Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: As teenagers become increasingly active on the Internet, protection of teens’ privacy online has grown in importance for parents, educators and policymakers. In this article, we research the relationship between parental mediation to protect their teenage children’s privacy online and the behavior by teenagers in online disclosure of personal information. Using secondary data from a survey of a representative sample of 935 teenagers and their parents, our analysis shows the degree parents mediate their teen children’s Internet usage predicted the extent to which the teens disclose their personal information on social networking sites. Parents of younger teens practiced more mediation to control teens’ Internet usage compared to parents of older teens. In analyzing predictors of the level of parental mediation, the significant predictors were demographic characteristics of teens and parents, specifically teens’ age, female gender and family income, while parental attitudes toward new communication technology was not significant. The study’s implications for parents, educators and policymakers are discussed, with suggestions for future research.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Many studies use a proxy informant to gather data on the behavior of other members of the household, especially when collecting information on children. However, no studies have evaluated whether the “most knowledgeable” proxy provides more accurate reports than other potential respondents. Using data collected through a web survey using the Knowledge Networks panel, this paper compares teenager and parent reports of the teen’s expenditures in households with two or more adults. Parents and teens identified who they believed was the most knowledgeable adult in the family about the teen’s spending. We find that parents who identify as the “most knowledgeable” adult in the family are more likely to agree with their teenagers than other parents about the teen having made a purchase during the last seven days or yesterday. They also have smaller differences between the dollar amount they report being spent by the teenager yesterday and what the teen reports spending than other parents. These findings are reasonably robust against inclusion of missing data indicators or relationship (mother, father, daughter, son) variables. Teen identification of the “most knowledgeable” adult does not discriminate between parental accuracy as well as parent identification of the best proxy respondent. Reports from the most knowledgeable parent, while closer than reports from other parents, do not identically match teenage reports of their own expenditures. Practically, the findings imply that the designation of a “most knowledgeable” parent proxy is likely to result in better quality data about teenagers.

Publication Type: Session Paper
Abstract: The Teen Media Study is one of the first U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded studies to investigate the effects of media on early adolescents’ sexual beliefs and behaviors. The study includes a comprehensive content analysis of the music, movies, magazines, television programs, Internet sites and newspapers used by more than 3,000 twelve to fourteen-year-olds in central North Carolina; a longitudinal in-home survey of 1,000 Black and White teens; and multiple qualitative in-depth interviews and observations with 20 teens. Analyses have found frequent sexual but little sexual health content in the media teens use, different patterns of exposure to this content based on sexual self concepts, and a longitudinal relationship between exposure to sexual content and earlier sexual intercourse. An overview of the findings and implications for further research as well as sexual health policies will be discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Smoking, drinking and drug use endure as popular yet dangerous behaviors among American teenagers. Films have been cited as potential influences on teens’ attitudes toward and initiation of substance use. Social cognitive theory suggests that teen viewers may be especially likely to learn from teen models who they perceive as similar, desirable and attractive. Yet, to date, no studies have systematically analyzed teen characters in films to assess the frequency, nature and experienced consequences of substance use depictions. A content analysis of top grossing films from 1999, 2000, and 2001 was conducted to fill in this gap. Overall, two-fifths of teen characters drank alcohol, one-sixth smoked cigarettes, and one-seventh used illicit drugs (N=146). Almost no differences existed between substance users and non-users with regard to physical attractiveness, socioeconomic status, virtuosity, or gender. Drinkers and drug-users were unlikely to suffer any consequences – let alone negative consequences – in either the short or long term. Characters were rarely shown refusing offers to drink or do drugs, or regretting their substance usage. Girls were more likely than boys to be shown engaging in multiple substance use activities (e.g., smoking and drinking). Overall, recent teen-centered films may teach teen viewers that substance use is relatively common, mostly risk-free, and appropriate for anyone.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Parents’ concern about prevalent sexuality in the media has always been a focal issue as their children may learn from the media messages, particularly during the children’s adolescent stage, a period of exploring the concept of sex. Addressing to this issue with an emphasis of movies as an all-time popular sex education source, the current study content analyzes and compares sexually explicit content and messages presented in a sample of top-grossing teen movies of 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000. The study also examines the thematic treatment of consequences and responsibility of sexual behaviors. The finding indicates that the amount of sexual behavior exceeded its talk-about-sex counterpart, and more than 60% of sexual behavior cases were overwhelmingly unmarried but 40% in fairly established relationship. Comparing types of sexual content, two-thirds of the samples in the 1970s and 1980s are sexual behavior, but talk-about-sex and sexual behavior share similar proportions among sexual content in the movies of the 1990s and 2000s. Moreover, sexual responsibility and consequence of sexual behavior are rarely mentioned in the sampled movies. Limitations of this study are also discussed.