Digital Skills’ Role in Intended and Unintended Exposure to Harmful Online Content Among European Adolescents
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14230%2F25%3A00140379" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14230/25:00140379 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8963" target="_blank" >https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/8963</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.17645/mac.8963" target="_blank" >10.17645/mac.8963</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Digital Skills’ Role in Intended and Unintended Exposure to Harmful Online Content Among European Adolescents
Original language description
Digital skills play a crucial role in shaping adolescents’ online experiences, serving both as a shield against harmful content and as a gateway to accessing it. Previous studies on online harmful content have predominantly focused on general exposure, overlooking the distinction between intended and unintended exposure (i.e., whether the adolescent deliberately sought out the content or was unexpectedly exposed to it). Moreover, existing studies did not consider the role of adolescents’ digital skills. This exploratory study aims to newly examine the role of the subtypes of digital skills in the intended and unintended exposure to harmful online content among adolescents from four European countries, as well as the influence of protective and risky factors according to the problem behavior theory. Using multinomial logistic regression, a sample of 3,934 adolescents aged 12 to 17 (M = 14.4, SD = 1.3; 51% boys) from Estonia, Finland, Italy, and Poland was examined. The results show different associations with respect to the type of exposure. For instance, knowledge skills and technical/operational skills were found to be associated with unintentional exposure to harmful online content, but not with intentional exposure. Similarly, the protective role of the family was suggested in intentional exposure but not in unintentional exposure. These findings underscore the importance of raising awareness among educators and parents regarding the dual nature of digital skills. Rather than solely emphasizing their protective potential, we shall acknowledge and address the potential risks associated with certain facets of digital proficiency.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
50802 - Media and socio-cultural communication
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/EH22_008%2F0004583" target="_blank" >EH22_008/0004583: Research of Excellence on Digital Technologies and Wellbeing</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Media and Communication
ISSN
2183-2439
e-ISSN
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Volume of the periodical
13
Issue of the periodical within the volume
January
Country of publishing house
PT - PORTUGAL
Number of pages
21
Pages from-to
1-21
UT code for WoS article
001422680300004
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85217191744