Internet Use Among Adolescents in Finnmark: Risks and Protective Factors

The study underscores the importance of differentiating digital and social media use, revealing distinct impacts on family, school ties, peer dynamics, internal feelings, and negative experiences.

Background and purpose: Digital and social media use among adolescents in Finnmark County, Arctic Norway, has increased significantly over the past decade. However, the mechanisms linking risk and protective factors to these behaviors remain underexplored. This study investigated the factors influencing digital and social media use among high school students in Finnmark.
Methods: Using data from the 2021 Ungdata survey, which included responses from 2,086 high school students in Finnmark County, the research examined associations between individual factors, environmental influences (e.g., family, peers, schools), and risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, antisocial behavior) through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with stepwise regression.
Results: The findings revealed distinct patterns: digital media use was associated with environmental factors such as relationships with parents, school connectedness, and satisfaction with the local area. In contrast, social media use was associated with peer dynamics, internal feelings, and negative experiences, including depression and sexual harassment. While media use fostered social connections, heavy use was associated with reduced physical activity and face-to-face interactions, exacerbating regional challenges like geographic isolation and cultural diversity.
Discussion: The study highlights the need to distinguish between digital and social media use, given their unique associations with individual, environmental, and behavioral factors. Digital media use was primarily associated with environmental influences, including family relationships, school connectedness, and satisfaction with the local area. In contrast, social media use was more strongly related to peer dynamics, internal feelings, and negative experiences, including depression and sexual harassment. Additionally, the findings suggest that regional factors in Finnmark, such as geographic isolation and cultural diversity, shape adolescents' media use behaviors. For instance, lower satisfaction with local areas and facilities, combined with the decline in physical activity, suggests that Finnmark's youth might be increasingly turning to digital media as a form of social connection and emotional coping. Furthermore, the prevalence of bullying and the rising mental health challenges underscore the need for interventions targeting the negative aspects of social media use.
Future research should further explore the behavioral aspects of media use, such as the intensity and quality of engagement, to better understand the potential risk and protective factors associated with internet use. It is also crucial for future studies to incorporate ethnicity-related factors, particularly given the multiethnicity in Finnmark.