2012/09/04 by Bo Feng, Min Jung Hyun
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Attachment and Relationship Dynamics #Digital Mental Health Interventions #Impact of Technology on Adolescents
paper · doi:10.1080/10510974.2011.649443
openalex publication_date 2012/09/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Although there is an increasing amount of research on social support in cyberspace, little is known about how Internet technologies influence social support among people who share offline personal relationships. The current study examined how friends' instant messenger (IM) status might influence individuals' coping and support-seeking, and what mechanisms could account for those effects. Four hundred and ninety-four college students read and responded to a hypothetical scenario in which they logged onto IM after experiencing a stressful situation. Participants perceived higher levels of self-efficacy, greater stress decrease, and greater likelihood of seeking support from a friend when the friend was said to be online than offline. Perceived social presence mediated the influence of a friend's online status on participants' coping and likelihood of seeking support from the friend.