Depressive symptoms amplify the impact of feeling supported or ignored online by friends on adolescents’ well- and Ill-being

= 15.98, 54.9% girls; 96.9% Dutch) reported daily on time spent communicating online with friends, their experiences of feeling supported and ignored by friends, and their well- and ill-being. Results showed that time spent communicating online with friends did not relate to adolescents' well- and ill-being. Feeling supported by friends online resulted in higher well-being and lower ill-being, while feeling ignored by friends online was related to lower well-being and higher ill-being. Adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms experienced intensified effects, both positive and negative, suggesting more vulnerability to everyday online social experiences but also increased benefit from online support. Altogether, this underscores the importance for parents and clinicians to foster open conversations to help adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms navigate their digital social world.

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Publication Details

Journal
Development and Psychopathology
Published
2026-04-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579426101485
Primary Topic
Impact of Technology on Adolescents
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Depressive symptoms amplify the impact of feeling supported or ignored online by friends on adolescents’ well- and Ill-being

Ine Beyens, Amber van der Wal, Loes Janssen
Development and Psychopathology
Impact of Technology on Adolescents
article

Depressive symptoms amplify the impact of feeling supported or ignored online by friends on adolescents’ well- and Ill-being

Ine Beyens, Amber van der Wal, Loes Janssen
article en

Abstract

= 15.98, 54.9% girls; 96.9% Dutch) reported daily on time spent communicating online with friends, their experiences of feeling supported and ignored by friends, and their well- and ill-being. Results showed that time spent communicating online with friends did not relate to adolescents' well- and ill-being. Feeling supported by friends online resulted in higher well-being and lower ill-being, while feeling ignored by friends online was related to lower well-being and higher ill-being. Adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms experienced intensified effects, both positive and negative, suggesting more vulnerability to everyday online social experiences but also increased benefit from online support. Altogether, this underscores the importance for parents and clinicians to foster open conversations to help adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms navigate their digital social world.

Development and Psychopathology
Utrecht University (NL), University of Amsterdam (NL)
Universiteit van Amsterdam, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Impact of Technology on Adolescents
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