Exposure to online hate material and subjective well-being. A comparative study of American and Finnish youth

Date12 February 2018
Published date12 February 2018
Pages2-15
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-05-2016-0133
AuthorTeo Keipi,Pekka Räsänen,Atte Oksanen,James Hawdon,Matti Näsi
Subject MatterLibrary & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval,Collection building & management,Bibliometrics,Databases,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet,Records management & preservation,Document management
Exposure to online hate material
and subjective well-being
A comparative study of American and
Finnish youth
Teo Keipi and Pekka Räsänen
Department of Social Research, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
Atte Oksanen
Department of Social Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
James Hawdon
Department of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
Blacksburg, Virginia, USA, and
Matti Näsi
Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between subjective well-being (SWB) and
exposure to online hate material using samples of Finnish and American youth and young adults.
The authors aim to identify socio-demographic determinants of SWB and the social ties prevalent both online
and offline that may be relevant to the discussion of how hate material associates with well-being.
Design/methodology/approach The data are derived from online survey responses from both Finnish
(n¼555) and American (n¼1,014) young people aged 15-30. The authors control for the possible effects of
social trust, offline friendships, online victimisation and economic status, which have been found to associate
with SWB in earlier studies.
Findings The findings show a clear association that highlights the uniformity in how negatively intended
material online affects young people, despite the inclusion of a cross-national comparison. The study confirms
previous work concerning happiness and life satisfaction.
Research limitations/implications The survey used was not designed solely to address issues of SWB
and as such a more targeted set of questions may have resulted in more in-depth data. Also, structural
determinants of SWB, social spheres, and tie strength were analysed through proxy measures.
Practical implications The findings concernin g new variables linked to well-be ing and victimization in
the cross-national co ntext provide a new point of reference in terms of o nline hate being associ ated
with happiness.
Originality/value The authors consider a number of descriptive characteristics, determining the
relationship between these variables and participantshappiness. Through this cross-national data set, new
comparisons were made possible between internet users of both countries. The study combines many earlier
findings with new variables and theoretical frameworks to add new perspectives to the understanding of how
well-being is affected online among young people.
Keywords Well-being, Internet, Youth, Hate material
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The role of happiness and life satisfaction in improving human functioning and
fostering a sense of fulfilment continues to be reinforced by research (Proctor et al. 2009;
Schiffrin and Nelson, 2010). The positive emotions associated with happiness improve
task performance, health (Lyubomirsky et al., 2005), relationships, and overall life
satisfaction (Gamble and Gärling, 2012; Uusitalo-Malmivaara, 2012). Happiness often
leads to emotional stability and low anxiety, which are the best predictors of youth life
satisfaction (Schiffrin and Nelson, 2010).
Online Information Review
Vol. 42 No. 1, 2018
pp. 2-15
© Emerald PublishingLimited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/OIR-05-2016-0133
Received 11 May 2016
Revised 9 March 2017
Accepted 8 August 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1468-4527.htm
2
OIR
42,1

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