Risky Behaviors in Social Media and Metaverse Use during Adolescence
A special issue of Adolescents (ISSN 2673-7051). This special issue belongs to the section "Adolescent Health Behaviors".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 March 2025 | Viewed by 2671
Special Issue Editors
Interests: communication psychology; cognitive interfaces; psychometrics; data analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: developmental psychopathology; trauma; eating disorders; internalizing/externalizing symptoms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: clinical health psychology; psychopathology; clinical assessment; eating disorders; health behaviors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the rapidly evolving digital era, the lives of young people are increasingly intertwined with virtual platforms, particularly social media and the nascent metaverse. These environments have become significant in shaping their social interactions and psychological development. They serve as platforms for enhanced interaction, where boundaries of geography and time zones are virtually non-existent, enabling youth to connect and communicate with a global network of peers and cultures.
However, alongside these opportunities, there are significant risks and challenges that are inherent to these digital landscapes. One of the primary concerns is the potential for exposure to harmful content and interactions, such as cyberbullying, online predation, and exposure to inappropriate content. These risks can have lasting impacts on the mental health and well-being of adolescents, contributing to issues such as anxiety, depression, and diminished self-esteem.
Moreover, the immersive nature of the metaverse and the pervasive presence of social media can lead to addictive behaviors and overuse, which may disrupt sleep patterns, academic performance, and real-life social interactions. The boundary-blurring nature of these platforms can lead to a distortion of reality, impacting adolescents' understanding of social norms and expectations.
This Special Issue seeks to explore these multifaceted aspects of adolescent life within the realms of social media and the metaverse. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these digital environments influence young people's psychological development, social behaviors, and mental health. By examining the intricacies of these interactions and their impacts, the edition will offer valuable insights for psychologists, educators, parents, and policymakers.
Dr. Ileana Di Pomponio
Dr. Luca Cerniglia
Dr. Silvia Cimino
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Adolescents is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- social media
- risk factors
- risky behaviors
- metaverse
- metaverse addiction
- web 2.0
- social networks
- virtual world
- adolescence
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.