
doi = "10.1177/02724316211020368",
language = "English",
volume = "42",
pages = "172--203",
journal = "Journal of Early Adolescence",
issn = "0272-4316",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",
number = "2",
}