Charmaraman Linda, Smucker Ramona, Theran Sally A, Dam Srimayee, Anthony Jessica
Youth, Media, & Wellbeing Lab, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA.
Department of Psychology, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA.
Behav Sci (Basel). 2025 Jun 12;15(6):805. doi: 10.3390/bs15060805.
YouTube is the most popular social media platform for children and adolescents, yet relatively little research has been conducted on adolescents' use and their motivations for use. Prior research has predominantly focused on measuring the quantity of time spent on the platform, and less is known about the motivations and self-awareness of using YouTube as children turn into tweens and teens. Stemming from a larger survey study of adolescent social technology use, we interviewed a subset of 35 youths (50% female, 49% male, 1% non-binary) to qualitatively explore the benefits and challenges of YouTube use. Thematic analyses revealed the wide range of emotional responses and regulation that were attributed to YouTube use, including humor, fear, anger, insecurity, and anxiety. Some participants experienced wishful identification with YouTube influencers, and others viewed YouTube as entertainment or an escape from boredom. Sleep regulation was mixed, in that for some, YouTube was a distraction from getting enough sleep, and for others, it helped them fall asleep. Parental monitoring was a developmental challenge as the youths described their parents as lacking knowledge about the length of time they spend on the platform and/or the risky YouTube content that they watch, particularly as they got older. These exploratory findings may be pertinent for parents, educators, and clinicians.
YouTube是儿童和青少年最受欢迎的社交媒体平台，但针对青少年使用该平台的情况及其使用动机的研究相对较少。先前的研究主要集中在衡量在该平台上花费的时间量，而对于随着儿童成长为青少年，使用YouTube的动机和自我认知了解得较少。源于一项关于青少年社交技术使用的大型调查研究，我们采访了35名青少年（50%为女性，49%为男性，1%为非二元性别）的子集，以定性地探索使用YouTube的益处和挑战。主题分析揭示了归因于使用YouTube的广泛情绪反应和调节，包括幽默、恐惧、愤怒、不安全感和焦虑。一些参与者渴望认同YouTube上的有影响力的人，而另一些人则将YouTube视为娱乐或逃避无聊。睡眠调节情况不一，对于一些人来说，YouTube会分散他们获得充足睡眠的注意力，而对另一些人来说，它有助于他们入睡。父母的监督是一个发展中的挑战，因为这些青少年表示，他们的父母对他们在该平台上花费的时间长度和/或他们观看的有风险的YouTube内容缺乏了解，尤其是随着他们年龄的增长。这些探索性发现可能与父母、教育工作者和临床医生相关。
