The use of social media as a two-way mirror for narcissistic adolescents from Austria, Belgium, South-Korea, and Spain.

The use of social networking sites (SNS or social media) often comes with strong self-centered behaviors to promote self-appearance. The relationship between narcissism and social media use has intensively occupied scholars in the last decade, yet not much research has focused on, first, how the intensity of social media use (SNS use) is associated with narcissism through a self-centered appearance focused use of these SNS; and second, whether these associations are moderated or not by cultural differences of the country of origin in such a critical age of personality formation and (global) culturalization as the transition from pre-adolescence to adolescence. We performed a correlation and mediation analysis on a cross-sectional survey among Austrian, Belgian, Spanish, and South Korean adolescents (n = 1,983; Mage 14.41, 50.3% boys) examining the adolescents' daily usage of social media, their self-centered appearance focused behavior, and the reported narcissism. Findings show that a self-centered appearance focused use of SNS (SCA) moderates the association between SNS use and narcissism, especially for males from the three European countries. We have also particularly found that the years of use, number of friends and time spent in FB are associated with narcissism. Since SCA is defined in the study as narcissistic behavior in SNS, we argue that social media are part of the socialization process as both reinforcers and catalyzers of narcissism.

Participation of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in Online Support Groups is Correlated to Lower Levels of Diabetes Self-Management.

BACKGROUND: Support groups play an important role in diabetes understanding and education. This study aims to find connections between participating in diabetes-related online communities (groups and forums) and the self-reported degree of self-care management and health problems associated with type 1 and 2 diabetes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted and 307 participants were recruited. Participants were asked about diabetes self-care management (glucose management, healthcare, dietary restrictions, and physical activity) and complications related to the disease, as well as their participation in online social groups and forums (duration, time, and intensity). RESULTS: Belonging to diabetes-related online support groups (OSGs) was associated with lower scores in healthcare and self-management of diabetes (M = 2.98, SD = 1.07, n = 207, for belonging to OSGs; and M = 4.22, SD = 0.59, n = 97, for not belonging to OSGs). These differences were not statistically significant for type 1 diabetes individuals (M = 4.33, SD = 0.47, n = 28, for belonging to OSGs, and M = 4.29, SD = 0.48, n = 52, for not belonging to OSGs), but were highly significant for type 2 diabetes (T2D) individuals (M = 2.41, SD = 0.68, n = 144, for belonging to OSGs; and M = 4.14, SD = 0.64, n = 61, for not belonging to OSGs). People with both type 1 and 2 diabetes reported to have suffered more complications derived from diabetes when they belonged to an OSG, but greater statistically significant differences were found in type 2 individuals. CONCLUSION: Patients with T2D who participate in OSGs show a higher correlation with having lower levels of diabetes self-care management as well as health complications related to the disease.

[The perception of values in food commercials on the part of young people with and without eating disorders]. / Valores percibidos en la publicidad de alimentos por jóvenes con y sin trastornos de la conducta alimentaria.

Advertising uses stereotyped body images to promote physical ideals and unhealthy eating habits related to food products which are targeted especially at young people. The purpose of this study, carried out in Barcelona (Spain) in May 2013, was to test the perception of 139 young people of university age - with and without eating disorders - regarding 25 values in seven food commercials that did and did not use body image strategies. Results show that only the group of young people with eating disorders considered commercials using body image strategies to have a very negative influence on values such as health, well-being, family and effort. In contrast, the assessment of the two groups regarding the rest of the commercials greatly coincided. These results show that today’s university youth have accepted as normal a beauty canon based on the prevailing social and economic order, while young people in treatment for eating disorders have learned to denaturalize such messages.

Valores percibidos en la publicidad de alimentos por jóvenes con y sin trastornos de la conducta alimentaria / The perception of values in food commercials on the part of young people with and without eating disorders

La publicidad utiliza imágenes corporales fuertemente estereotipadas para promocionar cánones físicos y conductas alimentarias no saludables asociadas a productos de alimentación dirigidos sobre todo a jóvenes. El objetivo de este estudio, realizado en Barcelona (España) durante el mes de mayo de 2013, es testear la percepción de 25 valores en siete spots televisivos de alimentación (con y sin estrategias de imagen corporal) en 139 jóvenes con y sin trastornos de la conducta alimentaria (TCA). Los resultados muestran que solo el grupo de jóvenes con TCA considera que los spots con una estrategia comercial basada en la imagen corporal influyen muy negativamente en valores como salud, bienestar, familia y esfuerzo. En cambio, se ha observado una gran coincidencia entre los dos grupos cuando se evalúa el resto de los spots. Estos resultados señalan que los jóvenes universitarios españoles de hoy han aceptado como normal un canon de belleza basado en el orden social y económico, mientras que los jóvenes en tratamiento por desórdenes alimenticios sí han aprendido a decodificar este tipo de mensajes.

Advertising uses stereotyped body images to promote physical ideals and unhealthy eating habits related to food products which are targeted especially at young people. The purpose of this study, carried out in Barcelona (Spain) in May 2013, was to test the perception of 139 young people of university age - with and without eating disorders - regarding 25 values in seven food commercials that did and did not use body image strategies. Results show that only the group of young people with eating disorders considered commercials using body image strategies to have a very negative influence on values such as health, well-being, family and effort. In contrast, the assessment of the two groups regarding the rest of the commercials greatly coincided. These results show that today’s university youth have accepted as normal a beauty canon based on the prevailing social and economic order, while young people in treatment for eating disorders have learned to denaturalize such messages.