Due to the rise of the internet and social media in the 21st century, we are seeing a shift in behaviours from the offline to the online world. This has both positive and negative consequences. One...Show moreDue to the rise of the internet and social media in the 21st century, we are seeing a shift in behaviours from the offline to the online world. This has both positive and negative consequences. One of these consequences is a rise in cyberbullying cases, which could lead to negative effects for victims. Therefore, it is important to research ways to prevent cyberbullying. The goal of this research paper was to investigate the relationship between social media use and perpetration of cyberbullying and what role gender plays in this relationship, thereby possibly identifying gender and social media use as possible risk factors for perpetration of cyberbullying. The study assessed self-reported social media use including sexting and cyberbullying experiences and behaviours in a sample of 120 young adults between the ages of 18 to 24 years old (N = 38 males, Mean age = 21.94). Data was analysed with a multiple regression analysis. Results showed that, for women, there was a positive relationship between social media use and the perpetration of cyberbullying. For men no such relationship was found. Our findings are in line with evolutionary and gender socialization theories that suggest women are more inclined to use indirect forms of aggression whereas men are more inclined to use direct forms. These results have implications for future research into risk factors for cyberbullying and for identifying risk factors to prevent perpetration in practice. The focus in research and in practice should not only lie in identifying individual risk factors, but also consider the importance of gender effects.Show less
To examine the relationship between alexithymia and digital problem behaviour, a systematic review was conducted. Problematic internet use, problematic use of social media and problematic gaming...Show moreTo examine the relationship between alexithymia and digital problem behaviour, a systematic review was conducted. Problematic internet use, problematic use of social media and problematic gaming behaviour are included as types of digital problem behaviour. The main research question is: How is alexithymia related to problematic use of internet, social media and videogames? To examine the relationship, a systematic research was conducted. After having executed the research 266 articles were selected. However, after excluding all of the identical articles only 167 were left. Out of the 167 studied, 23 studies were included. Studies were excluded if they were not labelled as empirical, written in another language than English or Dutch; and lastly, if they had a clinical sample besides alexithymia. The selected studies were double coded on the methodological features: chosen study design, sample size, and used research instruments. Combining all 23 studies a total of 41.274 participants was established. The median of all these studies was 429 participants. From the 23 studies, 14 were about problematic internet use, 3 about problematic use of social media and 6 about problematic gaming behaviour. 20 of the 23 studies found a positive significant relationship between alexithymia and problematic internet use, problematic use of social media and problematic gaming behaviour. However, the reliability of the results is questionable. Due to the fact that the cross-sectional design and sample size of all studies do not allow to draw strong conclusions. Furthermore, the use of only self-report does not contribute to the quality of the studies. Follow-up research of better quality will be necessary to draw valid conclusions about the relationship between alexithymia and digital problem behaviour.Show less
