title: International trends in electronic media communication among 11- to 15-year-olds in 30 countries from 2002 to 2010: association with ease of communication with friends of the opposite sex.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electronic media has become a central part of the lives of adolescents. Therefore, this study examines trends in adolescent electronic media communication (EMC) and its relationship with ease of communication with friends of the opposite sex, from 2002 to 10 in 30 European and North American regions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the HBSC study were collected using self-report questionnaires from 11-, 13- and 15-year-old participants (N = 404 523).
  
  
  RESULTS
  EMC use has grown over the years in most of these regions and increases with age. Even though Internet usage is often blamed for its negative effects on teenagers' social interactions in the physical world, in this study EMC was found to predict ease of communication with friends. Especially, the more they use EMC, the easier they find it to talk with friends of the opposite sex. Although these findings suggest that EMC reinforces communication, the interaction between year (2002-2006-2010) and EMC usage was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding contradicts research that suggests that EMC contributes to loneliness and isolation, and supports other studies that present electronic media as a powerful tool for helping to connect people.
authors: 1 School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel meyranbn@gmail.com.
authors: Meyran
authors: M
authors: Boniel-Nissim
authors: 2 Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors: Michela
authors: M
authors: Lenzi
authors: 3 Department of Information and Research, National Institute of Child Health, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Emese
authors: E
authors: Zsiros
authors: 4 Department of Health Education, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors: Margarida Gaspar
authors: MG
authors: de Matos
authors: 5 Centre for Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: Rob
authors: R
authors: Gommans
authors: 1 School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors: Yossi
authors: Y
authors: Harel-Fisch
authors: 1 School of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors: Amir
authors: A
authors: Djalovski
authors: 6 Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland, UK.
authors: Winfried
authors: W
authors: van der Sluijs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009656:North America; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*