Start Date

11-8-2016

Description

In conjunction with other sources, young people use the internet to search for and interact with health information. Teens often alter their behavior based on the content they find, which may be problematic for those who use social networking sites to find fitness information in particular. Extant literature suggests there is an array of both healthy and unhealthy content on these sites, often contradicting one another. This study explores the variables that relate to the strategies teenage users employ to make decisions about the conflicting information they encounter. The results suggest that their motivations, skills, relationships with knowledgeable adults, and past experiences inform teens’ strategies for navigating contradictory fitness information.

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Aug 11th, 12:00 AM

Do This, Not That: How Teens Make Decisions About Contradictory Health Information on Social Media

In conjunction with other sources, young people use the internet to search for and interact with health information. Teens often alter their behavior based on the content they find, which may be problematic for those who use social networking sites to find fitness information in particular. Extant literature suggests there is an array of both healthy and unhealthy content on these sites, often contradicting one another. This study explores the variables that relate to the strategies teenage users employ to make decisions about the conflicting information they encounter. The results suggest that their motivations, skills, relationships with knowledgeable adults, and past experiences inform teens’ strategies for navigating contradictory fitness information.