An Adult-Based Platform (ABP) is an online platform intended for adult use (e.g., dating apps, fetish communities, subscription services). The terms of use require ABP users to be a minimum of 18 years old. Although it is well established that some youth under 18 bypass these requirements and use ABPs, the reasons for them doing so are not well known. The goal of this study is to understand why youth use ABPs. This study undertook qualitative semi-structured interviews with Australians aged 18 to 21 years old who had previously used ABPs as minors. Participants reported various motivations to use ABPs while underage, which can be categorised into three main groups: relationships, entertainment and a fear of missing out (FOMO). This study found new understandings about youth ABP motivations, as well as findings reflective in existing research of adult ABP users and children online generally.
Values are defined as stable internalized beliefs about the self, world, and others that guide behaviours across situations. Adopting a bioecological lens, the present study examined youth values in relation to wellbeing. It was hypothesized that aspects of youths’ environments (support from family, friends, and teachers; neighbourhood safety and resources) would be associated with youth outcomes ( mental / physical symptoms, substance use , and subjective wellbeing ) via values about oneself, others, nature, and transcendence. Data came from a cross-sectional, community-based survey completed by N = 1842 youth aged 9 to 18 years from a community in Southern Ontario. Structural Equation Modelling revealed an indirect effect for the independent variables of family/teacher support and neighbourhood resources, and the dependent variables of wellbeing and substance use through values. Findings point to the importance of nurturing social support for young people, in addition to neighbourhood resources, while cultivating youths’ values for the purposes of wellbeing enhancement.
This qualitative phenomenological study examines how Israeli adolescents from Ultra-Orthodox, modern-religious, and secular communities reconstruct their identities across two consecutive national crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and the Iron Swords War. Based on 40 in-depth interviews with adolescents and their parents, the study explores how culturally grounded meaning systems shape developmental responses to prolonged instability. Two central dynamics emerged: disruptions to developmental continuity that generated both vulnerability and reflective growth, and culturally differentiated identity pathways. Ultra-Orthodox adolescents emphasized spiritual collectivism, modern-religious adolescents emphasized civic engagement and moral responsibility, and secular adolescents emphasized emotional regulation and continuity in the face of uncertainty. Participants described the two crises as a continuous developmental sequence, drawing on earlier experiences when making sense of subsequent events. The findings advance a culturally grounded perspective on identity reconstruction as a temporally cumulative process and highlight the importance of culturally responsive support for adolescents facing sustained societal instability.
This study explored adolescent siblings’ perspectives of family life and social connections, comparing the experiences of siblings of children with and without neurodevelopmental conditions. Using a mixed methods design, teenaged siblings aged 13 to 19 years in Australia, completed questionnaires and participated in focus groups to describe their experiences relating to friendships, recreation, and holidays. Forty teenagers participated, including 24 from families of children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Commonalities were observed between teenagers of both groups for friendships, recreation, and social activities. Differences were observed in relation to inviting friends home, parental availability for transport to activities, and family holidays, where many siblings of children with neurodevelopmental conditions voiced challenges associated with taking vacations. Findings can be used to tailor supports for siblings to enhance their relationships and opportunities for socialisation, which are important protective factors for mental health and wellbeing.
Climate change generates uncertainty and insecurity, shaping human–environment relations and contributing to psychological distress, particularly in the form of worry and anxiety. While moderate levels of worry may foster adaptive responses, elevated worry and anxiety are associated with emotional and functional difficulties. Adolescents may be especially vulnerable to these reactions due to their developmental stage. This study aimed to identify psychological profiles characterized by different levels of climate change worry and anxiety. Preliminary analyses also explored sex- and age-related differences, as well as the associations of worry and anxiety with emotion regulation difficulties and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. The study involved 625 Italian adolescents aged 14 to 18 years who completed online self-report questionnaires during regular school hours. No significant sex or age differences emerged for climate change anxiety, whereas boys and older adolescents reported higher levels of worry. Latent profile analysis identified three groups: low (77.3%), moderate (17.3%), and high (5.4%) worry and anxiety, with progressively greater emotional dysregulation and psychopathological symptoms. Adolescents in the moderate and high profiles reported more difficulties than those in the low profile across most indicators. The moderate and high groups differed primarily in externalizing symptoms, which were more pronounced among adolescents with higher levels of anxiety. These findings suggest that increasing levels of climate-related distress are associated with greater impairment in emotional and behavioral functioning. They highlight the importance of interventions aimed at strengthening adolescents’ emotion regulation resources and psychological well-being.
