Is the igeneration a ‘we’ generation? Social networking use among 9‐ to 13‐year‐olds and belonging

Research suggests that online communication is associated with increased closeness to friends and friendship quality. Children under 13 years of age are increasingly using social networking sites (SNSs), but research with this younger age group is scarce. This study examined the relationship between SNS use and feelings of belonging among children aged 9–13 years. A self‐report questionnaire was administered to 443 children (48.98% boys), asking about their SNS use and their sense of belonging to their friendship group. SNS users reported a stronger sense of belonging to their friendship group than non‐users, but this was found only among older boys. Furthermore, among boy SNS users, a positive linear relationship was found between the intensity of usage and feelings of belonging. No significant relationships were found for girls. These findings suggest that boys who use these sites are gaining friendship benefits over and above those boys who are non‐users or low‐intensity users. Longitudinal studies should investigate the causal relationships between SNS use and social effects within this age group.     

The puzzle of the self-torturer

I've profited from discussions with Alan Nelson, David Erikson, Yoram Gutgelt, Tony Martin, members of a seminar at New York University, and, especially, Kit Fine.     

the nature of criminality within one-percent motorcycle clubs

Most law enforcers and academic experts agree that the largest one-percent motorcycle clubs are a formof organized crime despite their origins as barroom brawlers. A few club goals related to the destruction of rival groups are more or less overtly criminal. Of greater concern to most observers is the manner in which these clubs provide a context for individuals with a high propensity for illegal activity to unite long enough to operate enterprises of varying levels of sophistication. Social isolation from the mainstream intensifies intra-group loyalties as it concentrates members' attention on the underworld. Bikers integrate their private and club lives in an manner that makes the distinction between club-sponsored and other activities problematic. The relationship of these enterprises to the club itself is often murky as is the line between their planned and spontaneous expressive crimes.     

The Effects of Weight and Achievement Messages on the Self-Esteem of Women

We examined whether priming achievement causes lower self-esteem and more negative mood in women who believe they are overweight and 0whether it does so by increasing women's dissatisfaction with their bodies or with their performance. Thirty-five self-perceived overweight women and 43 self-perceived normal weight women participated in the experiment. Half of the women read a message stressing the importance of achievement pursuits, and the other half read a message stressing the importance of nonachievement pursuits. All women then completed a measure of global self-esteem, read a message about the negative effects of being overweight, and completed several dependent measures. Controlling for initial self-esteem, overweight women who read the achievement prime had lower mood and global self-esteem and lower performance self-esteem but not lower appearance self-esteem or greater body dissatisfaction when compared to the overweight women who read the nonachievement prime and the normal weight women regardless of prime type.