| This study explored the relationship between Taiwanese teenagers' depressive mood and their online as well as offline communication based on a large-scale survey (N = 6,341). The preliminary investigation showed that those who reported high depressive mood used the Internet to make friends, to express thoughts and feelings, and had nobody to talk to. Hierarchical linear regression analyses further indicated that Taiwanese adolescents who were higher in depressive mood engaged in more online activities in the domain areas of information-seeking, entertainment, and communication with friends. The findings also indicated a positive relationship between depressive mood and risky behaviors (e.g., drinking, smoking, harmful driving and night clubbing). Moreover, age and gender differences were found. Overall, the results of this study shed new light on earlier research that focused exclusively on U.S. Internet users (Kraut et al., 1998; 2002) and suggest that the role of the Internet in the lives of young people with depressive mood may vary by culture. |
